UVI releases "Urban Suite" - contemporary beat production collection for UVI Workstation & MachFive

UVI has released Urban Suite, a collection of five new software instruments with an accompanying sizeable sample library tailored towards urban contemporary music producers.

UVI say "Each and every sample used in Urban Suite has been professionally mastered by Chris Gehringer at Stirling Sound in NYC to provide the best sound quality possible — perfect for hip hop, R&B, trap, beat, experimental, and any other associated genre. Chris has worked with 50 Cent, JayZ, Nas, Naughty by Nature, Rihanna, Snoop Dog, Robin Thicke, and Wu-Tang Clan, to name but a notable few, and here he has helped to make all aspects of Urban Suite sound superb right out of the box, so users can concentrate on making music of merit with whichever of the five following superb-sounding software instruments they could come down in favour of using".

BeatShaper

As a software urban drum machine with deep sound design capabilities and a comprehensive sample library bolstered by 150 drum kits, BeatShaper also allows users to craft drum kits from scratch using the hundreds of sounds available within, each one of them distinctly designed to be mixed and mangled with intuitive controls, analogue-modelled filters, envelopes, and effects.

Prime8

Prime8 does right by the big daddy of the still-sought after 'X0X' series of drum machines, making much use of an in-depth, multi-sampling process using Class-A equipment and a high-resolution capture, an exact editing stage, and Chris Gehringer's mastering prowess to provide punch while retaining the distinctive sound of the original hardware. Prime8 has a familiar-looking GUI, yet takes things further by adding an arsenal of effects to each instrument, including reverb, delay, drive, and an LP/HP filter combo. A built-in sequencer helps get the groove started with 50-plus propulsive preset kits, while individual outputs for each instrument takes tracking and mixing to the next level.

Urban X

Urban X takes three fully-featured UVI synth voices — complete with discrete amp, multimode filter, pitch, stereo and multi-effect units — and loads them with a set of sounds suited to urban music production. Think turntable meets synth to get closer to what Urban X is all about — albeit not just one, but three of them, so sounds can be layered and tweaked to create completely new sonic statements. Use it as a simple sample player, polyphonic synth, or take things to the extreme. With 1,000-plus sounds and 100-plus presets to choose from, this customisable software instrument has more than enough to keep creative workflow flowing.

Scratch Machine

As a fun-packed, powerful, vinyl-inspired software instrument, infused with a classic vibe and authentic sound, Scratch Machine comes close to accurately reproducing the experience of scratching without using a turntable. Over 10,000 samples — single shots, round robins, and loops — were all recorded directly from decks controlled by UVI's resident turntablist and scratch artist, DJ Quartz, giving users access to a wide range of articulations and expressive options, including interactive pitch control, playback speed, six built-in effects, a three-band EQ, and an LP/HP filter, plus 100-plus presets to play with.

BeatControl

BeatControl is a multitrack looper with a huge sound library of genre-specific material, including drums, bass, and phrases that are all playable, mixable, and tweak-able in real-time within the UVI Workstation standalone player or any compatible DAW. Create grooves, builds, layers, or even complete songs in a matter of minutes making use of the 150-plus presets.

Urban Suite Sample Library

Coming full circle, the namesake Urban Suite sample library itself covers nearly two decades of tastefully tailored urban sounds — one shots, loops, and construction kits, all meticulously modified, mastered by Chris Gehringer, and organised for speedy access. All in all, this represents a huge resource of sounds — 2,000-plus samples and loops, plus 150-plus construction kits.

Price: $199.

Watch trailer on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjtadgk6_W0

Listen to audio demos on SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/uvi-official/sets/urban-suite