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Download Loopmasters Broken Breaks |
Press Reviews |
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Author: Broken Breaks Review by Remix Mag (USA)
Posted: 06/09/2006
At a glance: Market-fresh eclectic and sub-genre breakbeats.
Two-disc pack: audio; Acidized-WAV/REX2/HALion/Kontakt/ EXS24 data.
Loopmasters Broken Beats A Little Crazy Glue Will Do Ya The value-marketed Loopmasters soundware doesn't typically shell out the largest bounty of samples per disc around, but the quality of the series makes up for this. Broken Beats absolutely knocked me out from its first spin. The two-disc set (audio and data) features more than 260 exhilarating breakbeat loops in tempo folders ranging from 80 to 170bpm, largely in the higher speed limits. Loops came as REX2 and Acidized WAV files and cover such progressive styles as broken beat/glitch and nu-jazz inspired lounge, hip-hop, electro, drum 'n' bass, heavy soul and more. From those styles, the producers have further woven original and wonderfully eclectic-sounding subgenres that defy nomenclature altogether, save to say that they're downright inspiring.
All loops last four measures and, more often than not, feature deep syncopations, groovy shuffles and experimental swing patterns that fuse together fantastically when layered. Each tempo folder is thematically assembled with soulful-sounding acoustic loops side by side with their quirky electro cousins.
Saturated and explosively blown-out kicks, crunchy filtered snares, flanged hi-hats, ominous vocal hits and heady drones with vinyl-lifted authenticity are all on tap.
The beat-production skills are second to none and processing is outrageously slick and refined. As is also typical of this series, Loopmasters has included a massive collection of 450 single-hit drum samples (effects intact and assorted by the tempo category they were used to program), all painstakingly premapped into kits for use in the most popular samplers, making it a simple matter to augment the loops or trick out your own grooves. Buy It!
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Author: Broken Breaks Review by Music Tech Mag (UK)
Posted: 20/09/2006
Broken Breaks
Music Tech, August 2006
We've reviewed several sample CDs from Loopmasters Origin series in the last couple of years and they've always proved to be well-produced, well-organised and good value for money. Their latest offering, Broken Beats - a collection of drum loops that covers the most important current breakbeat genres - is no exception. You get two discs: one data CD with Acidized .WAV and REX2 samples and patches for Reason's NN-XT, HALion, Kontakt and EXS-24 samplers; plus an audio CD for convenient auditioning of the various loops and samples.
A wide range of styles is covered, from swingy, jazzy breaks through to heavy soul and chemical beats, but the content is catalogued by tempo (80-170BPM) rather than by genre. According to the CD inlay card, most of the recordings have been made with very light use of EQ and effects; however a good many sounded pretty heavily processed to us. But, we hasten to add, the processing is never over done and adding your own personal touch is always an option. A good many dry and lightly treated kits are also available.
Sadly, all too often with this kind of library the musical content lacks variation and consequently is over-produced to compensate for a lack of originality. Not so with the 680MB of content here, though. This is a very musical set of short loops and hits that should fit seamlessly into many modern styles of music, whether its hip hop, breakbeat, electro or drum'n'bass. In short, they're nicely played, programmed, recorded and produced.
As consistent as ever, Loopmasters has produced another high-quality sample set, this time a breakbeat library, packed with variety and suitable for use in all genres of modern music production
Verdict 8/10
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