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BACKBEAT
introduction
Our goal with the Classic
Drumming series of sample libraries is to provide the maximum amount
of variety in every area (style, tempo, feel and sound). Each product
in the series features multiple drummers playing a vast array of
drum kits, recorded in different world class studios, by numerous
Grammy winning engineers. You'll notice that every groove has a
unique sound and mix. It's almost like getting several sample libraries
in one! While there's certainly no shortage of live drumming sample
libraries out there, the overwhelming majority of them feature only
one drummer playing a single drum kit, recorded by one engineer
in the same studio. For Backbeat, we set out to create a collection
of "rock solid" grooves that have the incredible nuance
and feel that only the best drummers possess. Gregg, Bob, John and
Eric are widely acclaimed as some of the best in the business. It's
easy to play busy, and this approach sounds impressive, but ultimately
busy grooves aren't very useful in most tracks. By keeping the grooves
simple, Backbeat can be much more useable in a wide variety of musical
genres.
Flexibility is critical in using samples, so we have arranged each
groove in song construction elements for you to put your own linear
drum tracks together. Every groove has several variations of main
loops, with fills and transition fill bar loops. Arrange these together,
add your own cymbal accents and you've got a phenomenal live drum
track!
For ultimate flexibility, the CD-ROM versions of Backbeat include
our exclusive Groove Control™ feature, which gives unprecedented
control over the grooves' pitch, tempo and feel. Audio users of
this library can upgrade to the CD-ROM versions. Contact your Spectrasonics
distributor for details.
We hope this collection provides you with many years of inspiration!
Enjoy!
Eric Persing,
Creative Director, Spectrasonics
gear list
A partial list of the stuff
used to create the grooves on Metamorphosis (keep in mind that some
of these devices like Reactor and Reason have many devices/fx units
within them):
Apple Macintosh G3 and
G4 computers
Native Instruments Reactor & Dynamo
Propellerheads Reason
Propellerheads Rebirth
Custom Rebirth Mods
Rhizomatic Absynth software synth
Emagic EXS-24 software sampler
BitHeadz Unity 2.0 software sampler
Roland XV-5080 and 3080
Roland S-760/770 Samplers
Emagic Logic Audio Platinum
Native Instruments Pro-5 and Pro-52
TC-Works
Mercury Access Virus
Bias Peak 2.5
Bias SFX machine
T-RackS Mastering
Arboretum Hyperprism
Arboretum Vocoder
Arboretum Granulator
Arboretum Filters Pluggo
Arboretum Ray Gun
Steinberg Quadrafuzz
Steinberg Magneto
Prosoniq Orange Vocoder
Prosoniq Voxciter
Prosoniq Ambisone
Metasynth
Smart Electronix Supaphaser
Smart Electronix Cyanide
ReCycle
Acid Pro
Opcode Vinyl
Opcode Filter/Ring Mod
Opcode Squash, Ring, Boxdelay, Rezn8
GRM Tools
Serato Pitch 'N Time
Heil Talkbox
Korg Wavedrum
TC Spark FX plug-ins
TC Fireworx multi-FX
Roland SRV 330 reverb
Roland RSP-550 multi-FX
Boss SE-70 Multi-FX
Boss ROD-10 distortion
Boss GL-100 Guitar Pre-amp
Roland VM-7200 Digital Mixer
Boss VF-1 Multi-FX processors
Lexicon PCM-70 and 480 reverbs
AMS reverb
Roland RSP-550 Multi-FX
Lexicon PCM-70 reverb
Steinberg LM-4 API-5502 EQ
Innovonics Limiters
Eventide DSP-4000
Vintage API and Neve Consoles
Custom Quest analog mixers
Langevin passive EQs
Vintage RCA tube compressors
Thrombosis Generator
and..........other stuff!
what's on the data disc?
The included Mac/Windows
Data Disc contains:
- The Metamorphosis loops
as high-res WAVE audio files
- The Groove Control™
native sequences and MIDI files
- CD-ROM directories for
Akai/Emu and Roland
- The Soundfinder MVP
player by QDesign™
- This manual in Adobe
PDF format
- Cool freebies (Mac)
- Metamorphosis and Spectrasonics
MP3 product demos
We recommend transferring
the PDF manual and the Soundfinder files to your computer's hard
drive. This makes it very easy to get at all the info about Metamorphosis
you might need right from your computer.
soundfinder
We're happy to include
our new Soundfinder system on Metamorphosis. Soundfinder allows
you to audition all the loops from your computer, by using the Data
Disc. The Soundfinder system is a much faster and more powerful
auditioning method than using an Audio CD. All the loops from the
library are recorded as high quality WAVE files, that can be played
back with the included QDesign MVP player. Once you've installed
the MVP player, you can search through and listen to the library
without having to load it into your sampler first. The Soundfinder
system makes the process of finding what you need much faster and
easier. The QDesign MVP player can also play and convert MP3, AIFF
and Quicktime files. To play a file, simply double click the file,
drag it to the MVP playlist or open the file name which corresponds
to the loop you want to audition. Spectrasonics Product Demos are
also presented in this area of the Data Disc.
organization
Metamorphosis is organized
into these sections:
- Standard Loop Programs
- WAVE Files
- Groove Menu Programs
- Groove Control™
Programs
wave files
The included high-resolution
.wav files of the Metamorphosis loops not only allow you to quickly
audition the loops, but you can also use them directly in your Digital
Audio Sequencer, Workstation and programs like Acid™ and Phrazer™.
