Cool Free Stuff: One-Shots And Miscellaneous Samples From Akai

Image source: http://farm6.static.flickr.com

Below the fold I have some audio links to share with you guys. These are miscellaneous loops, one-shots, stabs, and other do-dads kindly provided by none other than the guys at Akai. They’ve been posting a number of free goodies on their Soundcloud page as of recent, so if you find the highlights below useful then I recommend following them for more goodies down the road. 

It’s always tough to predict the sound quality of random samples found online, but keep in mind that this is Akai we’re talking about here. I trust these guys ;)

Monday Drums is a batch of loops using classic 808 and 909 drum machine sounds, Synth Bleeps & Bloops can be loaded into a sampler and mangled for atmospheric effects with ease, and for you drum and bass heads, there’s always the Welcome To The Jungle pack to boot. Now get to work.

Monday Drums by AkaiPro

Synth Bleeps and Bloops by AkaiPro

Welcome to the Jungle Sample Pack by AkaiPro

Cool Free Stuff: Tyrell N6, A Fully Functional Software VST Synthesizer

I come across free software plug-ins on a pretty regular basis, but many don’t leave much of an impression on me. Mainly because they’re either trying to re-invent the wheel, or they simply won’t add value to the programs many producers are already using. Every once in awhile I find a gem however, and the Tyrell N6 synth is one of them.

The Tyrell N6 is a classic virtual subtractive synth. AbletonTutor on Twitter posted a rave review about it the other day, convincing me in just 140 characters to take a look myself. The N6 was developed as a side project by U-He; they’re best known for creating Zebra, a very powerful (yet tough to learn) modular software synth. Originally concieved as a low-cost hardware analogue synth, the developers quickly learned such a project was not feasible. They instead decided to port it over to the software side, and the rest is history.

One of the biggest benefactors of the Tyrell N6 is the voice stacking capability, which allows you to layer multiple oscillators on top of each other. With a little detuning programmed in, you can create some very full-bodied, dynamic sounds on this puppy. Many of the other knobs and sliders on the N6 perform what most subtractive synths are expected to: oscillators to generate the sound itself, envelopes to shape the sound, and LFO’s control the rhythmic elements over time.

A huge bonus in the Tyrell N6, which I’ve never seen before in a free VST, is a modulation matrix. Although not nearly as complex as something you would find in Native Isntrument’s Massive or Reason’s Thor, the N6 matrix still allows you to automate the parameters of the LFO over a span of time. 

This is a highly recommended soft synth for a producer on a tight budget. It’s capable of generating some very dense, expressive sounds, as the video embedded above illustrates.

Download the Tyrell N6 today.

Cool Free Stuff: AfroDJMac's Free Weekly Ableton Rack - Super Bass

Fresh out of ideas for your next Ableton project? Sometimes all it takes is a custom rack to find a different way to process your sounds and get those creative juices flowing again. Live’s racks are virtually boundless; you can make them as simple or as complex as you want. AfroDJMac is an Ableton user who creates and shares custom racks every single week, his most recent being a “Super Bass” rack.

You need to have the entire suite to take advantage of this rack because he utilizes the Analog synth. But check out the video above and see how he uses his rack to not only generate the sound, but also add a bit of fuzz (read: character) to just the high end. And he manages to use the one rack not only to create the bass, but also the lead sounds on top of it. Pretty cool.

AfroDJMac runs both a blog as well as a YouTube page if you’d like to grab some more of his racks for Ableton Live. 

Cool Free Stuff: Downtempo & Experimental Compilation Via Finest Ego

 
Words: Matt Farina 

Here’s a free compilation from a label called Project Mooncircle, a worldwide label that’s been putting out releases since 2004. I stumbled across this, liked what I heard and wanted to find out more, and turns out it’s actually the fourth in a series. All share the title of ‘Finest Ego’ with each release focusing on a different geographic area; the prior compilations include New Zealand/Australia, Russia, and Japan.

This one in particular collects a solid variety of producers and sounds from Ireland & the UK, overlapping mostly on electronic hip-hop and funk. Fans of the LuckyMe collective (Hudson Mohawke, Rustie, Mike Slott) or the French Musique Large team (Poirier, Débruit, Fulgeance) will want to check this out - many of the brightly-colored synths and funky beats on this comp bring these producers to mind.

The artwork for these releases is a nice fit, with color schemes and geometric patterns reflecting the musical makeup. Seems that part is handled by a German group called LGB5. It’s cool to see a truly worthwhile compilation given away for free, especially as both LGB5 and the Mooncircle label have strong bodies of work already - so check them out and support them if you like this!

