Looking for the best large pads available in akai format, wh

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:51 am

I have heard about Distorted Reality CDs, and reviews say they have extraordinary long lush pads. I am looking for excellent quality large pads to use as full beds.

Which libraries do you think have these kind of large pads beds?

[ This Message was edited by: Nestor on 2005-08-26 09:52 ]

ElectronicaDub · Post by **ElectronicaDub** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 11:01 am

Nestor,

I suggest you subscribe to this magazine:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/main.asp

Every month, you get a DVD full of wav samples, some of which are fairly long pads. The only reason I buy it is because of the free stuff with it. The magazine itself is mostly OK. They don't rate the new Creamware Scope FX much though.

If you like, I'll send you a copy of a DVD and you can judge for yourself.

Chris

Post by **hubird** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:19 pm

from:
http://www.pro-rec.com/EIIIState.html

Sample cdrom State of the Art SYNTHS, by Pro-Rec.

Tons of analogs, Fairlight, Arp, Moog, Matrix 12,
SY77, WS, MicroWave, JD-800 & MORE
samples & patches for AKAI!
220 Megs

PATCH LIST
PART A
Fairlight 1+2
Fairset
Old Fairlight
Fair Birdy's
Low & FM
Emax & F strings
Fairlight Library 1
Fairlight Library 2
Fairlight Library 3
Fairlight Library 4
Hammond

PART B

Microwave Bank 1
Microwave Bank 2
Microwave Bank 3
Microwave Bank 4
Microwave Bank 5
Microwave Bank 6
Microwave Bank 7
Microwave Bank 8

PARTITION C

Microwave Bank 9
Microwave Bank 10
Microwave Bank 11
Microwave Bank 12

PART D

Blow Stuff
Moogs
Moog Solo
MKS80 & more
ARP & PRO Bass
Wavestation
Prophet 5
Matrix 12
Night Dad
MegaSwell
Prophet VS
Strange Ways
FZ Effects
Maria
Industry Pipe

PART E

SY77 Analog 1
SY77 Analog 2
SY77 Analog 3
SY77 Digital
SY77 Hammond
SY77 FM
D-50 Part 1
D-50 Part 2
JD-800
DIGI-SPACE

PART F

Wavestation 1
Wavestation 2
Wavestation 3
01/W
T1
SY99
TG33

PART G

Dance Station 1
Dance Station 2
Dance Station 3
Dance Station 4

PART H

Lexicon 480 1
Lexicon 480 2
Lexicon 480 3

----------------------------

Cdrom is about 9 years old, but hey, we're talking about analog samples...

Also a fantastic classic one: The Dream Experience, by Q Up Arts.

Also, check out this:
http://www.akaicd.com/samples/Akai.htm

cheers

[ This Message was edited by: hubird on 2005-08-26 13:42 ]

Post by **hubird** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:54 pm

Btw, the Distorted Reality series are fan-tas-tic, but (you may not want this) you get a lot more than pads, and the title says it already: this is not for James Last songs

The serie is so good, it could easily give your inspiration a tremendous boom into new areas of sound and composing.
All musical elements for computer composing, loops, pads, single percussion, fx, etc. are provided, you gonne love it

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 1:07 pm

The only little problem with Distorted Reality is that it's been massively used/overused, so it's a great library if you want to sound like a bunch of movies, tv ads and videogames.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:14 pm

@ElectronicaDub
Thank you for the link, in fact, I have bought this magazine for about 5 years, but I am searching for something of real quality. Their samples are ok, but not really inspiring to me. Of course some are great, but I am looking something very specific as I need to get a little job done, and need excellent quality pads. Cheers for your answer.

@Hubird:
Thank you for taking the time to answer so clearly! I think you have given me the answer, or at least part of it. I’ll definitely check for those samples and your links, how could I live without this akaicd link? Wow!

@Symbiote:
Perhaps the key is using it differently. I don’t know. But I definitely need some large pads. I can create them with Pulsar Synths, of course I can, but I always am short pf DSP power. If I had a SCOPE board, well… I would just be tweaking knobs and getting results for 12 polyphony beds, but it’s impossible for me with only 4 of them.

Thank you guys for your answers!

