Loopmasters
Loopmasters is an English sound design record label based in Brighton, England. Loopmasters release and publish sample packs on the pro-audio market and cooperate with major software and hardware vendors including Ableton Live and Focusrite. Since 2008 Loopmasters also functions as an online store for music composers, \mputer-based DAWs like Steinberg Cubase, Apple Logic, Propellerheads Reason or Ableton Live. Loopmasters populated the market of pro-quality sound design and was among the first to release samples from renowned performers, producers and DJs such as Deadmau5, Re-Zone, Coldcut, Full Cycle, Mad Professor, Meat Katie, Todd Terry, Ray Keith, DJ Pierre and many dance music icons.
Loopmasters Today
The Label
Loopmasters continue close cooperation with known and established producers. The scope of musical genres released under this label covers various electronic music niches like Minimal House, Techno, Drum and Bass, Reggae as well as single-instrument sample libraries consisting of Loops and Sampler Presets. Loopmasters's close ties with the industry have yielded specialized Artist Series (with participation of established artists) and Label Series (with known music labels such as 2020 Vision and Hospital Records .[1]
The Portal
Loopmasters is also a portal, commercially dubbed "The Sample Boutique", which sells sample packs online. The portal also features other sound design labels and the full catalogue of titles is growing at a weekly rate. The portal allows quick sample pack browsing by Label name, music genre or format (i.e. supported software). The products are usually delivered as digital downloads and they are available in various delivery formats: Full Pack (which usually includes .WAV files + presets for popular samplers: Kontakt, Battery, EXS, Halion, NN-XT), AppleLoops, Ableton Live packs and REX2. All sample packs sold at Loopmasters are provided royalty free - whoever purchases the license to the sounds does not have to clear the samples for use in any music, TV or multimedia production.
With a few exceptions most audio material is offered at 44.1 kHz / 24-bit quality.
Loopmasters have also a blog - LoopBlog, which provides original and curated content for music producers and includes interviews with producers/DJs and music production tips & tricks. Although LoopBlog exists under a separate URL (Loopblog.net) the links in its articles are often integrated with the products featured on Loopmasters.
Loopmasters have recently entered the audio plugin market with the development of its sister site Plugin Boutique.
Third-party Labels On The Portal
The Sample Boutique currently carries sample packs from the following labels: 5 Pin Media, AMG Gold, Akai Professional, Cluster Sound, EarthMoments, Discovery Sound, Drumdrops, Dubdrops, eLab, Equipped Music, Galbanum, Global Underground, Goldbaby, Industrial Strength Records, Infrasonik, Mutekki Media, Organic Loops, Prime Loops, Producer Loops, Puremagnetik, Push Button Bang, RV_Samplepacks, Trackteam Audio, Wave Alchemy, Wavescape Studio and Zenhiser.
Standards
Loopmasters foster a user-oriented approach where the sample pack as a product should be as easy to use as possible. Clean library labelling, folder structure and filenaming with BPM and key info where applicable are the most basic usability factors.
Product Reviews
- Coldcut Sound Science - 5 Stars (Sound On Sound)[2]
- KJ Sawka Drum&Bass Drums - 5 Stars (Sound On Sound)[3]
- Deep Tech & Minimal - 10/10 (Waveformless)[4]
References
- ↑ "Make The Perfect Sample Pack", IDJ Magazine, Issue 131, October 2010, pp. 82-83,
- ↑ "Loopmasters Coldcut Sound Science". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
- ↑ "Loopmasters KJ Sawka". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
- ↑ "Waveformless: Review: Loopmasters Deep, Tech, & Minimal House". Waveformless.blogspot.com. 2009-03-09. Retrieved 2014-07-13.