Round-up: Loops & Samples – Terry Grant, Sliced EDM , Polish Jazz

Loopmasters – Terry Grant Voices From The Edge

I’m normally pretty skeptical of vocal sample packs – sometimes the singer seems to phone it in because the lyrics are so bad and the processing that follows isn’t usually all the way there either. However, Terry Grant’s Voices from the Edge pack manages to transcend this trend.

Terry Grant’s voice is a delight to listen to. It’s unique, textured, and the processing/mixing is spot on. Loopmasters really succeeded in bringing out a fascinating raspiness in his voice that makes it really striking. And the lyrics aren’t your typical mainstream pop-club b.s., making this great for those opting for a bit more of an alternative vibe.

The background vocals that are included are incredible – the harmonies are great, and the post-processing/doubling/panning combination that they’ve done on these background vocal takes is simply jaw dropping. Dry, wet, full, background vocals and lead versions are all separately included. Overall, this is a great sounding, lyrically less “obvious” vocal pack.

Contents
202 Wav Loops
202 Rex2 Loops

24Bit 44.1Khz
120 BPM
50 different themes

Size: 983MB (unzipped)

Price: $46.03
http://www.loopmasters.com/genres/57-Vocals/products/2339-Terry-Grant-Voices-From-The-Edge

Freaky Loops – Sliced EDM Vocals Vol. 2

This pack really caught my attention with it’s talkbox-vocoder Daft Punk-esque vocal chops. The mixing on these samples is fantastic – Freaky Loops have managed to bring out the high end of the vocoder samples in a very pleasing way. Additionally, they’ve added some meticulous edits: vinyl-pitchdowns, stutters and glitches that really make each individual loop pack quite the sonic-wallop.

While they’re all at 128 BPM, making this great for most types of house music, I’ve no doubt that they could be easily warped up to 140 BPM to work great for trap and other genres of bass music. Each loop is key-labeled as well. While this pack is certainly effective at what it does, I will say that there isn’t too much variation in the actual sonic texture/timbre of each loop – I would be curious to hear more distinction/differences in the types of processing a bit of a broader scope in overall aim of the sample pack. But most assuredly, an essential pack for anyone interested in adding a touch of talkbox-vocoder affection to his or her productions.

Contents
20 ½-Bar Loops
28 1-Bar Loops
20 2-Bar Loops
30 4-Bar Loops
12 8-Bar Loops

24Bit 44.1Khz
128 BPM

Size: 136MB (unzipped)

Price: $30.66
http://www.loopmasters.com/genres/57-Vocals/products/3401-Sliced-EDM-Vocals-Vol-2

RawCutz – Polish Jazz

First off: these samples sound great, embodying a convincingly modern take on sampled hip hop while retaining that warm, old-school vinyl feel.

This pack has provided its samples in a format that is ideal for beatmakers that utilize hip hop MPC-style sampling in their productions. Instead of providing loops for most of the samples, RawCutz has each hit merely in one-shot form, encouraging the producer to make creative decisions about rhythm and pitch.

The kicks themselves are fantastic – punchy yet not too bright, perfect for classic hip hop beats with more of a contemporary flare. Likewise, the snares and percussion both retain such rich/rugged/lo-fi qualities that will render even the most die-hard modern hip hop fans at least a little bit nostalgic. The break loops hit like a truck, and every (key-labeled) sample cut is a retro-samplist’s dream come true. This is a must-have pack for any sample-based (especially hip hop) production.

Contents
252 Samples
190 Raw Sounds
10 Hip Hop Breaks
23 Kick Drums
16 Snare Drums
13 Hi Hat and Percussion Samples
10 Rex2 Loops

24Bit 44.1Khz
Size: 118MB (unzipped)

Price: $15.29
http://www.loopmasters.com/genres/24-Hip-Hop/products/3598-Polish-Jazz