# [SOUNDIRON] releases Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble!



## greggg (Jan 27, 2012)

Greetings all!

Soundiron  is very proud to announce the release of our brand new *Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble* library for only *$179*!* Featuring over 40 drums and more than a dozen cymbals of all shapes and sizes, with both ensemble and solo articulations and up to 3 independent microphone positions per articulation, this library is your total solution for epic percussion orchestration. Recorded in a naturally rich and lush spacious A-Frame hall using world class large-diaphragm microphones and pristine ultra-quiet recorders, we carefully mixed and mastered each sample to deliver explosive power, unmatched acoustic quality, wide dynamic range, and stunning life-like clarity and presence.

With standard attack, release, pitch shifting, tuning and offset controls in every instrument, you can dial in the sound you’re looking for, whether you need a massive bombastic hall sound, distant war drums, or a more intimate and nearly dry drum room feel. We also have easy dynamic shaping, to allow you to focus in just the softer or harder dynamic layers at any time. We've also included full 3 band EQs and FX filters with smooth control response, as well as our custom convolutions and integrated algorithmic reverb FX. Our innovative Uberpeggiator takes it a step further and all of these features combine to open up a huge world of sonic possibility and flexibility. We've even included a fresh set of soundscapes, pads and ambient drones, sculpted from the library source material.

We at Soundiron are no strangers to epic percussion. Those who know our work are familiar with the passion, exacting precision and attention to detail we deliver. The Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble is the culmination of all of our years of experience, distilled into the most comprehensive and earth-shaking hall percussion package available anywhere on the market. We set out to build a monster that punched harder, rumbled deeper, cut through cleaner and could get the job done like no other. We wanted a massive sound like no other, without compromising flexibility and user choice. We aimed for a sound that just works right out of the box, with all of the beef and none of the noise. What we got was above and beyond our wildest expectations. This motherfucker gets it done. 

Check out the demos:

[flash width=450 height=145 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F1551452&amp;show_comments=true&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_playcount=true&amp;show_artwork=false&amp;color=910d15[/flash]

Here's a look at our custom UI:















*Ensemble Drums*: Snares, Bass Drums, Toms, Doumbeks, Dhols, Riqs, Frame Drums, Sticks, Cymbals.

*Solo Drums*: Snares, Bass Drums, Bongos, Cajon, Cymbals, Dhols, Frame Drums, Toms (floor, mid, high), Rototoms.


*Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble** specs:*
236 Kontakt patches (unlocked)
16,659 Samples
14.2 GB Installed
40 Custom Convolution IR Files
24bit / 48kHz stereo PCM wav samples (non-unencrypted)
30 unique ambient textures, pads, drones and evolving soundscapes all crafted from the actual source recordings. 
40 bonus stereo convolution impulses, including both actual rooms and special FX impulse files. 
2 Fully Independent Microphone Positions for all instruments, with an added mid position for many of them.
High-memory, DFD and low-memory “Lite” versions of each preset, for maximum flexibility and efficiency. 

The new Apocalypse Percussion Ensemble library is available for download right now, for the awesome low price of only *$179* through *February 7th, 2012 when the price returns to $199.


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## playz123 (Jan 27, 2012)

Purchased, and am downloading now....in spite of perhaps having far too many percussion libraries already  I like the fact that this is an all in one package...all recorded in the same hall during the same sessions, meaning matching the various drums should be much easier than using a number of libraries and trying to obtain consistency.

I'm reading the manual as I wait for the download to finish, and the interface appears quite attractive and very well designed. Nice to see they included the Uberpeggiator, which I first experienced in the newest version of Emotional Piano. It should prove very useful with this ensemble. 

Looking forward to using the library...the demos sound great and the price is right...so my congratulations to Mike, Gregg and Chris on the release of this new library. If it's from Soundiron, you know it's going to be good.  Cheers!


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## FredrikJonasson (Jan 27, 2012)

playz123 @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> Purchased, and am downloading now....



Please share your first thoughts on it!


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## greggg (Jan 27, 2012)

playz123 @ Fri Jan 27 said:


> Purchased, and am downloading now....in spite of perhaps having far too many percussion libraries already  I like the fact that this is an all in one package...all recorded in the same hall during the same sessions, meaning matching the various drums should be much easier than using a number of libraries and trying to obtain consistency.
> 
> I'm reading the manual as I wait for the download to finish, and the interface appears quite attractive and very well designed. Nice to see they included the Uberpeggiator, which I first experienced in the newest version of Emotional Pianp. It should prove very useful with this ensemble.
> 
> Looking forward to using the library...the demos sound great and the price is right...so my congratulations to Mike, Gregg and Chris on the release of this new library. If it's from Soundiron, you know it's going to be good.  Cheers!



