Mode Audio has introduced Aerial – downtempo piano loops, a rich tapestry of deft piano figures, flickering Ambient textures, silky instrumental riffs and organic drum rhythms, this 491MB collection of royalty-free loops, samples and MIDI will transport your music to a place of deep tranquility and reflection.
It is available in wav, rex2 and Reason refill formats from Mode Audio (£18 regular price).
This sample pack contains 303 files as follows:
- 155 music files (80 – 120 bpm)
- 44 Ambience Loops
- 37 Drum Loops (Kicks, Top Drums & Full Beats)
- 19 Instrumental Loops (Strings, Tuned Percussion & Mellotron)
- 43 Piano Loops
- 12 Texture Loops
- 73 Tail Samples
- 75 MIDI Loops (Key & Tempo-Labelled)
‘Ambience loops’ are soundscapes, typically sustained piano drones, lush sustained strings. They have subtle movement, a great range of tones from edgy to warm and saturated.
‘Drum loops’ Although primarily a piano loops pack, the drum loops are excellent. There’s a range of great sounding loops with a variety of sounds and excellent percussive elements. They have a retro / lo-fi feel and add depth and interest to the sound. These are typically full loops, kick loops and top loops.
‘Instrumental loops’ are a collection of strings, flute, mellotron, glockenspiel and tuned percussion that complement the piano loops enabling you to layer sounds and add variety.
‘Piano loops’ are the focus of the sample pack. These are a collection of arps, chords and riffs that have superb reflective qualities and a typically downtempo feel. They have a warm quality and are superbly processed.
‘Texture loops’ are a collection of white noise and vinyl type sounds that compliment the other sounds really well and add an extra layer of interest.
‘Tail samples’ are a common feature of Mode Audio packs, they pair with loops of the same name and allow a natural decay to the loops.
‘Midi loops’ are an excellent addition, typically 4 bar loops they allow you to use your own sounds or use them as a starting point to put your own spin on them.
Verdict
What I love about Aerial is that it is such an inspiring pack. The piano loops are the focal point and indeed provide a lot of inspiration in their own right but equally other sounds complement them really well and provide inspiration themselves. The instrumental loops and ambience loops for example can complement piano loops or provide contrasting elements.
The loops layer excellently together and allow you to create a wide variety of styles from ambient to downtempo to cinematic. The loops typically have a warm, saturated feel with some having an edgier sound and a retro / lo-fi feel at times.
I’ve created the four track EP Estatica embedded at the top of the post using the sample pack. It’s based on the idea that occasionally, radio broadcasts break through an ocean of static.
Loops processed with Tverb, SP2016, Ultrachannel (Eventide); Incipit (Inear Display); Type A (AudioThing); Shaperbox 2 (Cableguys); Saturn 2, Pro-Q 3, Pro-L 2 (Fabfilter).
Produced, arranged and finalised in MuLab8.