(Nick comment: Sony Walkman diehards will find themselves in luck. CASSETTE versions of many of these compilations are readily available for purchase on the website.)

Finest Ego UK/Ireland - Bandcamp Download

Other Finest Ego comps

Cool Free Stuff: Bass & Dancehall Vibes From D Rakkas on Mad Decent

Dilemma: you want to play some jungle smack dab in the middle of your bass set, but do it without completely alienating the tweens in the club born post-1990. After all, they’re the ones less familiar with such blasphemy transcending the 160 beat per minute range! Solution: insert some pressure by the likes of D Rakkas mid-set. Perfectly flowing along with the ethos of the Mad Decent label his new EP is about to drop on, this dude brings the drum and bass breakbeats, the electro-bass bottom end, and some dancehall vocals to form quite the cocktail of music we should just pigeonhole as “fun”. 

D Rakkas (South Rakkas Crew)-Gangsta Revival (Rack n Ruin Remix) by maddecent 

Budget-minded people will appreciate a freebie in the form of a remix to the lead track (“Gangsta Revival”), which the description above fits perfectly. There are amens for the breakers, and vocals for the ladies. Everyone’s happy, everyone dances. Those that are of age get to drink. Those that aren’t probably get to drink too. The end.

If us east coasters make it past the impending hurricane over the weekend, we get to hear the remaining seven tunes from the EP next Tuesday! Check out the preview of all the cuts here.  

Cool Free Stuff: Free Percussion and Ambient Packs For Ableton Live

Have a craving for some free samples to refresh your Ableton device racks with? Allow me to direct you to Togeo Studios. I was directed here from the Ableton forum and honestly, I can’t wait to download some of these sample packs myself. Always on the chase to find new drums, one of the packs that probably comes the most in handy for me is the Beatmaker Classics. This one includes 50 drum kits, each loaded as separate racks, complete with macro knobs for full control of paramaters such as the attack, decay, and release times. 

Already got enough drums? The Dreamscape series of packs may still be of interest. A multi-part Live pack, Dreamscapes are racks that include synthesized, ambient sounds via a series of simpler devices loaded as racks. These might come in handy for creating textures or other sounds that fill the higher frequency ranges of your projects.

Make sure you add Togeo Studies to your bookmarks page; they release updated packs on the regular. If you’re digging the free ones, be sure to check out the paid ones as well; all of them are priced reasonably and you’re bound to get a decent amount of mileage out of them if you happen to be an avid Live user.

Cool Free Stuff: ASC-Reach Out (drum and bass)

Image Credit: http://onethirtybpm.com/ 

This awesome, free joint by longtime drum and bass producer ASC can be best compared to being in a large, dark, and empty room. When suddenly, a bucket containing thousands of metallic balls are dropped from high up, each one differently sized. They bounce relentelessly off of every flat surface within the confines, resulting in a cornucopia of taps, bangs, plinks, and plonks, resulting in the creation of a multitude of pitches, rhythms, and echoes at different lengths. 

With all the commotion and friction these shiny metallic objects are creating, you can’t bring many other things into the equation; you’d hate to think of what happened if one happened to get knocked out of its trajectory (oh, the horror). So ASC takes great care to make the components outside of the drums in “Reach Out” as subtle, yet effective as possible, without competing too much against them. Just enough synth is added to yield a melody that jives with the pitch of the percussion, and you may as well just toss in a medicine ball to handle the low end (how you’ll get it to bounce to make that funky bassline I’m not too sure of though).

ASC - Reach Out (FREE Download) by Auxiliary

Cool Free Stuff: New Juke Mix And Exclusive Track By Moveltraxx Crew

If you’re on the hunt for some quality juke on this side of the pond, look no further than the Moveltraxx guys. They’ve got some stuff happening right now, including several nights centered western Canada (where they’re currently based).

If a flight out to British Columbia isn’t in the cards, they’ve got a pretty good online presence to boot. Their blog is regularly updated with plenty of special blends from members of their crew, as well as one free 320kbps MP3 download each month. Not a bad deal at all.

Moveltraxx already boasts a solid roster of original producers as well as remixers, including Big Dope P, Congorock, DJ Sega, Sinden, Berou & Canblaster, DJ Rashad, and the Philthkids.