Awesome, Frank, thanks for the kind words!  This thing is a beast, so let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to help out. We're super happy with the amazing demos we have so far, and be on the lookout for walkthroughs delving into the features of the library as well as more demos. Cheers! 

~Gregg


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## wesbender (Jan 27, 2012)

greggg @ Fri Jan 27 said:


> and be on the lookout for walkthroughs delving into the features of the library as well as more demos. Cheers!
> 
> ~Gregg



A patch-by-patch walkthrough video would be most excellent....especially for those of us who already own all of the old tonehammer epic libraries, it'd be nice to hear exactly how much more this one brings to the table - both sonically and instrument/patch-wise.


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## Jack Weaver (Jan 27, 2012)

wesbender said: 


> A patch-by-patch walkthrough video would be most excellent....especially for those of us who already own all of the old tonehammer epic libraries, it'd be nice to hear exactly how much more this one brings to the table - both sonically and instrument/patch-wise.



+1

It indeed would be nice to have all of these available in one library with one sonic nature. So this is a potential purchase. Finding out in detail just what's there before purchasing it would be great! 

Thanks

.


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## José Herring (Jan 27, 2012)

I like it. Perhaps I feel there's a little too much mastering making it a one trick pony for games and trailer music, but what about us film composers? Is there a way to get an unmastered version?

Jose


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## playz123 (Jan 27, 2012)

FredrikJonasson @ Fri Jan 27 said:


> playz123 @ Sat Jan 28 said:
> 
> 
> > Purchased, and am downloading now....
> ...



My first thoughts are that it is amazing. It's _very_ playable, sound quality is excellent, and I can see myself using this a lot when cinematic drums are required. It's also going to take awhile to check out everything because there's a lot to assess  As Gregg mentions, it's a "beast" (BTW, Cheers, Greg). 
The samples are not dry...they've been recorded in a hall that Soundiron has used previously, which means that _in some instances_ not much additional reverb is required. But you can also create a more intimate and nearly dry drum room feel using the interface. As I mentioned in my first post, the fact that all the drums...and there are many...were all recorded in exactly the same environment means that they all blend extremely well right out of the box. They've included a wide range of articulations, and I really like the interface as well. Very pleased so far. It's late here though so further evaluation must now wait until tomorrow. Hopefully, by the time I can post again, many others will have been able to offer comments as well. Hope this little bit helps.


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## eschroder (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm super on the fence about this. Sounds great, it's just that I have a TON of Tonehammer percussion already so we'll see.

Jose, curious what you meant by the mastering? I'm still new to this whole world of composing so I was just wondering what you meant by it being "one trick pony" for games rather than movies.


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## snowleopard (Jan 27, 2012)

Wow! I also own too many percussion libraries, including most of the TH stuff, but this sounds great. I think it may have the cleanest (least processed?) sound from anything I've heard from TH/SI. Just a great sound.


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## José Herring (Jan 27, 2012)

eschroder @ Fri Jan 27 said:


> I'm super on the fence about this. Sounds great, it's just that I have a TON of Tonehammer percussion already so we'll see.
> 
> Jose, curious what you meant by the mastering? I'm still new to this whole world of composing so I was just wondering what you meant by it being "one trick pony" for games rather than movies.



Mastering is the finalizing of a recording after its been mixed. Extra limiting and or compression and EQ applied. In this case the mixing and mastering is geared towards that high slap in your face percussive sound that to me sounds like a hard limiter or some aggressive compression has been applied. The softer parts of the sounds have been raised and the drums sound louder than they would normally be. It creates a kind of its all in your face and forward, but at the same time creates a kind of two dimensional sound because the audio information that would normally be used to judge depth has been brought up in volume to the point that all parts of the audio signal are equal. In games and in trailers this is the current style but in film you want depth most of the time. Nice round full deep sounds. Sounds to me from the demos I've heard thus far that the library is geared towards trailer and games. Not that that's a bad thing. I'm just looking for something that's a little more flexible, because I can always master it to raise the roof on the drums, but if its presented as part of the sample, then I can't take it away. Also, it sounds like some EQ has been applied to make it slap happy in the 8k range. But, that part is easy to fix.