ChrisWerner · Post by **ChrisWerner** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:50 am

Well, I don´t know how much money you will/can invest but I would recommend you to think about investing the money into Spectrasonics Atmosphere.
It has much samples too, a large well sorted preset list and of course you can combine those samples freely to create new personal sounds.

have a listen here:
http://www.spectrasonics.net/instrument ... demos.html

I am really satisfied with Atmosphere, when I need high quality atmo or pad sounds to make a song sounds `expensive´ ,I´ll find something in the preset list of Atmosphere.

Please post your result here on Z, when you are allowed to, I am curious.

Nice that you have such a job.

Ah, I´ve used the distorted reality, at least one CD, great sounds some of them unique but a bit difficult to make new sounds with them. I felt that the sounds were worked out, better said worn out very quick.

[ This Message was edited by: ChrisWerner on 2005-08-27 01:53 ]

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:29 pm

Dear Nestor,
DR1 & 2 are very good CD's, have them both in EIII/Akai format, but if you are looking for beds of sound, especially evolving beds, and segues from beyond, check out Ilio's Transfusion. Excellant for intros, segues, and all around psychedelic tripping. Inversion, and Reverse sounds are inspiring. You can actually listen to the samples, and be inspired to write from the sounds on the CD!! P.S. Almost forgot, if you like building your own layers, try Extended Waves. It's 24bit Kyma Cabybara samples, truly unique and only 50 USD.
_________________
Jimmy V.

[ This Message was edited by: scope4live on 2005-08-27 13:36 ]

dbmac · Post by **dbmac** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:23 pm

Consider John Bowen's Rotor48. It's vast.

/dave

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:48 pm

What a beautiful interface anyway:

http://www.spectrasonics.net/instrument ... _final.jpg

Thank Chris! Well, I am looking for a couple of specific sounds, but not such a big pack, it's far too expensive for me right now, even if it gives you more for less.

Distorted Reality seems to be much more related to Film things than to music itself.

scope4live
Thank you for your answer, I'll check the Cabybara samples you mention.

dbmac
I would honestly get Vectron, I have always wanted this one, excelent for building the kind of pads I would like. Of couse, Rotor48 would be fantastic, but I don't have enough DSP, nor enough DSP in my pocket

Thank you guys for your answers and advices...

Shroomz~> · Post by **Shroomz~>** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 1:10 am

Don't discount Distorted Reality because of film use or over-use Nestor, as there's some great sounds there. I've heard a lot of sounds from distorted reality being used, but they are normally just lifted straight off the CD & plonked in a track or soundtrack. If you were to take the best DR programs & samples & compile a new patch with chopped, reversed, effected sections etc, all you'd have to do is set up some modulations & create new sounds.

A top source for the most verstile creation of pads at a reasonable price & in compact hardware would be a micro-modular, which can be had for less than 200 euro 2nd hand these days. With something like this you could create your own original pad samples. Everything from soft, clean pads, thru warm or metallic pads, the list goes on & you're also talking about being able to create the scariest sounding pads ever. The scary, scathing noise running thru Aphex Twin's 'Window Licker' was done on Nord Modular for example. It's maybe not as instant as a sample CD, but with the help of 'Translator' you could make your own Akai CDs

symbiote · Post by **symbiote** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 7:01 am

The thing with Distorted Reality though is that the samples are already all processed EQd and effects (reverb, delays etc.) so chopping them up really doesn't work all that well. I guess it would be fine for pads tho, as it would be pretty easy to layer several of them and process them a bit.

Agreed that Nord Mod would be great, although Micro Modular might be a bit tight for large-polyphony patches.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:13 pm

Finally, I'm going to build them myself note by note as I don't need too many, perhaps about three pads and that’s it. I don’t want to buy a big pack right now; I am just coming out of a tough moment economically so…

I decided to do this myself as I am getting into sampling with my own library of bass sounds and I found I love sampling. I am pretty sure I can build what I want working for a few days, and save a few cents in my scary pocket!

Anyway, the pads I want are extremely soft, and most of the pads in most of libraries are quite aggressive compared to what I want, or they are chords instate of single note pads.

Thanks for all your answers guys