 |
Download The Mixtape Toolkit |
Press Reviews |
|
|
|
|
Author: Review by: Computer Music
MARCH 2005
If you’re a budding hip-hop producer, this collection should be right up there on your ‘must-have’ list. Some of the highlights among the 650MB of content include some stunning crunchy snare hits, a sublime selection of scratch sounds, and even recordings of actual city streets, which are perfect for adding some urban atmosphere to your tunes. We would have liked to see even more stuff included (because we’re greedy) but the quality of the supplied material is exceptional. To put it simply, if hip-hop is your game then you owe it to yourself to get this one in.
9/10
|
Author: Review by: Sound On Sound
FEBRUARY 2006
Regular readers of Sample Shop will recall the reviews of Teknik's two Ghetto Grooves sample libraries, both of which were aimed at hip-hop and R&B styles, and were based primarily on construction kits, but with a very healthy dose of individual hits featuring both drums and percussion. This new release follows a very similar format. The 28 construction kits (dominated by 80-100bpm tempos) are supplemented by folders containing individual samples for drum kits, scratches, vocals, and various special effects. In total, there are more than 3000 files taking up over 650MB of disc space.
Each of the 28 construction kits is based around a small number of loops (usually between five and 10) and, helpfully, a complete mix is also provided for easy auditioning. While the sleeve notes suggest the library is aimed predominantly at hip-hop, some of the construction kits would most certainly work at the sassier end of R&B — maybe Christina Aguilera in a dark mood? Indeed, the overall feel is quite moody and melodic, perhaps not suitable for the grittier hip-hop styles, but I could easily imagine something like an Eminem-style vocal line sitting over the top of these backings. The majority of the kits feature a combination of a drum loop and separate kick or hi-hat loops, plus various instrument loops such as guitar, piano, bass, and synth. While the individual loops mean that it is easy to drop mix elements in and out to create a song structure, it might have been nice to have a few more loops within each construction kit for some instant variety. That said, there are plenty of effects, vinyl scratches, and vocal ad libs (with the occasional bit of colourful language for good measure!) that can be used to add a little extra spice. With due care and attention to pitch-matching, it is also easy enough to mix and match loops between the various kits.
Drum samples dominate the individual samples, and there are some excellent sounds on offer here. All the usual hip-hop classics are present, including various TR808/909-inspired sounds and plenty of crunchy snares and speaker-flapping kicks. The Scratches folder includes not just turntable spinning, but also a good collection of vinyl noise samples — great if you want things to sound like they have been lifted from an old record.
There are a large number of hip-hop construction-kit sample libraries available, so users have plenty of titles to choose from. The Mixtape Toolkit perhaps doesn't break any radical new ground in terms of format or content, but the construction kits are instantly usable and very musical. Given the inclusion of the large number of other samples, it is also hard to dispute that the title offers good value for money. If you like your hip-hop samples both melodic and on a strict budget, then The Mixtape Toolkit provides a decent starting point.
5 Stars
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Download 300MB of Samples, Loops & Reason Refills for FREE when you sign up to our Weekly Newsletter:
|