The price is right on these. There's good coverage on drums. But, I spend most of my time doing film (or trying to get a film :lol: ) rather than doing trailers and I've never done a game and don't really aspire to do that much game wise.

as an example film mix:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm0rtJenZrQ

http://youtu.be/GokKUqLcvD8?t=1m45s

José


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## eschroder (Jan 27, 2012)

Jose,

Thanks for taking the time to explain... appreciate it! =]

Erick


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## choc0thrax (Jan 27, 2012)

Buckle of swash has got to be one of the laziest demos I've ever heard. 8) 

I understand people like to rip off POTC and be jokey about it but when you just glue that to the end of a Preliator ripoff it seems lazy. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q6skxRL ... page#t=27s


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## marcotronic (Jan 28, 2012)

Daaaammmnn!!! I really hate you guys!!!  :twisted: :lol: 

I've got a shitload of epic drums already but this one is very tempting, too. Will be hard to resist...

/\~O =o 

Marco


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## Christian Marcussen (Jan 28, 2012)

Looks good. Will check demos later. Would have loved for there to be a timpani in there. But you cant have it all 

Congratulations on the release.


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## Ed (Jan 28, 2012)

josejherring @ Fri Jan 27 said:


> [
> http://youtu.be/GokKUqLcvD8?t=1m45s
> 
> José



Jose Im not sure what you mean, are you saying you do or do not what it to sound like that?

Seems like this library is very raw to me, some of those Dhols I heard sound very much like the ensemble used in Bourne. Have you ever considered tuning a patch down a cent or two? I do that all the time with the EP frame drums. It makes it seem deeper and less high endy. Maybe you should could try that, or just roll off a touch of the highs. I dont think they have processed these drums, I think its the mix of the demo creators. Tonehammer/8dio/SoundIron's Epic Percussion series is probably the rawest sounding stuff Ive heard.


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## Ed (Jan 28, 2012)

And Oliver Codd's demo is awesome

Can I just load up one master patch and play like the other Epic libraries? +1 on a walkthrough video


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## playz123 (Jan 28, 2012)

Ed @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> And Oliver Codd's demo is awesome
> 
> Can I just load up one master patch and play like the other Epic libraries?




IMHO, very playable, Ed, and yes there are a number of well designed multi patches (c/o the list at Soundiron). I think a "master" patch for ALL the drums would be impossible though...there are too many and there are way too many variations. Basically, the multis are broken into categories..like bass drum, and often they spread across almost the entire keyboard. LOL, last night I loaded a multi, and just played...with both hands and all fingers for about 10 minutes non stop. The variations and dynamics are excellent. There's so much there, I haven't even tested altering some of the settings yet. As Gregg said (I repeat) this is a "beast" and there's a lot of exploring to do. Excellent interface, by the way.

And re. the comments on 'mastered type sounds', well let's not forget there are a lot of settings that can be altered, and one can also create a more intimate and nearly dry drum room feel using the interface if one wishes.


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## Ed (Jan 28, 2012)

Thanks Frank, but it wouldnt be impossible. You'd just need a few different versions.

If you look at 8dios Epic Frame Drum Ensemble you'd got several "master" patches, some tuned and some not. I dont even bother with the single patches. The way its set out there is exactly the way I'd want to have it. Mike knows what I mean since he was there with Troels working as Tonehammer at the time 

You could totally do it, even if you had to leave some stuff out... kinda bothers me that it doesnt have that. I just want to load up and bash away on one patch and have all the sounds represented. I dont want to *have* to load up a bazillion patches or multis.


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## germancomponist (Jan 28, 2012)

WOW, sounds great!


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## playz123 (Jan 28, 2012)

Ed @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> Thanks Frank, but it wouldnt be impossible. You'd just need a few different versions.



Of course you are correct...IF one uses a number of instances or a number of patches layered, but I assumed you were asking about an overall "Master" patch...correct? What I meant was that one or two of the multis would cover the keyboard, but there's absolutely nothing stopping someone from layering patches in a number of ways. And this library, rather than just being a Frame Drum library is, in a sense, numerous libraries in one. So you still have individual 'master' type patches, for example for the bass drums... as well as for all the other types of drums. I'm not sure I would even want to combine all the different components of the library at once either...it would probably be chaotic.  However I am going to test the Apocalypse Ensemble patch later today and see how it sounds. In any case, hopefully I've responded accurately to your concerns, but because I'm just learning what this library can do, please don't consider my initial comments as 100% representative for now. I'll leave that sort of in depth reporting to Soundiron.


