GROOVES: 8
SELECTION: 8
VERSATILITY: 8
BANG FOR THE BUCK: 8

(*Highest rated product to date under Keyboard's new rating system. Eight means Outstanding.)

Drum loops are handy when they're played well. When they've got attitude, they're exciting. And when they're created with imagination and resourcefulness, they can be truly inspiring. Such are the loops contained on Spectrasonics' new Liquid Grooves collection.

As with the companion volume, Burning Grooves (reviewed Jan '97), loops on this collection are expertly performed and recorded, and the sound quality is uniformly excellent. Overall, the beats cover the laid-back end of the funk, Afro-Caribbean, and New Orleans end of the spectrum; they float along, hence the name "liquid". The basic grooves are very interesting, some have unusual "Meters"-style accents, others have syncopations that leave the 4/4 feel open to 12/8 or 6/8 interpretations. It's when you listen to the dozens of variations created by the addition of percussion and Korg Wavedrum parts, the omissions of other instruments, the plethora of effects treatment, and the dozens of remixes that you begin to realize the potential of this disc.

On the CD-ROM version (which includes the Audio CD), grooves are organized by tempo as well as instrument category, and each performance contains a "menu" patch that lays out all of the options. Though nearly every loop within a groove could be used in the same tune, they are distinct enough to serve as springboards for completely different ideas. Drum and percussion parts are isolated for you, and combined in ways that are obvious at times. surprising at others. Some of the remixes take the basic drum beats and speed them up 100%, jungle-style; new percussion parts are then mixed onto them.

The heavily effected versions are striking in their attitude and atmosphere. Reverb, rhythmic delay, lo-fi, heavy EQ, vocoder, you name it - producer Eric Persing has outdone himself with creative processing. Although all of the loops start out as acoustic performances, by the time Eric has finished with the variations they're perfect for trip-hop, lo-fi, or acid jazz tracks. As for the disc's electronica potential, Greg Rule felt that the loops "aren't electronic enough for classic trance, but they'd work as percussion overdubs to an 808 or 909 pattern." In most cases, the original solo instrument loops are provided dry as well, but in a few instances, such as the drum kit loops drenched in large hall reverb, they're not. A minor limitation.

Many of the loops make good use of the Korg Wavedrum; its unmistakable tone and texture are perfect for the other-worldly vibe of this disc. On the CD-ROM version, there are even two 61-key chromatic single-hit menus of Wavedrum sounds. Speaking of the kits: Drums and percussion are also broken out in kit form on the CD-ROM (not on the audio CD), with excellent velocity crossfading between soft and louder hits, and thank you, no truncation of reverb tails. A bit of hiss comes through when you solo these hits at high volumes, but not enough to cause significant problems.

Musical, grooving, clever ... aw, these loops just plain sound great. They're played right in the pocket by Bob Wilson (of Seawind fame) and Eric Boseman (L.A. session ace) - a truly jamming collaboration. "The recording quality and performances are first-class," says Greg. If these loops don't inspire you, hang it up. -Ernie Rideout

FORMAT

Audio CD, CD-ROM (Roland 700 series, Kurzweil K2000, /E-mu/ASR, Samplecell; CD-ROM package includes audio CD).

OVERVIEW

Processed, clean, and remixed laid-back drum and percussion loops, 53-117 bpm (up to 126 and 162 bpm, counting jungle remixes), performed by Eric Boseman and Bob Wilson. CD-ROM includes 450 samples of single-hit banks of acoustic drums, Korg Wavedrum, and exotic percussion instruments

CONTENTS

AUDIO CD: 52 groove tracks, each with up to 24 loops of varying instrumentation, processing, and mixing. 74 minutes. CD-ROM: 600Mb+, 32 groove volumes, about 500 loops, about 30 single-hit menus containing 450 samples.

LICENSING AGREEMENT

Licensed for use in music production, no fee, only liner note credits required.