Bassline Smith gets 9/10 from Music Tech review
Drumsound and Bassline Smith have released more than 70 12-inches over the last ten years, and in that time their production techniques and music library have grown extensively. This pack features an eclectic collection of their finest sounds fine-tuned for the dance floor to deliver maximum impact. The DVD contains 16-bit, 44.1kHz audio in every format under the sun – Apple Loops, WAV, REX, Live Pack and ReFill, plus 130 sample patches for NN-XT, HALion, Kontakt, EXS, SFZ and E-mu X2.
The sounds on offer lean more towards the aggressive rave-tastic side of drum’n’bass, but there’s enough variation to cater for liquid and dark styles too. The production is big but not too flashy. Noisia-style outlandish synths and flutters are absent and don’t expect much out of the ordinary, but what is here is solild and extremely usable for creating dance floor bangers. The drums are suitably heavy, the leads large and aggressive and the pads lush and euphoric, but while the bass loops are nothing special, the sounds themselves are excellent.
The 90-odd bass patches have all been produced seemingly with the aim of demolishing club speakers. Some of the deeper LFO wobblers will also be of interest to dubstep producers.
This is a great selection of finely tuned sounds whose simplicity comes from the wisdom of keeping things uncluttered over a big PA. At times it seems a little light in content, but fewer options can often lead to faster decisions!
Verdict
A concise collection of heavyweight, dance-floor ready sounds.
Rating: 9/10