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## germancomponist (Jan 28, 2012)

After listening again I would say that this is a "must have to buy" library! Excellent sound, also in the very low / deep frequencies!

Edit: Just ordered ( I use no credit card on the net, so I have to transfer the money to Paypal myself. Takes 3 days or so.....) o/~


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## José Herring (Jan 28, 2012)

Ed @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> josejherring @ Fri Jan 27 said:
> 
> 
> > [
> ...



Would love it to sound like that. Just not appropriate for all cases that's all. It would be cool to have some choices since they did master the library kind of hot.

But, this library as is will go on my must buy list. The price is good and the library sounds killer.


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## Oliver_Codd (Jan 28, 2012)

Hey guys,

I got some great results by tuning down and EQing these. Also layering different drums and playing with the stereo Image and Verb yielded some surprisingly awesome sounds.

My track was processed quite a bit for anyone worried about that. They sound quite raw out of the box which is great because they seem to have much more flexibility for someone who likes to to totally tweak the sounds, like me 

Best,

Oliver


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## germancomponist (Jan 28, 2012)

I am always the best friend of raw samples!


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## FredrikJonasson (Jan 28, 2012)

When I compare the demos of Apocalypse and 8dio epic, I get the feeling that Apocalypse gives you more of a stage sound, when 8dio gives more of a hall sound. I prefer the hall sound and the feeling that the percussion is actually in the far end of the room, and not in your face. I'm hoping I'm wrong, considering the difference in price. Can anyone help me out?


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## germancomponist (Jan 28, 2012)

Using your mixer right should solve the problem......


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## FredrikJonasson (Jan 28, 2012)

germancomponist @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> Using your mixer right should solve the problem......



Perhaps. I would be glad if didn't had to though..


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## germancomponist (Jan 28, 2012)

Mixing things to far away is much more easier than visa versa!


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## Oliver_Codd (Jan 28, 2012)

Hey Frekrik,

All of the patches have 2-3 mic positions. I used almost all close for my demo, but the mid and far definitely have the hall sound you're after. Mid is closest to the TH stuff, Far is WAY back there. I think a careful layering of all 3 yields the best results. 

Cheers


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## José Herring (Jan 28, 2012)

FredrikJonasson @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> When I compare the demos of Apocalypse and 8dio epic, I get the feeling that Apocalypse gives you more of a stage sound, when 8dio gives more of a hall sound. I prefer the hall sound and the feeling that the percussion is actually in the far end of the room, and not in your face. I'm hoping I'm wrong, considering the difference in price. Can anyone help me out?




Stage sound is preferable imo because percussion set too far back in a hall loses its percussiveness. It's my main complaint with all these hall percussion libraries we have. Snare, timp, concert toms and orchestral percussion sure, but I can't think of one good reason why a dhol or a frame drums belongs in a hall. If they are recorded in a hall then at least give us some up close mic positions so that it retains its detail and punch.


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## Peaslee (Jan 28, 2012)

Yeah, the mid and far mics have a much broader, hall sound. The close mics are much tighter, so you can actually get pretty close to a direct "room" sound if you dial back the Release knob. The multiple mic positions in this library are actually well worth the added size, since they have such distinct character and yet blend perfectly. Stacking them yields an extraordinarily fat sound as well. 

As far as tone, we exposed a full EQ in the chain and allow semitone stepping, so you can modify the tone in a few ways in realtime to get a darker or deeper sound. The mid and far positions have a naturally darker sound to begin with, so that may be what you're looking for right out of the box.

Hey Ed, we do actually have a big all-in-one preset if you just want to jump right in. IT has everything mapped over the entire key range (we did leave out the flam variants, just to keep the sound tight and consistent). The preset you're looking for is called "*Apocalypse Ensemble Close.nki*" and it's in the Master folder. There's also a far mic version, so you can layer them or play them independently. There are hi-mem, dfd and lite variants as well, so you can decide how much ram to dedicate to it. 

