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Freshtone Lost Tapes Vol. 1...
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Freshtone Lost Tapes Vol. 1 (Download) - Press Reviews |
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| Reviewed by: Computer Music
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| September 2011 |
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Boasting 2.25GB of "the golden age of analogue soul and funk" in Acidized WAV, AIFF and REX2 formats, this pack of construction kits was recorded to a Studer 1" tape machine and sounds fantastically alive. Even if you don't make funk, this is ripe for sampling – think DJ Shadow, RJD2 or even Daft Punk. So much to choose from, beautifully recorded and well worth the asking price.
Rating: 10/10 |
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| Reviewed by: Sound on Sound
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| December 2011 |
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Lost Tapes Vol 1 is the first release from UK-based Freshtone Samples. The library’s title derives from the efforts to catch the authentic sound and vibe of the 1960s and 1970s era with the use of instruments and recording technology from that period: classic guitars, amps, keyboards, drum kits and mics, all captured to one-inch tape. The material is provided in both Acidised WAV and REX formats.
The content is organised into instrument-based folders. These include the inevitable drums, percussion, guitar, bass and keys, but additional folders are provided that contain drum fills, stabs, ‘tweaked’ versions of the drum loops (in many cases, the drum loops layered with some percussion), ‘crackle’ loops (yep, needle on vinyl sounds, and very nice too, even if there are only 10 loops!), a ‘miscellaneous’ catch-all odds-and-sods folder and, finally, two ‘jams’ folders. These last two contain full and cut-down jams respectively, and while the overall folder structure doesn’t immediately suggest a construction-kit-based library, the jams — each of which contains a musical section based upon a pre-mixed selection of the loops — indicate otherwise. In fact, when you dig into the various folders, the file names allow you to identify which loops easily slot together. So, for example, the three guitar loops with ‘Dropper’ in the title can be combined with three similarly named bass loops, half a dozen drum loops and nine keyboard loops. This construction-kit basis should not, of course, stop you trying to mix and match the loops in other ways.
Organisation aside, are the sounds on the Lost Tapes worth finding? Absolutely, and as a first release this is an excellent start for Freshtone. The sounds are right on the money (though dominated, to my ears, at least, by the ’60s vibe rather than the ’70s one) and truly authentic of the era, including some great funk and pop/rock guitar, excellent drum loops and spot-on Hammond organ. Many of the loops are liberally doused in reverb and other effects that are characteristic of the period. If, for example, you want a dash of swinging ’60s London, this is a very good place to start.
Given that the library includes the pre-mixed ‘jam’ loops (useful though these are as demonstrations of what can be done), there perhaps isn’t quite as much content as the headline numbers might suggest. That said, the asking price is well towards the lower end of the loop-library range and, given the authenticity of the material, Lost Tapes represents excellent value for money. As this is Vol 1, I’m assuming Vol 2 will follow. If so, I hope it’s as good as this.
Rating: 5/5
John Walden, Sound on Sound |
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| Reviewed by: Music Tech magazine
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| September 2011 |
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New UK company Freshtone aims to offer fresh material for sample-hungry producers with its first release, The Lost Tapes Vol 1. Recorded in a vintage studio over a frantic three days, The Lost Tapes is a massive collection of brand new construction kits and loops that capture the vibe of 70s funk and soul.
Available as either a DVD or six large downloadable files, you get 2.4GB of 24-bit audio in WAV, ACID WAV, AIFF and REX2 formats. We’re happy to announce hat the long download time was well worth the wait as this is a remarkable collection of authentic-sounding kits.
In order to capture the authentic 70s sounds, a number of guitars, amps, organs and drum kits from a variety of legendary manufacturers were recorded through rare ribbon microphones and an EMI REDD desk onto an old Studer 1-inch tape machine. The result 43 16-bar jams with gritty-sounding drum breaks and percussion, crunchy guitars, funky bass lines and heavy grooves played on Hammond and Wurlitzer organs. With kits ranging from a laid back 76BPM to a toe-tapping 169 BPM there are several moods on offer, although all fit tightly under the soul-funk umbrella.
Unlike many other construction kit-based samples libraries, The Lost Tapes is divided into folders of individual instruments, with additional folders for full mixed jams, cut-down jams, drum fills, stabs and vinyl crackle loops. If you’re coming at this from the angle of sampling snippets loops, this actually make things easier to navigate and you can easily combine instruments using the file names if you so wish. As an added bonus you also get dry and wet versions of the drum breaks, plus several variations in rhythm and production.
Although in isolation some of the loops can sound a little rough around the edges – mainly due to some rather excessive use of reverb – when combined they sound fantastic. This is a very well thought-out collection and it’s obvious that a lot time has gone into making sure the production feels just right.
This is an essential purchase for old-skool hip hop lovers or any media composers writing David Holmes-esque funk soundtracks.
Verdict: A comprehensive collection of authentic-sounding kits – perfect for anyone looking for fresh funk and soul material to sample.
Rating: 9/10 and the Music Tech Choice award |
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