Please upgrade to the latest version of Flash Player.

Click here if you already have Flash Player installed.

Home : Products : Spectrasonics : BackBeat Home : Liner Notes
 
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.

 

Founded in 1994, Spectrasonics is a leading innovator of world-class, award-winning virtual instrument software plug-ins, used by the top recording artists, producers, remixers and film composers on the planet.
ILIO Entertainments | 1-800-747-4546 | © 2008. All rights reserved.