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Download Zero-G Pure R'n'B |
Press Reviews |
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Author: Sound On Sound Magazine, UK Awarded 4 out of 5
"Zero-G, Britain's leading sample producers, have set a pattern of providing their wide range of sound libraries for a standard £59.95, but they've broken out of that pattern to release Pure R'n'B (a two-CD set) for a mere £29.95. We all know there's no such thing as a free lunch and, as you'd expect, there are certain trade-offs to be made to meet this price. With Pure R'n'B, what you get is a reduced amount of sound data - Disc One (the audio CD) lasts just 35 minutes and contains 48 rather than the more usual 99 tracks. Disc Two is a mixed-format CD-ROM with all Disc One's data usefully presented in Akai, WAV, AIFF, REX and Acid file formats.
A series of R'n'B construction kits occupy the first 36 tracks of the disk. These typically consist of a short (8-16 bars) full-mix track section, which is then deconstructed into around half a dozen solo elements. The programming and sound selection is pretty much up to the standard you'd expect from a disc carrying the Zero-G name, and there's a good range of interesting synth and drum noises, as well as a respectable smattering of live sax, guitar and vocal samples throughout.
The tempos of the construction kits range from 70 to 123bpm, and all are listed with their appropriate key signatures. Tracks 37 - 42 contain a collection of 60 drum loops (90 -115bpm), followed by some wonderfully warm and grainy Rhodes chords, some excellent single organ notes, and a small but entirely respectable collection of bass-note samples.
As a resource for the novice programmer, or the samplist working to a tight budget, Pure R'n'B rates very highly indeed. More experienced sample-CD users, or those looking for something a little more cutting-edge, might find the amount and style of material a little restrictive, but obviously you pays your money and you takes your choice.
Perhaps having access to cost-effective sample libraries of good quality (albeit with reduced quantity), such as this one, will inspire users to dip their toes into a wider range of genres. While any 35-minute sample CD is bound to have inherent limitations, this release provides a competent - and at times inspirational - journey into R'n'B."
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Author: Knowledge Magazine, UK "This CD sounds very street and not cheesy at all. The format is the construction kit, with full grooves followed by individual samples and parts separately. There are 36 of these tracks. Each one sounds crisp and wicked and there are loads of excellent breaks to use with different music and vice versa. The CD rounds off with 50 drum breaks, 40 Rhodes/organ chords and 17 basses. T
he emphasis here is quality over quantity. There are more quality samples per square minute(!) on this CD, and if you are looking for this kind of sound and groove, this CD is running its field. The vibe is street soul and r&b with a ruff edge and strong vibe."
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