_Oliver Schmitt is a man driven by a passion. Just like Deadmau5, Oliver Schmitt knows the art of creating drum loops that sound spot-on modern with a minimum of ingredients. For someone like me - who rather add than take away - it's almost like dark magic. But as the old idiom famously says 'the devil is in the details' - and that's what Oliver Schmitts loops are all about. Tiny details that you barely register but perceive as a whole.

_In all its essence, the point of his Kick Free Revolution series is to provide the mood and the swing for drum productions. Basically all you need to do is choose and program the kick. This formula is as effective as it is clever, especially considering that these loops doesn't occupying every part of the frequency spectrum. In other words - it's easy to break out elements and tweak the loops to your own taste.

Before I forget - it's important to remember that this library is a library with only loops (both wav and Apple Loops) rex-files. The loops are conveniently put together in instruments for EXS24 and Kontakt - but there are not one single drum sounds in this library. Just loops.

There are 777 loops and they are divided into nine categories: Minimal, Hihat, Noise, Mixed, Tonal, SynthPerc, LivePerc, Kits and FX. Many of the loops come in an extra variation usually with more or less elements in them.

Each category has its own style. The LivePerc category is based on acoustic percussion sounds and the SynthPerc is based... yes, you guessed it: synthetic percussion sounds. While the loops in these categories are based on acoustic and synthetic sounds - that's just what they are. Based upon. The loops have been programmed and processed far beyond what you would probably call a traditional acoustic percussion loop. I'm not talking about mutilation of sounds - anyone can slap a multiband compressor on a loop and call it art - but creative processing dynamically over the loop.

"these loops do not only lack the kick but also the snare"

The loops are set in 127 bpm and work exceptionally well with traditional four-on-the-floor kicks (and the snare on the second and fourth beat) as well as equally traditional rock patterns. The reason for this is that these loops do not only lack the kick but also the snare. The omission of the snare might sound like a simple trick, but it makes the all difference in the world when it comes to actually use the loops in your own productions. This does it make very easy to build dynamic drums for entire track - with your favorite snares and kicks.

CONCLUSION
Being a somewhat decent producer myself - I marvel at the cunning steeped in this collection. The sounds are both carefully selected and masterfully processed. The usage of tonal elements is very clever and the loops are very dynamic - giving a feeling of ebb and flow.
If you are after the kind of sounds that will help you concur the charts of modern trance pop, this is probably too advanced for your audience. But if you are into modern electro and techno - or want to spice up your productions with those genres - there are few collections that will make you stand out in the same way as these loops will. People will think your production skills are way more advanced that they really are.
One final note about the price. In these days when you can grab gigabyte-sized libraries for 10-20 euros, a price of 64 euros is definitely high. But since the quality of these loops is so exceptionally outstanding - Kick Free Revolution files under investment, rather than expense.

_Sound of Revolution Kick Free Revolution Vol 3
Web: www.resonance-sound.com and www.sounds-of-revolution.com.
Price: 64 euro.
Good: truly excellent kick free drum loops.
Bad: Nothing really. It is well worth its price.

Review copy: NFR from Sounds of Revolution.

IF YOU LIKED THIS YOU'LL LIKE:
More kick less loops from Oliver Schmitt - Kick Free Revolution Vol 2.
Genial drum sounds - Wave Alchemy Drum Tools 01 Minimal Techno.