A word of caution: Avoid the hi-mem presets unless you have an 64 bit machine with _at least_ 5 GB of ram of so. Some of the sub-ensemble and solo presets use a lot less than that obviously, but in general, use care. The DFD versions are really where it's at and they have the same features. The lite presets only have 4 round-robins per note, so those are ideal for templates where a lot is already going on. That said, even the lite presets sound wicked. The shuffle function on the robin-robin behavior helps the lite patches a lot. 

josejherring, if you're looking for dry Dhol, we have an awesome Solo Dhol library that really gets in there and covers everything you'd think to do with a dhol and more (like eep tabla-style water drop bass-bends). We captured the dhol in the hall, because it has a big boom and snap to it if done right. It's just another unique color in this large palette.

As far as mastering, we actually left more head room, but where we mastered, we did it carefully to provide maximum punch without muddying up the sound too much. We used a lot of care. We also upgraded our gear to get a lot more headroom and lower signal-to-noise, so those soft layers are pristine as well. We're now going with ultra-quiet Sound Devices 788T recorders and transformerless Neumanns.


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## José Herring (Jan 28, 2012)

Sounds good to me. Great job on this. Seems like there are a lot of options.

+ 1 for timp if you decide to add on to this already impressive collection.


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## FredrikJonasson (Jan 28, 2012)

germancomponist @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> Mixing things to far away is much more easier than visa versa!



You don't say? :D 

Allright, this sounds like a great library, and a really nice choice for us who don't want to invest a great deal of money in epic stuff!


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## zvenx (Jan 28, 2012)

I wish this was a more comprehensive library more or less covering all the grounds from True Strike, Drums of War 2, Spitfire percussion and EW SD...of course it would have been a lot more expensive..but would be great to have the ultimate percussion library all recorded in one location....Mike maybe you can do a version 2 that covers the other percussion stuff left out.. and I would certainly get both of them... or how many of them as required.

good luck with this

rsp


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## playz123 (Jan 28, 2012)

zvenx @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> I wish this was a more comprehensive library more or less covering all the grounds from True Strike, Drums of War 2, Spitfire percussion and EW SD...of course it would have been a lot more expensive..but would be great to have the ultimate percussion library all recorded in one location....Mike maybe you can do a version 2 that covers the other percussion stuff left out.. and I would certainly get both of them... or how many of them as required.
> 
> good luck with this
> 
> rsp



Well, I can understand your point and there's always more one could add, such as timpani for example, but my feeling is that this library could already be described as "comprehensive". And with all the drums and the features is has for dynamics, micing positions etc. I would think that it's already probably one of the most comprehensive percussion library _of it's type_ available when one is looking for widely used drums. I do understand that there are literally hundred of percussion instruments, but I don't think the goal here was to do a "world' percussion ensemble. My feeling is that this library is going to do very well and compete well, even with combinations of some of the other libraries available. Just my thoughts. There's a LOT that is useful in this library.

Ensemble Drums: Snares, Bass Drums, Toms, Doumbeks, Dhols, Riqs, Frame Drums, Sticks, Cymbals.

Solo Drums: Snares, Bass Drums, Bongos, Cajon, Cymbals, Dhols, Frame Drums, Toms (floor, mid, high), Rototoms.


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## rJames (Jan 28, 2012)

The Soundiron site is loading v-e-r-y slowly. I waited so long that I wasn't sure if was ever going to open on my iPad.

Now on my DAW and it is so slow. The Apocalypse page is taking forever.


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## playz123 (Jan 29, 2012)

rJames @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> The Soundiron site is loading v-e-r-y slowly. I waited so long that I wasn't sure if was ever going to open on my iPad.
> 
> Now on my DAW and it is so slow. The Apocalypse page is taking forever.



Fine here over the last 24 hours, but then there never seems to be a reasonable explanation when a person in one part of the world has problems accessing a site and someone else doesn't. Re. iPad, keep in mind it doesn't normally have Flash (and on mine it shows that the site requires it), so maybe that's a factor for you as well? Anyway, hopefully by now your access has improved. Worth the wait. And now back to Apocalypse.

Really enjoying setting up patterns in the Uberpeggiator...very useful......and being able to control the mic and release levels etc. in some of the patches works extremely well for me. I'm finally able to adjust the sound of the instruments to the composition rather than the other way around. Yes, adjusting mic positions in a library is nothing new, but it's really effective here.

Anyway, I'm starting to sound like I'm vying for the customer of the month award here,  so hope some other users will soon post some of their thoughts about this new library. I'll just sign off by saying that I, for one, am very pleased I purchased it. Well done Soundiron....and next up "Venus"?


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## Jack Weaver (Jan 29, 2012)

Bought it.

Good e-commerce site and smooth, efficient download process. Install was great. 