Sample a bit of their sound with their most recent radio show, as mixed by the Philthkids. As these guys quote: “The two best things in this world are music and a women’s ass…put the two together and you truly have something amazing.” Can’t say I disagree with that.

Moveltraxx Radio Show #5 - PHILTHKIDS - March 28th 2011 by Moveltraxx 

Tracklisting:

Jamie Grind - Footwork 
LDFD - Twerk It 
Addison Groove - Dumbshit 
Philthkids - For the Booty 
Clicks’n’Whistles - Hello 
Wildlife - Nocturnal World - French Fries 
DJ Assault - Vandalism 
Taz - Gold Tooth Grin 
Sines - Danceflo’ 
Typhonic - Running 
Johnny Megabyte - Liquid Gold 
DJ Rashad - U See Them Hoes 

The free track of the month, Berou & Canblaster’s “Kapongo”, can be downloaded on the right column of their blog on the homepage. You have to provide them your email, but worry not. I’ve been on their list for several months now, they’re not going to spam you. They send 1 or 2 emails each month, loaded with quality content if you’re a juke lover. No “COME TO MY PARTY FRIDAY NO COVER IT’S ONLY 1000 MILES AWAY!1!” in CAPITAL LETTERS type stuff. 

Cool Free Stuff: 2 Fresh Tracks Hot Out The MSTRKRFT Studio

Now I’m not sure if there’s any political undertones in MSTRKRFT’s brand new track “Back In The USSA”, but they don’t seem like a political band, and this sure as hell isn’t a political blog. So forget any references to socialists or Alex Jones or whatever. Or the Beatles for that matter, this is NOT a euro-trance cover of the track that kicked off the White Album. It’s just a catchy instrumental piece that has that synthetic MSTRKRFT sound, and it’s yours, free.

Soundcloud embeds below for not only “Back in the USSA”, but the equally badass (but more guitar-centric) tune “Beards Again” for previewing. Like what you hear? Head over to Mstrkrft.com for the direct download links for both tracks.

MSTRKRFT - BACK IN THE USSA by Undocumented Management

MSTRKRFT - BEARDS AGAIN by Undocumented Management 

Cool Free Stuff: Kevin Saunderson- The Sound (1987)

After a bunch of clowns tried ripping off a classic song by one of modern dance music’s pioneers and attempting to sell it as if it was their own, Kevin Saunderson has responded to the situation with the quickness. You can get the in-depth whole story on his blog, along with free high-quality links to not only said song (“The Sound”), but also the suspect track as well (in case you have a dying urge to waste hard drive space on the latter, that is).

Drama aside, “The Sound” is fantastic, and the use of Roland’s classic drum machines will make this track something that pretty much anyone on the dancefloor can relate to and appreciate. 

Cool Free Stuff: Jungle Producer Tim Reaper Releases Freebies On Soundcloud

Image Credit: Tim Reaper’s Soundcloud

Forget the fact that Tim Reaper is barely old enough to drive, that’s hardly relevant to the quality of the music he is pushing to the masses at the moment. Most people would kill to be this talented at the age of 16! Hailing from across the pond in the UK, Reaper tips his hat to the sound of vintage jungle/drum and bass music and the amen break.

Slowing the music down a bit from the sometimes-chaotic 175 bpm of today’s jungle, he brings the speed down to about 160 bpm. This allows the listener to more fully digest every single nuance of the breakbeats themselves, which he thoroughly chops and re-edits in his tracks. Coupled with the vocals and very deep strings/pads, this is absolute bliss. Reaper is following the footsteps of other breakbeat pioneers, including Naphta, Breakage, Nookie, and Equinox. 

Tim Reaper is sure to have some releases under his belt soon, but in the mean time grab these freebies from his soundcloud account. Do it quickly though, once they hit 100 downloads, they will be gone! You can also cop one of his first officially signed tracks, a remix of DJ Trace’s “Final Chapter”, on DSCI4, on vinyl.

Tim Reaper - Numberclart by Tim Reaper

Tim Reaper - Dred Light by Tim Reaper

Cool Free Stuff: Unreleased Drum & Bass/Drumfunk Dubplate From 1998

Shortly after I started this site two years ago I made a post about a drum and bass dubplate from the late 1990s I had in my collection. It was more of an inquiry rather than a description of the song: I was mainly interested in finding out who wrote the track and if it was even released. The video was posted on youtube, and based on the comments, there seemed to be quite a bit of interest in it (which has a very deep, drumfunk style sound).

