10 of the best new sample and soundware packs (March 2017)
Raw Cutz The Raw Cutz Super Pack
The Raw Cutz cats are some of the illest hip-hop and funky sample makers doing it right now. Those unacquainted with their dopeness need to step to this mammoth release, which collects all 30 releases from the prolific label.
The sample artillery in this sonic ammunition store is enough to blow a hole in any speaker. Naturally, they have drums for days - the backbone of hip-hop, and 80% of many a big track. Not to mention enough dusty musical samples, bass shots, loops and hook-ready vocals to make even SP-1200 legends like Large Professor blush.
4.5 out of 5
Subscribe to Splice and download Raw Cutz The Raw Cutz Super Pack
Mode Audio Fragment
330 acoustic, electronic and ‘found’ drum and percussion samples, foldered by instrument type (Kick, Snare, Shakers, etc) and rolled into 12 kits for Logic, Live and Reason.
Fragment immediately nails its ‘tribal’ flag to the mast with the kicks, which are more rounded and resonant than the usual drum kit bass drums. The snares follow suit, the toms are enormous, and even the hi-hats have more heft than expected.
These are big, dense, intricately-layered sounds that no producer in any genre could fail to have an absolute blast with. Essential.
5 out of 5
Zero-G Ethera Soul Edition
The follow-up to Ethera is a 1.4GB vocal Kontakt library packed with vocal phrases (“oohs”, “ahs”, etc), emotively and soulfully sung by Clara Sorace and featuring more in the way of actual words.
The Phrases and Phrase Builder instruments are the main events, the first drawing on 12 presets that map phrases up the keyboard for stretching, shifting, shaping, processing and stringing together; the second for creating phrases by arranging words and phonemes in a step sequencer.
Legato control and effects wrap things up, and it all comes together in an effective, capable package.
4.5 out of 5
Future Bass Generation
1.6GB of tough, cone-shaking loops and hits for producers of future bass and related styles. We particularly love the 20 stemmed drum loops (81 files), which show plenty of rhythmic inventiveness, and the five Songstarter construction kits, from which slick intro/build-up/drop arrangements can be quickly formed.
The all-important bass loops are also up to scratch, but we’d have liked more than 35 of them, particularly given that there are twice as many synth lines included.
That’s a minor complaint, though, and FBG is a winner in all other respects.
4.5 out of 5
Wolfgang Gartner: Signature Series Pt.
This release forms part one of Wolfgang Gartner’s signature series, and gives us the keys to the cream of the production don’s very own personal library. Taking in cutting-edge sound design from the last eight years, it serves as a style guide to the dancefloor trends he helped shape, as flashes of electro house genius sit pretty with big room riffs, future house flourishes and tech house grime.
The drums punch like hell, and the rest of the loops and licks are as tough as nails. And everything, on the whole, feels like it’s been given a mammoth boost through a serious processing chain.
Also thrown in are a handful of selected stems from Gartner classics like Piranha, which is sure to be a selling point for many a fan. Recommend.
4.5 out of 5
Subscribe to Splice and download Wolfgang Gartner: Signature Series Pt. 1
Rhythmic Robot DX Keys
Described as a recreation of “a single DX7 II Program Memory slot”, the Robot’s 840MB Kontakt library lets you mix two layers of multisampled DX7 electric and ‘acoustic’ piano patches, each chosen from a roster of eight: Piano 1 and 2, Ebony/Ivory, PianoBrite, KnockRoads, RubbaRoads, HardRoads and Full Tines.
The two layers can be detuned and nine Lexicon-based convolution reverbs and a Chorus control are on hand for completion of the ‘80s nostalgia trip.
Direct and to-the-point, DX Keys sounds awesome and is well worth the asking price.
4.5 out of 5
Sample Magic Vaporwave
A strange ‘80s-influenced fusion of synthwave and urban vibes, the 685 loops and one-shots of Vaporwave have a sound all their own.
The Cassette Loops folder - ‘stolen’ recordings made to an old Panasonic tape deck - is well worth trawling. The bass and synth loops are also highlights, full of crusty digital and analogue tones; and the 15 Music Loop kits all work well.
On the downside, we did start to tire of the relentless reverb on the drum loops after a while, but that aside, this is a fascinating and voluminous collection.
4.5 out of 5
Au5 Elemental Sample Pack
For this cutting-edge dubstep collection Splice has let New Jersey’s Au5 (known for his releases through Skrillex and collabos with BT) man the controls. On his Elemental Sample Pack he brings the level of musicality he’s famed for, as well as his diversity, navigating the styles and textures of many a sub-genre to inform his own dubstep sound palette.
His drum hits are punchy and polished, his bass loops are growling and anchoring, and his pads dreamy enough without being airy fairy. Add to that a wealth of wobbles, plucks, leads, lazers, sirens, FX and synth lines, and you have all the elements you need to make your own dubstep classic.
4.5 out of 5
Rankin Audio Tropical House Essentials
A no-frills 525MB sample pack in the eponymous genre, Tropical House Essentials’ four folders of palpably sun-drenched loops take in foot-tapping drums, catchy basses, a diverse array of melodics (synths, guitars, pianos, tuned percussion, etc) and some heavily processed vocals.
Although we take issue with their use of the term “huge collection” to describe a total of 143 loops and 79 one-shots, this is a joyous library at a very fair price. Your house doesn’t need to be tropical for it to be relevant, either…
4.5 out of 5
Loopmasters Dimensions - Experimental Soundscapes
At almost 5GB, Dimensions is one of Loopmasters’ biggest libraries yet, its 441 samples averaging about a minute long (the shortest is 16s, the longest 3m12s).
The core proposition is a set of 72 drones, soundscapes, textures and ambiences, but with more going on musically than that description suggests. You also get 20 of them broken down into multitrack stems, plus one-shots, including 75 brilliantly trippy Oddity Hits and 79 dubby FX hits. So much to explore!
4.5 out of 5