Sounds are good and quite versatile. Programming is good and all the buttons seems to do what they say they should do. 

Did I miss the snare (and other instruments') rolls and ruffs? Seems a bit incomplete without them. I've only been able to find single hits so far. In a library this comprehensive it seems a bit unusual. 

It would be nice to have the arpeggiator (love it!) have the ability to make and recall presets. (Unless I simply haven't found how to do this yet - but I didn't see it in the documentation.) It would extend the package's usefulness in production. 

Good library and an incredible value. It's a killer ver. 1.0 product. It's nice to have everything percussive in one package with the ability to create an overall consistant and believable ambient nature. (This is its greatest selling point for those of us who already own a pile of other 'epic' percussive libraries. One tool to do all or most of it - sans orchestral percussion requirements.) A few rolls and recallable arpeggiator presets away from being an over-the-top wonderful, 'rock star' percussion library. 

Congrats to Mike, Gregg and Chris!

.


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## Peaslee (Jan 29, 2012)

The little gallery image viewer at the top of the site uses flash (until we can switch that to HTML 5), but all of the critical areas of the site don't require it. It's most likely a geographic thing, since the server itself seems to be fine around here. It's hard to say, but long term, we'll be moving the site entirely to cloud hosting. 

We're currently editing and programming Venus now, so that should hopefully be a wrap by the end of February or early March. We'll also have a pair of smaller niche instruments coming out in the next couple of weeks as well leading up to Venus.


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## Dirk Ehlert (Jan 30, 2012)

choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 28 said:


> Buckle of swash has got to be one of the laziest demos I've ever heard. 8)
> 
> I understand people like to rip off POTC and be jokey about it but when you just glue that to the end of a Preliator ripoff it seems lazy.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q6skxRL ... page#t=27s



Hey choc0thrax,

thx for your opinion, but in this regards you're completly wrong. Apart from the fact that "Preliator" was new for me, I could name a bunch of tracks using that same snare figure ranging back into the Nineties with Queens "Innuendo" - http://youtu.be/BbnYMOmnrXY?t=26s. 
Of course there are reminiscent pieces inspired by POTC, cause it just was fun playing and demoing that library and it instantly reminded me of that great score. 
But it is all about just showing the quality and ability of a sample library. And reading about a "ripoff" that hasn't been one seem not right to me...

Apart from the fact that the part in the end is truly inspired by POTC 

Cheers

Dirk


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## playz123 (Jan 30, 2012)

Jack Weaver @ Sun Jan 29 said:


> It would be nice to have the arpeggiator (love it!) have the ability to make and recall presets. (Unless I simply haven't found how to do this yet - but I didn't see it in the documentation.) It would extend the package's usefulness in production.
> 
> Good library and an incredible value. It's a killer ver. 1.0 product..



I totally agree with all the points you made, and must also admit I didn't consider yet that this might only be the 1.0 version.  Of course, so thanks for reminding me, and therefore why not make recommendations for version 2? I would not only like to see presets available in the Uberggiator (where did they get that name?), but I'd also like to see some sort of mini sequencer of the type that Blake Robinson has added to some libraries. Based on the 'complexity' and depth of some of the other Soundiron libraries, I'm sure this would be easy for them to do. BTW, the Hold + feature is appreciated. 

Re, rolls, yes, good point there too. I'm curious as to why those were not included throughout, but also expect there must be a reason. Maybe Mike will comment. Easy to play/create them though using the numerous keys.
***************



de_signs @ Mon Jan 30 said:


> Of course there are reminiscent pieces inspired by POTC, cause it just was fun playing and demoing that library and it instantly reminded me of that great score.
> But it is all about just showing the quality and ability of a sample library. And reading about a "ripoff" that hasn't been one seem not right to me...
> 
> Apart from the fact that the part in the end is truly inspired by POTC



Dirk, re. the comment you received...well rest assured others liked your demo very much. I played the demos for my partner, and she and I agreed that we liked your demo the best. We found it to be the most 'musical'. It was far from being any direct rip off, and so what if it 'reminded us' of other pieces? If I had a nickel for every composition that reminded me of O Fortuna for example, I'd be a millionaire.  I think the goal here was to demo Apocalypse, and I thought you and the other composers did a great job. Cheers.


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## choc0thrax (Jan 30, 2012)

de_signs @ Mon Jan 30 said:


> choc0thrax @ Sat Jan 28 said:
> 
> 
> > Buckle of swash has got to be one of the laziest demos I've ever heard. 8)
> ...



