Review of 5Pin Media Prog Tech Synths: Prog Tech Synths is a collection of midi files specifically aimed for progressive and tech house. While the material in the collection is good, it could have been executed in a much better way.

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Before the era of software synthesizers midi-files were the Big Thing and together with the General Midi specification it became - uh - huge. Suddenly you could give a song on your friend and the sounds would sound pretty much the same. As everyone knows - although that the General Midi specification was a good idea - all sound cards and even external sound modules sounded pretty much rubbish. Even by the standard of that time. Damn it, even by the standards of today, built-in General Midi Sounds in sound cards sounds horrible. So for many users the word midi became synonymous with low quality.

Although not a new idea, midi files are seeing a renaissance, specifically when added together with sample libraries. Many developers of sample libraries are today not only selling their loops and sounds, but also the original files that were made to create the material. The idea is actually quite useful and is executed in a brilliant way in Trance Cosmos Elements Volume 3. So when 5Pin Media not only release a library with focus on midi files, but it's the third in a series - it's hard not to get interested.
Prog Tech Synths is a collection of mainly midi files, but also some samples. The basic structure is built around ten construction kits.

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Review of Advanced Hard Dance 01 Raikiri: what happens if you take eurodance, combine it with rave and put it in the context of 2011? The answer is: A fresh and cheeky injection of sounds for the dance floor.

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Japanese Eurodance.
Katana Bits is a new sound designer that recently signed up for distribution via SoundsToSample. Raikiri is a term from the japanese anime series Naruto meaning 'lightning blade' which if my Kung-Fu is still relevant is some kind of hardcore ninja-skill. What is publicly known about Katana Bits apart from their devotion to manga is not much. They are japanese. They come from Tokyo and have an obvious passion for the fast and bombastic.

I think the latter is what caught my ear when first skimming through the library. When minimal styles still are in fashion - a compilation like this shines through like a multicolored rainbow in the dark. It's like Leila K stumbling in a housing cooperative meeting, wearing a mini skirt with a bottle of champagne.

The people over at Katana Bits are apparently fans of the Sylenth software synthesizer - and on their Soundcloud page you can listen to the sounds they come up with.

But let's get to business. What does Raikiri actually contain?

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Review of Little Endian SpectrumWorx 2: SpectrumWorx builds upon the old Delaydots and works by processing the incoming sounds on separate frequencies rather than the signal as a whole. Is SpectrumWorx a tool for the most extreme of sound pushers, or can it also satisfy the needs of producers who want something different but doesn't necessarily want nuke the whole incoming signal? The answer, my friends, is a bit of both.
 
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SpectrumWorx.
Not long time ago, I was very close to sell my Virus TI and the only reason why I didn't was because I - by accident - routed it through my old Ensoniq DP/4 - it was like a door swung open in my face. What a sound! What possibilities! So let there be no doubt that a good effect can turn something meh into something hot. In some respects a good effect is more inspirational than a new sound library. A good effect can transform your old sounds, synthesizers and samples into something totally different.

But an effect can also complicate things and ultimately create a mushy soup of the material. It all depends on the usage and the effect. More complex effects are by nature more versatile but also more difficult to master. Yes, Native Instruments Reaktor. I am looking at you. I cannot think of any more advanced sound mangler than Reaktor and although I've had my share of fun with it - I honestly can't say much of the insane effects of the user library have ever ended up in any of my productions.
 
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Review of Sample Magic Electro: Release number 20 from soundbenders Sample Magic is dedicated to electro - and when Sample Magic talks electro, they mean commercial electro.

Sample Magic Electro
The magic is back.
If I would say that trance is dead, it would come back and haunt me until I repent. So I won't say that. Instead I'll say that Electro is the hottest style on the three most important places right now: clubs, radio and the fitness club. So when sample moguls Sample Magic release a 850+ sound library in the said style, you pay attention.

It's easy to repeat yourself when reviewing products from Sample Magic, and right now it seems this producer of loops and sounds can do nothing wrong. While I personally am a big fan of Sample Magic, I feel their greatness have come with age. Although early releases were good - I think their most recent releases have been impressive as in 10/10.

