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Filed under: Audio •

Zero-G/Xfonic SoundSense Series

With the SoundSense series, long-time sample library creator Zero-G gives us a different take on “budget” collections. Each DVD contains a collection of loops and individual samples – including in most cases a small but tasty assortment of song construction kits – in a particular electronica genre. These collections list for $59.95 each, and are distributed in the US by Sounds Online. Here I’ll review four of the SoundSense collections: Trance Inducer, Technomatik, Ambiosis, and Chilled Grooves.

The sounds are provided in 1b-bit 44.1kHz Acidized WAV plus AIFF/Apple Loop formats; the loops have also been converted to REX2 files. Bucking the budget trend toward minimal or no documentation, each collection comes with instructions on how to load the AIFF files into Apple Loop-compatible applications (Apple Garage Band and Soundtrack), as well as how users of the excellent Spectrasonics Stylus RMX virtual instrument can use its SAGE Converter to repurpose the REX2 files. There is also a PDF catalog of all the samples included on the disc (although it is unfortunately created with trendy white text on a black background, which makes it hard to write notes on a printout of it). As is typical for collections like these, the license states these sounds can be used for commercial purposes within musical compositions and soundtracks; you cannot repackage or modify the files for inclusion in another competitive product.

The samples themselves are bare bones: Most drum loops are only 2 beats to 1 bar long (shorter and therefore less-varied than most other loop libraries, although not unheard of for the genre), while most melodic loops are 1 to 8 bars in length; individual instruments are presented as only one or two samples at octave intervals with no pre-set loop points (although many do have good lengths and natural progressions). Most of the samples also have processing and ambience built in. As a result, some advanced users will grumble at the lack of flexibility, while some bedroom composers and dance club DJs will applaud their load-and-go ease of use. The AIFF and WAV formats weigh in at 378 to 624 meg per collection. Recording quality is easily above average, often including fun use of the stereo field.

Trance Inducer

This collection is obviously aimed at “trance” genre dance producers. In addition to notes, hits, and rave-ups, this collection comes with a series of arpeggios and drum loops mostly in the 135 to 140 bpm range. I like how the drum loops were divided into hats, kicks, snares, percussion and top loops rather than as finished mixdowns; this means they can be freely mixed and matched, or use as additional elements to add dance floor urgency to other drum tracks. Carrying on this theme, the 7 construction kits come with 10 to 15 component loops and one-shot samples, allowing the user to create some nice variations for a genre normally associated with…well, trance-like repetition.

Technomatik

This is more of a house-style music collection, tuned toward the 124 to 138 bpm range. There are 15 song construction kits (averaging well over 20 component loops and samples each) plus 50 drum and 20 percussion loops, often presented in sets of 2 to 4 loops. As with Trance Inducer, most drum loops are of the four-on-the-floor variety, or alternate kicks with similarly-tuned snares. Oddly enough, there are no bass synth loops; just 30 individual bass notes, along with folders of FX, drum hits, and synth notes, hits, and riffs. Producer DJ Stakka tends to more of a thinner (i.e. not bass-heavy) European club sound, which is no surprise given Zero-G is based out of England.

Ambiosis

This is a synth sound collection by renowned programmer Ian Boddy. It is the one SoundSense collection of the four reviewed here without any loops – and therefore, any REX2 files. All of the sounds provided are tonal (with keys listed) or atonal pads and ambiences mostly in the 12 to 18 second range. They are divided into Analogue, Atmospheres, Dark, Light, Spacey, Vintage, and just plain Weird categories. Boddy used a combination of physical analog and virtual digital gear, and obviously spent a lot of time crafting each sound – they’re certainly a notch above most rave collections you hear. However, don’t come here looking for your next pop hook; they lend themselves better to sci-fi soundtracks and more cerebral dance music.

Chilled Grooves

This last one is my favorite collection of the group, focusing on a more industrial take on chill-out music (think trip-hop to illbient; indeed, one of the construction kits is named “Bristol Beatz”). The seven construction kits – ranging from 50 to 100 bpm – are simply brilliant and virtually radio-ready. Nearly all of the standalone drum loops time in at 65 bpm; of course, you can use them as half-time layers with faster loops as well. What particularly stood out to me were the bass sounds, which were as often strung or bowed as they were synthetic. The keyboards (again, single samples rather than loops) also tended toward the heavily chorused and drug-induced as opposed to urgent or shrill.

These libraries are a lot of fun, but at $59.95 each, they’re just a touch pricey for the amount of content provided (although at the time I am writing this, Sounds Online is offering 10% off list, which help a bit). Also given that the focus of these reviews on ProAudio Coalition is more for those looking for whole song construction kits and compelling standalone loops rather than a bunch of individual samples, you might think twice before diving for these.

As noted earlier, I’m reviewing music construction kits that can be used with desktop audio software to create underscores and soundtracks for video and motion graphics. Click here to read a primer on creating music using “loops” and other audio snippets such as these.

(FTC Disclosure: All of the sound libraries I’ll be reviewing were given to me by their vendors in the hope - but not expectation - that they would be reviewed. I have no other relationship with these companies.)

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By the way, when I talk about tempos, it will be useful to refer to the chart in the article below to see how BPM (beats per minute) relate to the number of video frames between beats:

http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/PAC-Home/story/magic_tempos/

Posted by Chris Meyer  on  07/03  at  12:57 PM

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