It wasn't either part that annoyed me - it was the combination of two "heavily inspired" pieces that sound like separate demos that seem awkwardly tacked together without much of a segue.

Not a big deal or anything. I'm not expecting high art from quickly produced library demos. Like you say it's all about showing the quality and ability of the library.


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## Peaslee (Jan 31, 2012)

Here's our first video walk-through of APE, with a brief intro about the library and a short improvised live demo play-through of some of the sounds featured in the basic master "Apocalypse Ensemble" preset. 

I think it really shows how easy it is to dive into the library and get a massive sound right out of the box, just by messing around on the keyboard and wandering around through the different drums and articulations.

We'll post more videos that focus in on some of the more advanced features in the mixer and multi-mic position presets soon. 

[flash width=560 height=315 loop=false]http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/3iezricGbZU?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0&amp;hd=1[/flash]

Direct link: http://youtu.be/3iezricGbZU


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## germancomponist (Jan 31, 2012)

Very cool!

Also a good example to show the different between loops and real (sample) playing! 

o/~


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## dog1978 (Feb 1, 2012)

I am writing a review. I got Apocalypse just for a few days. And I LOVE the possibility the map a lot of sounds at the keyboard as I want. So I don't have one patch for every percussion instrument, but I have one Kontakt patch for example with my favourite 10 sounds. That saves track, time... and is so PERFECT!


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## germancomponist (Feb 1, 2012)

I am installing now....... .

Edit: What a cool library! Great sound!


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## greggg (Feb 1, 2012)

Thanks for all the kind words!  

We've got a quick little tutorial of the Mega Mixer patch. It goes over some of the global features as well, but mostly focuses on how to use the Mega Mixer. The video shows the close patch, but the far patch is identical in functionality, it just loads the far (or hall) mic positions. Thanks!

[flash width=540 height=315 loop=false]http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/Td06UylJPAw?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0&amp;hd=1[/flash]

Direct link: http://youtu.be/Td06UylJPAw

p.s. Sorry for my sloppy playing!


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## Jack Weaver (Feb 1, 2012)

Really happy with my purchase. 

It greatly simplifies my template. Totally came out of left field to surprise me. 

.


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## playz123 (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks for the video, Gregg. Yes, I discovered early on just how important that Release control is (along with the mic positions) when one is adjusting the wetness or dryness of the drums. And using the Megamixer does indeed allow one to create numerous and varied combinations of drums. Definitely one of the most playable and versatile 'drum' libraries I've ever experienced.



germancomponist @ Tue Jan 31 said:


> Also a good example to show the different between loops and real (sample) playing!


---Exactly; no comparison.


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## Ed (Feb 2, 2012)

DAMN IT!!

In 24 seconds into the new video and I'm sold. You guys did good. The soft sounds are amazing/

Whats the demo music in this video??


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## greggg (Feb 2, 2012)

Ed @ Thu Feb 02 said:


> DAMN IT!!
> 
> In 24 seconds into the new video and I'm sold. You guys did good. The soft sounds are amazing/
> 
> Whats the demo music in this video??




Awesome, thanks Ed!  Something I didn't really get to in the video which I actually wanted to was demonstrating the lower velocities. If you use the dynamics knob to limit the velocity and then just crank up the volume of the patch, you can get some amazing subtleties that you probably wouldn't expect. The noise floor is so low that even the lowest velocity layers can be cranked up with excellent results.

For the video, I used Oliver Codd's "Bushido" demo (percussion only version) with one of the ambient patches from the library.

Cheers!


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## dog1978 (Feb 4, 2012)

Here is 1 minute, playing most of the ambiences:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEpbekDZ59U&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEpbekDZ ... e=youtu.be)


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## germancomponist (Feb 4, 2012)

Today I played this lib with my Alesis Control Pad. 

Result: Awesome!


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## Ian Dorsch (Feb 7, 2012)

Does the discount last through the day today? Just trying to decide if I can wait until I get home this afternoon to pull the trigger on this bad boy.


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## greggg (Feb 7, 2012)

Ian Dorsch @ Tue Feb 07 said:


> Does the discount last through the day today? Just trying to decide if I can wait until I get home this afternoon to pull the trigger on this bad boy.



Hi Ian,

Yes, actually the initial discount was going to last through the day today and end at 11:59pm (PST) tonight, but we've decided to extend the promotion through *Friday, the 10th* at 11:59pm (PST) to coincide with the DVD release which comes out later today! 