They are already perfectly edited and looped.
groove menus
Our unique Groove Menu
programs are presented at the end of the Loop vol-umes. Each tempo
range (50, 55, 60, 65, etc.) has all of the loops from that vol-ume
assigned to multiple keys in tempo-matched programs. Playing intervals
and chords results in a kind of magical "instant remixing" that
can be inspiring and also a great way to put a groove track together
quickly. Try it out!
The Groove Menu method
works by having tuning offsets in the sampler to compensate for
the tempo differences of each loop. We don't usually include this
method of programming on "acoustic" loop libraries, because it obviously
radically changes the pitch of the original loop. While this is
generally an undesirable effect on live drum or percussion loops,
on a remix-oriented library like Metamorphosis, it becomes quite
wonderful with all the oddball pitch variations contributing even
more sonic weirdness to our loops.
At this time, Emu samplers
are not able to use this feature because of their more limited tuning
architecture. Convert-loading the groove menu programs into other
sampler platforms may work, but the tuning conversion must be 100%
perfect for accurate sync to work.
So how to you use the Groove
Menu programs at the "in-between" tempos (62 BPM for example)? Simply
use the Production Calculator on the Mac Data Disc, or you can use
the following formula if you're on Windows. Find the tuning difference
between the program's tempo and your desired tempo (ex: 60 BPM and
62 BPM), and offset the Program/Patch tuning by that amount (ex:
+56 cents). It's easier than it sounds an it's a fun way to work
that is more interactive than normal loop multitracking techniques.
tempo & pitch formula
the formula to determine
how many cents you adjust to change loop tempos is:
Td = Desired tempo
Ts = Current Sample tempo
n = Detuning (in cents: 1200 cents = 1 octave, tempered scale)
n = ( 1200 / log[2] ) x log[Td / Ts]
Try entering it into a
Scientific Calculator (like the one provided in Windows) like this:
Desired tempo / Current
tempo = log * 1200 / 2 log = Detuning in Cents
If you are a Mac user......just
use the included Production Calculator utility on the Data Disc,
which is a whole lot easier!
groove control™
We are very pleased to
present our exclusive Groove Control™ feature on Metamorphosis.
Groove Control™ was developed by Spectrasonics and ILIO to
give you a simple, high quality way to independently change the
tempo, pitch, pattern and feel of stereo loops right from your own
sequencer.
Here's all you have to
do to try Groove Control™
1. Put the Mac/Windows
Data Disc into your computer's CD-ROM drive and it will mount as
a Computer CD-ROM.
2. For convenience, copy
the folder for the sequencer you use to your computer's internal
hard drive. Native sequences are provided for Logic Mac/PC, Cubase
Mac/PC, and Performer. If you use a different sequencer, use the
MIDI files folder and the import function of your sequencer. If
you use a hardware sequencer, copy the sequences from the MIDI files
folder to a DOS formatted floppy disc and then import them into
your hardware device.
3. Play the corresponding
sequence with the Groove Control™ program on your sampler.
Change the tempo on the sequencer and the loop will follow! Quantize
or swing the sequence to change the feel. Change the coarse tuning
in the sampler to change the pitch of the loop, without the tempo
changing! Don't forget that the individual slices can also be used
to sequence your own patterns as well.
Check out the Groove Control
Creative Tips on the Data Disc for more ideas.
Groove Control™ is
a registered trademark of Spectrasonics and ILIO Entertainments.
memory
It is important to note
that, like all Spectrasonics CD-ROM libraries, the Metamorphosis
CD-ROM library has been developed to take full advantage of 32 megabyte
samplers. If you don't have 32 meg, you won't be able to load all
of the Volumes on this disc. However, individual programs can be
loaded separately for smaller memory configurations. Contact your
sampler's manufacturer for information on compatible memory upgrades.
compatibility
The Akai CD-ROM version
of Metamorphosis is in Akai S-3000 format. It has been tested and
modified to be fully compatible with S-1000, 2000, 5000/6000. Akai
S-1000 users should use the more recent software updates that can
read S-3000 format.
Because of the huge number
of samples in some of the GC Volumes, and the large number of programs/keygroups
in the Loops Volumes, Akai S-1000-3200 users will be unable to load
all the programs and samples from a Volume at the same time. However,
when this limitation is encountered on these models, they can still
be used by loading individual programs (Cursor Program & Samples
loading).
Emu
EOS (E-4, E-5000, etc.) samplers with version 4.0 software or higher
are fully compatible with the Akai/Emu version of Metamorphosis.
Unfortunately, this library is not compatible with Ensoniq ASR or
Emu E-III/ESI series samplers, unless Emu decides to upgrade these
machines to read Akai S-3000 format (...don't count on it).
The Akai/Emu version of
Metamorphosis is fully compatible with Unity,
Halion, Sampletank and Emagic's EXS24
software samplers. EXS24 users should use Logic 4.5.1 or higher.
Convert to the EXS with the Output level set to 0db for best sound
quality.
The Roland
CD-ROM version is designed for Roland 700 series samplers and compatible
devices from Roland such as the XV-5080.
The GIGA
CD-ROM version has been tested for compatibility with Nemesys Gigasampler™
and Gigastudio™.
In order to use the native
Cubase
sequences, Cubase 4.0 or higher for Mac, and Cubase 3.5 or higher
for PC is required. The MIDI files can also be used if you have
an earlier version of Cubase.
Please visit our web site
for additional information about compatibility at www.spectrasonics.net.
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