Beats Scenics by MusicTech Mag

The next ModeAudio pack we have is Beat Scenics, a collection of loops, percussion and effects inspired by LA's Beat Scene…. 

Think Route 1 at sunset, laid-back grooves, jazzy progressions, a bit of keyboard noodling – that kind of thing. You get mostly lower tempo'd beat loops all excellently programmed for a chilled hip-hop feel.

Each is named – Angel City, SwompFonk, and so on – and comes with variations or fills. With the basslines we did have visions of them being the kind of horrific slap funk lines used to link scenes in US sitcoms but they are mostly electronic, often dirty, and named the same as the beats so you can start matching samples together to make tunes immediately. Some of the synth and instrument loops start taking you on stricter melodic journeys and so will perhaps take you down a more genre-static route, whereas the beats and basslines can be applied to almost any genre.

Having said that, some are unusual and very inspiring, so if the idea of LA music at sunset doesn't appeal – maybe you live in Swindon and it's raining – there is still stuff here to get plenty of use out of.

Usefully, the MIDI files are also supplied, so you can easily apply the great programming to more local soundscapes. Currently the collection is just a dozen of your British pounds, but even at the full £15 it's well worth a punt. ModeAudio aims to ‘deliver audio tools that sound incredible, are available instantly and that will integrate seamlessly with your favourite music software.' And on this evidence we find it very hard to argue with that claim.

MT Verdict:

Laid-back, jazzy, hip-hop vibes and also some interesting and inspiring electronic grooves mean this collection could take you down more sonic routes than it initially suggests. Great value too.