Findasound has released Desert Beats II, a loop-slice based Kontakt Instrument consisting of two patches covering 100 different styles including 24 variations of each.
Desert Beats II includes more than 2000 samples of percussive beats and grooves used in middle eastern music and used in lots of styles and genres. The interface contains useful functions and capabilities that give users all they need to create, arrange, and compose their own individual grooves.
All samples from the previous release, Desert Beats, are included in this version. Desert Beats II also comes with a complete FX rack with over 100 convolution reverbs, delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, distortion, overdrive and amp simulators that allow users to completely change the sound of the loops they are working with.
With Desert Beats II any individual slice in a loop can be replaced, tuned, reversed, stretched, panned, and randomised. The volume and attack of each slice is also editable. Loops included are synced to the host tempo, and for better results using the stretch function can improve the sync. The sequence of slices forming a loop can be dragged into DAW as a MIDI file, the slices can also be played as individual slices when disabling the loop function; enabling users to create their own percussive beats.
Loops can be tuned as a whole using the tune key switches or tuning can be applied on slices only using the tune tab. Styles and variation can be changed with key switches, the feel menu "experimental" provides five extra feels to the original loop along with the speed menu that enables half/double speed playback.
The auto save preset system will save all users edits on the interface for any variation and for all styles; users can reset edits of selected variation by using the reset button. They can also reset the whole instrument to its default by using the default button.
Features:
- 2400 loops with the size of 1.24 GB of 48 kHz – 16-bit compressed samples.
- Two nki patches covering different styles, time signatures, and tempos.
- User-friendly interface equipped with a complete fully automated FX rack.
- Drag and drop MIDI to DAW function.
- Synchronization to host tempo.
- Independent control of random, reverse, tune, volume, attack, stretch, zigzag, pan, feel, speed, octave and slice sound parameters of each slice.
- Looping tools with a neat built-in auto save preset system.
- Real time change of tuning and phrases/loops with key switches.
- Total of 100 styles with 24 variations of each.
- Individual Double/half speed of each loop.
Price: $99.