Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Studio Bass Collection for Reason. Free Finger P-Bass Electric Bass Sounds for Reason. Now Available!

 



The Finger P-Bass sounds from the Studio Bass Guitar Collection are now available free to download as a collection of Reason NN-XT/Combinator Patches. 

The full collection features four additional sound groups with 16 patches in each group. So there are 80 patches in total. 

The four additional groups are:

Precision Power Pick
Articulate Fretless
Power Funk Slap
Velocity Power Pull.

The collection makes full use of Reason's effects processors, particularly the Softube Bass Amplifier. All the effects processors used are Reason's standard items, so the sounds can be used with Reason Intro and Reason Essentials. 

Check out the demo video/track below. The free Finger P-Bass is featured in the first section and you can download your free copy in the section below. 





Free Bass Sounds for Reason Download Link. 


Just download the entire folder to your hard drive then use Reason's file browser to load the .cmb file patches. 

I develop lots of sounds for Reason, some free, some commercial with at least one major sound pack per month. If you're a Reason user why not get all the updates by like/following me at my Facebook Page

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Bass Guitar Soundfonts and Zampler Patches. Demo Track/Video Now Available.

Took a while to put this one together, but finally got there. Think I was waiting for inspiration more than anything.

But I found a couple of loops and built some tracks around them. 

I don't think quality bass sounds are that easy to come by without spending quite a bit of money. The Soft Finger P-Bass is available free of charge, whilst the rest of the collection can be had for the price of a drink.



 

So check out the demo, you'll can download 'Soft Finger P-Bass' via the link below. 

Free_Bass_Guitar_Soundfont_Zampler_Patches

....and the complete library can be purchased and downloaded via a fully automated process from my Payhip store/channel. 

Studio_Bass_Guitar_Soundfonts_Zampler_Patches 


Why not subscribe to the channel, or follow me at my Facebook Page for all the latest commercial and free soundware, as well as technical articles, new products and reviews. 

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

VINTAGE DRUM MACHINE SAMPLES: Ghost Machine. Alesis HR16B

 


Free Alesis HR16B Samples, Resamples, and Kits. 


Alesis' pair of late eighties drum machines may not be the first products people think of when they hear the phrase 'vintage drum machine' but on hearing these sounds again I really think they stand the test of time.

The HR16B was broadly the same machine as the HR16 but with a set of updated samples. Characterised by a heavier, more electronic sound, these samples offer a range of tight, punchy kicks and snares, crisp hi-hats and cymbals and a small but potent selection of percussion sounds. 

This was quite fashionable at the time. Launch a new machine, which was much the same as the old machine, only with an alternative set of sounds. Kawai did something similar with their R-50/R-50e machines, which there are also Ghost Machine collections for via the links below. 





You'll also find a Ghost Machine sample/resample collection for the HR16 via the link below. 




Like all Ghost Machine collections, a set of resamples are included. This is where I take the original samples and beef them up with EQ, compression, envelope shaping, and sometimes even bit-crushing and distortion effects. I think these resamples are stars of this collection and sound really good. Big, fat punchy kick drums, tight snares and a few select others. Check them out, I think you'll really like them. They stand up with some of the best modern digital drum sounds around. I think.

Alesis HR16B Free Sample Library Download Link. 

Just download the entire folder to your hard drive and use your DAW browser or individual instrument 'load' functions to load and play the samples.


Disclaimer:

The information contained within this blog post is offered on an informal basis and is correct to the best of my knowledge. I accept no responsibility for outcomes arising from the mis/interpretation or use of this information and/or associated download files. Always download files via security/scanning software.

Monday, May 9, 2022

Reason Studios: Piano Sounds for Reason. Piano Mechanics One. Prelude. Reason NN-XT / Combinator Patches.

 



Piano Mechanics One: Prelude. Grand Piano Sounds for Reason. 

This collection of great sounding acoustic piano sounds for Reason NN-XT/Combinator are now available through a fully automated download process via Payhip. 

8 great ounding NN-XT/Combinator patches using only the standard Reason effects and processors which means they can be used on almost any version of Reason including Essentials and Intro. 

To give you a flavour, here's a few demo 'vignettes' via my Youtube channel. 




I haven't found anything around in the freeware world that sounds anything like as good, or any of the standard pianos that come with some of the major music production platforms. 

So for a few quid you get a really great sounding set of grand piano sounds suitable for a wide range of musical styles and genres. 

