KVR Audio

Frantz · Post by **Frantz** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:20 pm

I used this in 1984:

But I don't use any loops or sample packs now.

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:20 pm

Xenobt wrote:As a studio manager/engineer, it's also great to have hip hop or r&b construction kits around so when new artists cold call the studio and ask, "You got beats?" I can say yes and get the gig. Even if we don't end up using them, it's a great way to get them in the door and start a relationship where you may end up writing for/with them for album credit or points.KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

That's a good point. But are there really so many artists coming into a studio (or cold-call it) and want to have "instant beats"? Aren't they searching in the Internet themselves for beats and construction kits? What if I'd play them a beat, and they would say: "Oh, I know, this is from construction kit no. XXX..."

Xenobt · Post by **Xenobt** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:32 pm

New artists are usually concerned with vibe, and I've replaced music on several tracks where they sang or rapped over an instrumental version of another artist's song, mix-tape style! So originality is not as prized as a good solid track to work with. And I've helped artists find beats online too, and there are literally thousands, so chances of repeats are slim.

And yes, in Atlanta I get cold calls a few times a week, and have had the good fortune to end up doing full albums with a couple of them, and shorter projects or demos with a few more. So having a $49 loop contruction kit around got me dozens of paid hours at the same rate!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

OzWozEre · Post by **OzWozEre** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:33 pm

Contruction Kits?! Whatever dudes!

I use my Yamaha Electone!

No matter what style of music I need to play, I'm ready!

Case in point:

And they don't even sell these here in the West because they are fllled with such awesomeness!

Accompaniment Organ Kits FTW!

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:49 pm

Xenobt wrote:And yes, in Atlanta I get cold calls a few times a week, and have had the good fortune to end up doing full albums with a couple of them, and shorter projects or demos with a few more. So having a $49 loop contruction kit around got me dozens of paid hours at the same rate!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

I should transfer to Atlanta... I'm currently living in a small Bavarian village near the alps, there aren't any artists except some farmers playing boring Bavarian march music...

I hope I'll find some artists via the Internet...

djpuzzle · Post by **djpuzzle** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:50 pm

FrantzM wrote:I used this in 1984:

But I don't use any loops or sample packs now.

haha I remember it well. Had this on an Apple IIe back in the day. You can still run it on an emulator.

Xenobt · Post by **Xenobt** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:15 pm

Tricky-Loops wrote:I should transfer to Atlanta... I'm currently living in a small Bavarian village near the alps, there aren't any artists except some farmers playing boring Bavarian march music... I hope I'll find some artists via the Internet...

Now I've got a Bavarian March connection for whenever that comes up!

And yeah, being a real recording studio in a music town has its pluses. Cool people, occasional celebrities, lots of talented producers and artists. The minuses, the overhead, the break-ins, causal gear theft, trying to diplomatically save bad bedroom engineering, being left off credits... But it's a life I love, and I'm lucky to do it.

Back to the point! I used to feel like loops were cheating until I got Stylus and threw a snare/hat loop over a midi drum part and heard it come to 3D life. But I rarely use full kits as is, adding my own parts as much as what's there, and transforming things with effects.

To me, it's just another tool now, with no emotion about cheating or laziness.

Plus, arranging by chopping, moving, slicing and pasting is a great way to shake up your writing habits, too!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:33 pm

Xenobt wrote:
Tricky-Loops wrote:I should transfer to Atlanta... I'm currently living in a small Bavarian village near the alps, there aren't any artists except some farmers playing boring Bavarian march music... I hope I'll find some artists via the Internet...
Now I've got a Bavarian March connection for whenever that comes up!

And yeah, being a real recording studio in a music town has its pluses. Cool people, occasional celebrities, lots of talented producers and artists. The minuses, the overhead, the break-ins, causal gear theft, trying to diplomatically save bad bedroom engineering, being left off credits... But it's a life I love, and I'm lucky to do it.

Back to the point! I used to feel like loops were cheating until I got Stylus and threw a snare/hat loop over a midi drum part and heard it come to 3D life. But I rarely use full kits as is, adding my own parts as much as what's there, and transforming things with effects.

To me, it's just another tool now, with no emotion about cheating or laziness.

Plus, arranging by chopping, moving, slicing and pasting is a great way to shake up your writing habits, too!

KVR/eSoundz: Xenobt

Nope, I don't know anything of Bavarian march music because every time when I hear someone playing Bavarian march music, I put my headphones on so I cannot hear it...

BTW I've read that Atlanta is an up coming "music city"...

http://clatl.com/cribnotes/archives/201 ... in-america

Anyway, maybe I need some construction kits for singing farmers if I stay in this Bavarian village...

leggie · Post by **leggie** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:55 pm

With a recent discovery of Mulab a lot of my drum loop samples have been reused thankfully and anything melodic or chordic gets loaded into Alchemy for processing.

I would use samples direct to get an idea down or to communicate an idea but have cringed when hearing 'As is' samples on some songs, that's really weird in it self!

tropicalontour · Post by **tropicalontour** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:58 pm

So nobody much uses construction kits, eh? And yet that's all the sample companies spam you with, as if they were popular, profitable sellers, or something. Imagine that!

Tricky-Loops · Post by **Tricky-Loops** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:12 pm

tropicalontour wrote:So nobody much uses construction kits, eh? And yet that's all the sample companies spam you with, as if they were popular, profitable sellers, or something. Imagine that!

I'm always wondering about the grandiloquent titles of most construction kits - "Ultra Mega Super Hip Hop Producer blablabla". It sounds as if you would get a no. 1 hit on the Pillboard Charts instantly just by buying them...

leggie · Post by **leggie** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:17 pm

I got reggae sound clash, atmos guitars an equipped label sampler, once you used the best bits it's like all you have left to eat is luncheon meat.

Jbravo · Post by **Jbravo** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:20 pm

it depends if you want to be an artist or paint-by-numbers and make some cash (imho)

tropicalontour · Post by **tropicalontour** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:32 pm

Somebody's buying them...

sauli · Post by **sauli** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:34 pm

I use construction kits, but I don't use them as construction kits. Separate instruments on separate wavs percussion construction kits can often easily be broken into invidual sounds and used as oneshots

So the answer is yes I do use construction kits, but I'd much rather just buy well done percussion instruments with round robin and velocity layers.

Do you use construction kits?