Review: Sounds of Revolution FX Revolution Vol. 1

Product: FX Revolution Vol. 1
Format: Digital download of 24-bit WAV and AIF/Apple Loops, Rex Loops, EXS/Kontakt Instrument files
Genre: Just about any genre of Electronic Dance Music, Sound Design, Radio Production
Distributed by: Sounds of Revolution
Price: €67.22
Demo: Audio demos on product page.

I like to mess around and make crazy sounds as much as the next guy, but when I'm in the middle of making music, especially under a deadline, it can be really disruptive to the process. The best types of effects are usually the results of lots of experimenting and fooling around. Sometimes you just don't have that kind of time, but you need a slick transition or a jaw-dropping effect to put that break down over the top. If you've found yourself in that position before, you might consider giving this collection a look.

As you might expect, FX Revolution consists of sounds in the somewhat vague 'effects' category. These are the types of sounds you bring out when you want to add that extra sparkle of interest to your arrangements - dramatic reverses, booming impacts, whooshing noise sweeps - that sort of thing. That description doesn't really do this collection justice, though, as the production quality is extremely slick and the effects themselves are often quite layered and complex.

The selection is broadly varied and is helpfully organized into the following categories:

• Impacts

• LFO Madness

• Loops

• Percussive

• Processed

• REX Loops (Same material as "Loops" in REX format)

• Sweeps

• Transmissions

• Apple Loops (same material as "Loops", but in Apple Loops format)

There is a nicely balanced mix here of rhythmic material, one shot impacts, synthy percussion sounds, and spacier squiggles, rises, and whooshes. The sound quality is beautiful and the sound design is creative and tasteful. Most of the sounds are actually several layers of sounds mixed and processed together for some very complex and high-tech effects (although low-tech is present here too if that's your bag). Many of the sounds also have very wide stereo images and epic reverb applied to up the "wow" factor. In other words, these are not subtle sounds. These are for when you want to get the listeners attention and take your track to that proverbial next level.

The only thing that keeps this from being a full 10/10 is the price. There was a time when about $90 or more was pretty much standard for a sample collection, but I think the days of that are numbered. There are more sample producers on the market than ever and especially in recent years, many are offering truly impressive bang for your buck ratios. I'm not saying there isn't a lot of great material here, I'm just saying that especially for a digital download, the asking price might seem a bit steep. But if that doesn't scare you off, you will probably be extremely happy with this collection. [9/10]