Piano Mechanics One: Prelude. Reason NN-XT/Combinator Patches Download Link. 

To purchase and download your patch collection, just click the link below. Download and unzip the entire folder to your hard drive then just use Reason's browser to load your Combinator patches. 

Why not follow me at my Facebook Page for all the latest free and commercial soundware products including sample libraries, synth patches, loops and beats. 


Disclaimer:

The information contained within this blog post is offered on an informal basis and is correct to the best of my knowledge. I accept no responsibility for outcomes arising from the mis/interpretation or use of this information and/or associated download files. Always download files via security/scanning software.


Saturday, May 7, 2022

Controller Keyboards. Part Four. Arturia Keylab Essential Series.

 



Arturia Keylab Essentials Review


So next up in my closer look at usb and midi controller keyboards comes Arturia's Keylab Essentials Series of products. 

Here we'll look at the mid-range 49 and 61 key versions. We'll take a look at the 88 note and 'Mini' versions in some forthcoming posts looking at these sectors as a whole. 

I must admit, of the products in this market sector, I think these are the most aesthetically pleasing with their white fascias and wooden style end cheeks. 

The keyboards are velocity sensitive but with no aftertouch sensitivity which maybe a drawback for some compared to the Alesis and Akai products we've taken a look at.

The usual performance pitch bend and mod controls are joined by nearby keyboard transpose buttons so you can instantly adjust the range of the keyboard and a chord play/memory feature is included. I love chord memory features on synths and keyboards, so this feature is a winner with me. 

8 'Pad' controllers are provided which can 'triple up' as preset selectors or controller switches, with preset channel and note assignment. The pads are velocity sensitive. 

Eight each of 'knob' and 'fader' style controllers are provided. These output controller information to control your DAW's level and pan or as controllers for the bundled Analog Lab software, but if you want to re-assign these channels and control change assignments, again,  you'll need to use the bundled editor.

It should be said at this point that deeper programming of Keylab Essential Series' controllers is only achieved using the bundled Arturia MIDI Control Centre Software. So the Pad, Knobs, and Faders note and/or controller mappings can not be edited or changed directly from the front panel. However, any settings that you make using the MIDI Control Center software can be stored as presets within the keyboard for instant recall for live use or for studio controller maps. 

So whilst it offers instant integration with the supplied Analog Lab software (more later....) as a number of preset 'maps' are provided, universal integration with DAWs and other software instruments will require the use of bundled software editor. Whilst it's true to say, almost everyone choosing this type of product will be using a computer, how quickly and easily realtime controller channels and numbers can be assigned is compromised by the use of software rather than the front panel. 

The Keylab Essential Controllers also offer a DAW control section/command centre which offers stop play and record functions as well as forward, rewind and loop commands, all on single buttons, so you don't have to keep reaching for your mouse of computer keyboard. These function buttons follow the MCU/HUI protocol. 


Keylab Essentials Rear Panel. 




Around the back, these Keylab Essential keyboards offer USB connectivity, MIDI Out, sustain pedal (with switchable polarity) and an input for the optional DC power supply if you're using the keyboard purely as a MIDI controller with no USB bus power provided. 

 
 

Keylab Essentals Software Bundle. 





.....and that brings us to the software bundle which includes the aforementioned Analog Lab which includes thousands of sounds and presets from Arturia's V Collection of vintage software emulations. Also included is Ableton Live Lite which is an ideal introduction to what is probably now the most popular software DAW around, and UVIGrand Piano Model D virtual Steinway Grand Piano instrument. 

So with the possible exception of the grand piano plugin, I think it's fair to say that the Keylab Essentials bundle is tilted more towards electronica/EDM producers than, say, singer songwriters.


Arturia Keylab Essentials 49 / 61 Review Conclusion. 

Great looking, portable USB controller keyboards with lots of features and a great set of bundled software products, if they're the sort of thing you're after. 

Drawbacks include the lack of keyboard aftertouch, either channel or polyphonic, and channel, note, and controller assignments for the pads, knobs and faders is only available via the bundled software editor. 


Arturia Keylab Essentials Links.




STM Keyboard Controllers Links:

 
 


Disclaimer:

The information contained within this blog post is offered on an informal basis and is correct to the best of my knowledge. I accept no responsibility for outcomes arising from the mis/interpretation or use of this information and/or associated download files. Always download files via security/scanning software.