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Review of Samplerbanks Minimal Pop: Minimal Pop is a classy collection of drum and bass loops for modern dance music production.
 
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House, not pop.
Minimal Pop from producer Samplerbanks is described as a collection minimal loops in the form of chords, synths, basslines, breaks, glitched sounds and drum loops. The inspiration of the library was taken from artists such as Alan K, Brandon Plank, Andy Lee and Nieghel. The style of the material is aimed for (quote) "Minimal, Minimal House, Deep House and Tech House music".


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Review of Synapse Audio Dune: After years of hibernation old softsynth maestros Synapse Audio once again show their skill in creating synthesizers. Dune is a synth clearly aimed for the electronic dance music scene, and gives synths such as Sylenth 1, ElectraX and even Nexus a tough run for the money.

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I control the spice.
Review of Synapse Audio Dune: After years of hibernation old softsynth maestros Synapse Audio once again show their skill in creating synthesizers. Dune is a synth clearly aimed for the electronic dance music scene, and gives synths such as Sylenth 1, ElectraX and even Nexus a tough run for the money.
 
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Fxpansion Geist 01/05/2011
 
Review of Fxpansion Geist: The followup to the legendary drum sequencer Guru is finally here, but it's not Guru 2 - it's a whole new product called Geist.
 
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Geist.
While Guru was an extremely powerful and versatile sample based drum sequencer - it was still only that. A drum sequencer. The new Geist is still a drum sequencer, but takes the concept a few steps further, streamlines it and the result is something that is starting to touch pattern-based sequencers. While the acronym DAW is not appropriate - it's most definitely getting closer with Geist.

Just to be clear. Altough this text focus on Geist, I'll be throwing in references and comparisons to Guru and also to native Instruments Maschine as I see fit.
 
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Review of Wave Alchemy Deep Tech and Progressive: Wave Alchemy have a solid reputation of being one of the top players among the creators of sample libraries, and with their latest product they show they're not afraid of pushing the boundaries.
 
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Last time I laid my perverted hands on a library from Wave Alchemy was a couple of months back when I got the opportunity to write about their Drum Tools 01 collection of processed drum samples. Since then they have been working on a new library, just released - aimed for the more quirkier and darker side of techno. This time, it's not just drum sounds on the menu, but also loops: drum, bass and synths.

Since I have three nasty deadlines hanging over me, I won't waste any time but get straight to it.
 
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Review of Myloops Trance Cosmos Elements Volume 3. This is a library that gives you the fundamental building blocks for creating traditional massive-club trance.
 
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Trance Cosmos
Although I consider myself to be a fairly intellectual person, there are moments where I place myself below the intelligence of a slug. Let me give you a few of the major highlights.

1) Some dumb nut convinced me that the Mac eventually would end up the same way as Atari, and since I was stupid enough to believe that, I bought a PC and were living in exile for fifteen years something until I finally bought a Mac. For me, it felt like coming home (although, I am kind of glad because of this since the painful software and hardware mutations from Mac anno 1995 to Mac 2010 have gone by without me noticing anything).

2) The same influence hit me when some other nut in a magazine (obverve the power of the printed word!) said that as soon as a style get's popular, you've already lost the wave. This was maybe five years ago, and they talked about trance.

Point being, never listen to anybody.
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Review of Sample Magic Organic House: Autumn is here and what better way is there than to warm yourself with some uplifting haus? Sample Magic shows us the way.

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Sample Magic Organic House
House. No matter what kind of music I listen to, I always come back to house. It's like coming home. Tech House. Minimal House. Uplifting House. Old-old-school hiphop (which I consider to be house in its most original form). Whatever. House is Home.

Without dragging sexual preferences into this blog, I'd like to say there are only three types of clubs I honor with my royal presence: 1) dark, atonal techno clubs 2) where ever Plump DJs are performing and 3) gay clubs. No matter how straight or bent you are, there are few places that play better, more danceable music than gay clubs. And in gay clubs, they play House. Real House. Not the minimal technoish-kind nor the silk-like tones of smokey Rhodes of laid-back house. No, Real House is upbeat in a feel-good manner. The Only One (tm) you actually want to start clapping your hands to the beat without feeling like a moron.

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