Shape-Shifting with Spectrasonics' Metamorphosis

By Dave Hill

Sample CDs can save a producer time, money and hassle, given that they are done with the right amount of imagination, stylistic focus, and authenticity. The method for creating both original and usable catalogs of sounds or loops is not exactly common knowledge either, as evidenced by the vast array of crapola available for free download on the World Wide Web. A select few companies, however, have taken the form to new heights. Among them is Spectrasonics, makers of the popular Distorted Reality and Liquid Grooves series, who have recently released two ambitious new CD-ROMs, Metamorphosis and Vocal Planet--both featuring Ilio/Spectrasonic's innovative time stretching tool, Groove Control--which up the ante considerably in terms of programming ingenuity and sheer scope.

Transformative Powers

When hearing the word Metamorphosis, the images that come to mind may be of a man shape-shifting into a werewolf or of a caterpillar evolving into a butterfly. The dictionary definition reads: "a transformation or profound change in form, from one stage to the next." Since Spectrasonics Ÿber-programmer Eric Persing's original sonic starting points are unavailable for comparison, we have no way of knowing how primitive they were before he craftily morphed them into the thick rhythmic textures and spatial aural shapes presented here on Spectrasonics' newest release. We can say with certainty however, that Metamorphosis represents a profound change in the form of sample CDs.

Like those in the popular Distorted Reality series, Metamorphosis' rhythmic loops transcend both style and convention as they duck and weave beyond fickle genre classifications like techno, drum 'n bass, or trance. Instead, the rich offerings here give rise to new possibilities and put real tools into a producer's toolbox. Metamorphosis' sounds move from street beats to future funk and then collide with world rhythms. The overall tonality is light and percussive, with a good amount of panning and phasing to create living and breathing textures. Many of the loops feel like they may be best used as an additional layer over a simple kick and snare groove, for added texture. None of the loops are simple, but the light quality makes them both rich and tasteful.

Urban Organica

Producers looking for sophistication coupled with lowdown funk will be pleased. Even a seemingly predictable ethnic track like "Indiatek" or "Ind. Sitar" gives new insight into possible filtering and processing of the beloved tabla and Beatlized sitar. Patches like "Pant" and "Dig It" may tip their hat to James Brown, but the sonic direction is 21st century. Patches like "Southside", "Black Planet," "Bootay", and "Street Cred", give you a deep and nasty urban party vibe. Other banks, including "Snug Bug," "Glass Baby," and "Half Life," provide evidence of Persing's groove incubation techniques, where he allows sounds to fester inside synths, effects boxes, and feedback loops. The lifeless quality present in many sample CDs has been surpassed by Metamorphosis' vibrant patterns which open up myriad original layering and mix options.

Part of what makes Metamorphosis so intense is the inclusion of 12 different Groove Menus. Each menu contains roughly 20 stereo loops synched at the tempo of that particular patch. For instance the 100/200 MM7 patch is made up of 22 patches at 100 bpm spread across your keyboard one groove at a time. Some of the grooves have a double-time feel, thus the 200, MM7 simply indicates that the patch is from Metamorphosis Groove Menu number 7. To layer these rhythms upon one another is to truly enjoy the essence of Metamorphosis, a state-of-the-art example of sophisticated programming and processing that makes loop mixing seem as organic as crop rotation.

Groove Control™

Included in Metamorphosis and Vocal Planet, is Spectrasonics and ILIO's latest innovation, Groove Controlª. The Groove Control feature takes pitch shifting and time stretching to the next level, by enabling you to impose feel and dynamic variety into once stagnant loops and tired-sounding patterns. Broken down, Groove Control is essentially nicely chopped MIDI loops, which can then be altered or controlled into the specific feel and dynamic level you desire (like any other MIDI information). It can be the audio equivalent to injecting the feel of Bernard Purdie, Matt Chamberlain, or Steve Gadd into your drum machine, while simultaneously telling them to hit the snare just a little harder on 2 and 4 and lay back a little.

Even more advantages of Groove Control become apparent as you copy the files onto your hard drive and begin to play with your sequencer's interpretation of the sample data. Similar to the way audio loop files can be tweaked, tempo and pitch adjusting can be done independently (as in Acid Pro), but since this is MIDI you may also adjust the quantization ratio to tighten (or loosen) up the rhythm, or turn a straight groove into a shuffle. Even more fun is listening to how a sample--actually a series of small samples--follows the tempo changes in your sequencer with zero artifacts or glitches, and no channge in pitch. Want to replace the kick drum? No problem. The snare? Sure; even lay it back a touch? Done.

Different Strokes

You will undoubtedly invent other creative uses for Groove Control, but here are a few other possibilities:

Randomizing grooves: Simply exchange either the sample set or the GC sequence to create entirely new combinations. Import a few of your own samples and see what happens.

MIDI delay: By copying sequencer tracks and trailing them 1/16, or 1/32 note behind the original track (usually at a lower volume). These delays will automatically adhere to the tempo even if you change it.

Change the groove's feel: If you nudge the snare track back, or push the hi- hat track ahead, you might create a lazier or more energetic musical feel.

Groove Control works with all hardware and software sequencers that read and write Standard MIDI file sequences. Also, a CD-ROM drive is necessary to read the files and some samplers have limits as to how many samples can be loaded at the same time. CDs include preformatted MIDI files in Cubase (.arr) and Logic Audio (.lso) as well as standard MF (.mid).

Other Groove Control releases include: Spectrasonics Vocal Planet, Retro Funk, Liquid Grooves Groove Control, Bizarre Guitar, Backbeatand ILIO's Skippy's Big Bad Beats and Ethno Techno.

Metamorphosis ships in a variety of formats: Akai/E-Mu (works with All Akai, EMu EOS, Unity, Halion, Sampletank, and Emagic EXS24 software samplers), and Roland (700 and XV-5080). Metamorphosis also the first Spectrasonics release for Gigasampler and Gigastudio (Giga format). Note: 32 MB of RAM is required for hardware samplers, to take full advantage of larger banks on the ROM.

Metamorphosis (CD-ROM w/Groove Control $199; CD Audio $99)