From: scott@psy.uwa.oz.au (Scott Fisher)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.emusic-l
Subject: Re: MegaBeats CD
Date: 5 Nov 92 03:30:25 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: wapsy.psy.uwa.oz.au

Eric McCormick <0004775674@MCIMAIL.COM> writes:

>I remember seeing something about this CD posted several months back. Does
>anyone know the address/internet address of the company that has this Drum
>Sound Sample CD for sale?  I think it was somewhere in the UK.

>Thanks,
>Eric

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REVIEW:

Title: MEGA BEATS SAMPLE CD.

Address: Patchworks
         Frederick House
         211 Frederick Road, Hastings
         East Sussex TN35 5AU
         ENGLAND
         
OVERVIEW:

The authors of this CD mention that it is dedicated to "sample-mania"
and they are right.  It consists of drum-machines from 1980-90.
The drum machines were mastered direct to DAT then transferred digitaly to CD.
30 drum machines have been sampled.  Now the first thing I worried about was 
"what sounds had they left out?"...the answer: nothing! All the internal 
sounds and any extra sounds that the makers could get their hands on (from 
cards, eproms etc) were recorded off each machine.    

SOUND QUALITY:

The sound quality is as good as the original machines, after all the master
was a DAT recording live from the machines.  About 3 or 4 of the 700+ sounds 
appear to have been clipped in the recording process, it could be the machines 
tho.  The only hiss you hear is from the drum machines, if at all.  In other 
words if you are not satisfied with the audio quality of any of the sounds from 
the CD the real thing will be exactly the same.   

WHAT'S ON IT:

There are over 700 sounds, the CD is 73 minutes long.  Each sound is played
at least twice so you can get your levels together.  Where a machine
had additional controls such as "accent, snappy, ADSR" the guys may 
fiddle and may give you the obvious variations.  For example the TR-808 
kick/bass drum sound has about 4 variations...BOK, BOOOoood, BOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo.and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo.............. 

Remember you get EVERY internal sound and (sometimes) card/rom/cart sounds they
could find.  The machines covered are...

Roland CR78, R8, TR505, TR606, TR626, TR707, TR727, TR808, TR909 
Boss DR550, DR55
Simmons KIT
Yamaha RX21L, RX11, RX5
Linn 2, 9000
Akai XR10, XE8
Sequential TOM
Casio RZ1
Korg KPR77, DDM110, DDM220, DDD1
Oberhim DMX
Emu Drumulator
Alesis HR-16, HR-16B
Dr Bohm

CONCLUSION:

This CD is a "classic".  Not only does it represent 10 years of the most 
popular drum machines used in the music industry, but it preserves all the 
internal sounds of these beasties for posterity.

I only wish they had put the Alesis SR-16, D-4, Korg DS-1 & 3, Fairlight,
Emu procussion...but then again that will be on their next CD right.

Scott.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Scott Fisher [scott@wapsy.uwa.oz]  PH: [61] (09) 380 3574.                      
                                                             _--_|\       N
Department of Psychology                                    /      \    W + E
University of Western Australia.                 Perth -->  *_.--._/      S
Nedlands, 6009.  PERTH, W.A.                                      v       

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