Anyways, after almost two years, the original author of the song found it by chance and managed to get in touch with me! Turns out that he was in a duo who were up-and-coming producers around London who were cutting plates of their own work to play on a radio show they DJ’d at. None of their songs were ever released, and the artist admittedly told me that he didn’t feel his work was strong enough for submitting to labels.

6 or 7 years ago he listed this plate on eBay as “A Free Cut at Music House”. Music House was the name of the place he had this dubplate cut at. He had to buy both sides of the acetate up front, but only ended up having this one song pressed. Eventually I ended up getting this from Crugga’s eBay store several years later. It is the only copy in the world (the original DAT’s don’t even exist). The flipside is still blank.

Although the artist requested I keep his identity anonymous, he has given me permission to share an AIFF version of the song. Keep in mind that this is a dubplate so it’s fairly worn down and there’s lots of scratches, but either way, a nice piece of drum and bass history! This song was written around 1998 or so. Both people involved in this song are no longer involved in producing or drum and bass in general.

Enjoy-

Unreleased Drum & Bass/Drumfunk Dubplate From 1998

Cool Free Stuff: Local Action Presents The Skydiver / Cassie Remix EP

The scenario is all too common. A record label known for high quality output decides to put out a free release consisting of scraps better suited collecting dust on the cutting floor. Go ahead and argue “you get what you pay for” all you want, it will NOT hold up when discussing the free Skydiver remix compilation released just days ago on up-and-coming garage and house label Local Action.

What you’re getting here are 9 soulful, yet bass-fueled pieces that have much in common with a lot of the garage and UK funky beats emitting from the right side of the Atlantic these days. There’s an underlying theme behind these tunes: they are all remixes and/or dedications to R&B singer and P-Diddy protege Cassie.

Her relation to Local Action? Who knows. Humor aside, musically all of these tracks are solid and keep the cheesy pop gimmicks at a minimum. Even the mashing-up of P-Diddy’s vocals on Jacques Greene’s remix of “Must Be Love” and the trancey synths of Lunice’s “Addiction” remix are kind of, well, addictive to listen to.

I’d have to say my personal favorites here are Brackles’ remix of “Me and U” and Altered Native’s stab at the afformentioned “Addiction” song. Both fold layers upon layers of masterful synth work ever so neatly into the mix. Instant adds to the Serato playlist, as well as the iPhone.

This is Local Action’s fourth release. Following three very solid 12” releases from T.Williams and Svpreme Fiend, it can be safely stated that this collective has a pretty promising future for them to look forward to. I mean, these guys could probably do an EP dedicated to Susan Boyle and still somehow manage to make it sound fresh.

Get the Skydiver EP here.

Cool Free Stuff: Depressed Buttons- OW! (Mad Decent/House)

I know that hearing “Depressed” and “Ow” may suggest that these guys are on some sort of FOX News doom-and-gloom romp, but it’s actually quite the opposite for electronic act The Depressed Buttons. I’ve become strangely addicted to this song over the course of the past, well, 12 hours, since it was uploaded to Mad Decent’s Soundcloud page. It’s almost like I got out of bed today just to hear the happy squeal of a toddler sliced and diced through a sampler, sugar coated with even sweeter synths. When (or if) I ever have kids, I’ll be sure to drop this one while I’m hosting their first birthday parties. Dance music has officially become fun again, people.

Be on the look out for the Depressed Buttons’ debut EP, Querty, coming soon!

Depressed Buttons-Ow! by maddecent

Cool Free Stuff: Izotope Vinyl Emulator Plug-In/VST

Izetope has made one of their plug-ins available for a free download! While some are using software to remove the skips, pops, and crackle of recordings derived from vinyl records, others are quite fond of the sound. For the latter group, today is your lucky day.

Izotope vinyl actually adds the sound of vinyl surface noise into your audio projects. Why would anyone want this? Well for starters, it’s a cool way to add a bit of authenticity to your samples, making the song a little more interesting overall. Although a subtle effect that some probably won’t notice, it is good for helping your tracks sound a little less sterile, and for helping your listeners get a little more nostalgic. 

This plug-n utilizes a 64-bit processor and has a variety of controls that change the character of the vinyl surface noise, as you can tell from the image above. So, for example, if you would rather hear the scratchiness of a record playing out of that Califone phonograph you remember from your elementary school classroom in the 1970s as opposed to a Technics 1200 turntable from the 1990s, look no further.

Special thanks to everything-ableton.blogspot.com and www.twitter.com/ableton_tweets for calling this to my attention!

Download this plug-in from Izotope’s site