[REVIEW] Klang By ModeAudio

Klang by Mode Audio.

One of the most important things when programming drum loops inside a DAW is making the drum loop sound “alive”. There are many ways to achieve this effect, but one of the easiest methods is to use real life sounds in tandem with electronic drum hits.

Several months ago, the sound design team at ModeAudio has released a sample library which looks like the perfect candidate for this task. The library is called Klang and we’ll be taking a closer look at it in the following paragraphs.

As already noted above, mixing organic drum hits with synthesized samples is a good way to add contrast and life to electronic drum loops. I’m quite sure that 99% of music producers already have tons and tons of electronic drum hits on their hard drives, but well recorded organic percussion is a bit harder to find.

One could always grab a microphone and go outside to record a bunch of sounds to be used as percussion samples, but in reality not everyone has access to decent recording equipment. Also, cutting up drum samples and converting them to well trimmed and perfectly edited one shots can be quite a task, trust me on this one.

The team at ModeAudio has done all the hard work for us with Klang, and they’ve done a great job at compiling a rich and diverse collection of organic drum hits. Let’s take a look at their own description of the process:

We’ve sampled a junkyard’s worth of found objects to bring you some of the most inventive kicks, rim shots, metal percussion and rasps available. From deep, rounded thumps, to every colour of knock, tap, flick and scrape, these hits contain an extraordinary breadth of percussive range. Subtle, delicate paper sounds can work effortlessly well as hi hats, whilst a good pillow punch offers a completely new take on the kick drum.

Right after extracting the sample library from the provided ZIP archive, I was impressed by the versatility of included content. As mentioned in the quote above, the library contains all sorts of percussive sounds from subtle scratches and paper noises to heavy hitting metal objects and deep thumps. Some of my favorite sounds from the pack are zipper noises and paper bag punches, unusual sounds which can serve various purposes.

This is exactly what I’m looking for in a percussive library of this type. The ability to serve as a multi-purpose toolbox of organic sounds for layering over electronic drum hits or for building entire organic drum loops. Building drum loops with these sounds is pure fun, and it’s easy to go overboard with adding new layers to a beat because everything seems to fit together perfectly.

Another important factor is the sound quality, which is top notch in this case. The samples were meticulously edited and rid of any unwanted noise. The transients of heavier hits are captured very well, probably due to the fact that the sounds were recorded using contact microphones. All in all, the samples sound very good and the post-processing job was done perfectly.

The library is available in a variety of different formats:

WAV
Reason Refill
FL Studio Pack
Apple Logic
NI Kontakt
Ableton Live

The content is sorted into four separate folders, by type (Low, Mid, High, and Other). The are 150 audio samples in total inside the pack, all of which are provided in 24-bit WAV format. The pack is provided as a single ZIP archive weighing at 19.1 MB (23.7 MB of audio data when extracted).

Depending on the sample format you pick before downloading, you will also have access to different sampler patches. The Ableton Live pack which was tested here contains a handy set of Drum Rack, Impulse and Audio Effects Rack presets which will allow Ableton users to access the sounds without much hassle.

In conclusion, Klang is a perfect choice for anyone who needs a high quality collection of organic percussive hits. The versatility of included audio material is commendable and the sound quality is top notch. Match that with the fair price of £12 and you have a great deal in your hands!