We've also got some amazing discounts on all our *Piano* products including the legnedary Emotional Piano. The entire bundle is *50%* off, so only *$149*! It includes the Emotional Piano, Montclarion Hall Piano, Lakeside Pipe Organ, Old Busted Granny Piano and the Kinderklavier.

The *Emotional Piano* itself is on sale for only *$109* for either the Player or open format version.

Thanks!

[flash width=450 height=145 loop=false]http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F938905&amp;auto_play=false&amp;show_artwork=true&amp;color=0d2b91[/flash]


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## playz123 (Feb 7, 2012)

Wow; I already own Emotional Piano and Lakeside, but what a great deal for others. IMHO, EP, especially, should not be overlooked. And don't forget Apocalypse when you are purchasing.


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## Ian Dorsch (Feb 7, 2012)

Awesome, thanks. 

Nice deal on Emotional Piano too. I love that thing.


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## playz123 (Feb 7, 2012)

Speaking of rolls, this library just keeps on getting better. Thanks guys. From Soundiron:

"And by popular demand, we even decided to go back and grab a few dozen snare rolls and add them to the library as a cool bonus. While it's possible to sequence or play realistic rolls using the multi-samples, we figured it might be handy to have a few naturally human roll loops included as well. We captured a variety of sustaining snare double-stroke rolls w/release samples and short crescendos for 3 of the solo snares, in both close and far mic positions. You can also smoothly blend through the the dynamic speed/intensity layers for each snare, with real-time control over start, attack, swell and release. Existing APE owners will be receiving a free download for this awesome bonus pack later tonight."


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## Peaslee (Feb 7, 2012)

yup, it's about 115 MB of new content. Each snare has multiple dynamic roll layers that you can smoothly blend between to create crescendos, or you can access the different roll variations individually. There are also short and medium length crescendo effects as well. 

For the crescendos, the offset control allows you to jump ahead right up to the last strike, so you can use just the part you need . For the sustaining roll loops, the offset let's you skip past the accented starts. The attack, release, blend and swell controls all work together to give you pretty much total control over the sound.


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## Jack Weaver (Feb 7, 2012)

Thanks Mike,

Should improve an already great library! 

.


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## Peaslee (Feb 7, 2012)

Absolutely, it was our pleasure. It's also a cool proof of concept for some aggregate features that will benefit some other new content we're working on. We've got a lot of exciting libraries in the works this year. 

The updates have been sent out. It's a stand-alone pack, so you don't need to install it into your existing APE directory, but you can if you like. You'd just need to add the folders in the instruments and samples directories to the APE samples and instrument directories and then do a Kontakt batch re-save of just the new folders.


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## FriFlo (Feb 9, 2012)

Mike, would you consider an upgrade option to the sensational bundle price of your pianos? It kind of teases me, but I already got emotional piano and wouldn't want to buy it twice ...


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## Peaslee (Feb 9, 2012)

FriFlo @ Thu Feb 09 said:


> Mike, would you consider an upgrade option to the sensational bundle price of your pianos? It kind of teases me, but I already got emotional piano and wouldn't want to buy it twice ...



Absolutely, just send us an email and we'll take care of you.


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## Mariatchy (Feb 10, 2012)

I have been using A.P.E. in two different projects already and absolutely love the organic sound, beautiful acoustics, detail and depth. Congratulations on an excellent product!


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## FriFlo (Feb 16, 2012)

I went for the percussion instead!  Really like it apart from missing some articulations from some of the instruments. But I have to say the number of instruments is impressive for the price of this library.
One question: loading time is pretty long. The DFD patches seem not to be saved with the background loading. Why still the old way? Should anything stop me from batch-resaving with background loading?


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## playz123 (Feb 17, 2012)

Mariatchy @ Fri Feb 10 said:


> I have been using A.P.E. in two different projects already and absolutely love the organic sound, beautiful acoustics, detail and depth. Congratulations on an excellent product!



Agreed, and it seems to blend really well with other instruments as well. Also finding it easier to decrease some the tailing and dry out the sound so that I can send the output to the same reverb as used for the other instruments, and end up with a fairly close match. EQ features also allow the sound to be shaped as desired.


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## dog1978 (Feb 24, 2012)

a walkthrough with the mega mixer

http://youtu.be/Kp_CdKhwBEY

and a little song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gcQ3-Q6Fgg


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