ModeAudio has released Foundation, a drum sample library featuring the sounds of several vintage drum machines. Read on for the full review and scroll down to download the exclusive Foundation freebie pack for BPB readers.

Foundation is a collection of royalty-free drum sounds sampled from selected vintage drum machines and analog synthesizers. Firstly, the sound designers at ModeAudio sampled a pair of studio classics – the LinnDrum and the Alesis HR-16 drum machines are legendary instruments that defined the sound of the late 80s music. These vintage classics are joined by the more modern Akai MPC2000 drum sequencer and Behringer’s new DeepMind analog synthesizer to create a collection of retro-inspired drum samples.

The Content

ModeAudio included 433 drum samples in this release. Here is a detailed breakdown of Foundation’s contents:

88 Kick Samples
84 Snare Samples
65 Hi-Hat Samples
30 Clap Samples
43 Tom Samples
16 Cymbal Samples
10 Rim Samples
23 Shaker Samples
74 Percussion Samples

Foundation doesn’t contain any drum loops. It only contains one-shot drum samples and a collection of eight MIDI drum sequences to get you started with using the provided sounds. If you’re looking for drum loops, ModeAudio’s other releases like Raw Trap will be a better fit.

This drum sample library is offered in five different format options. The customer can download the WAV samples only, or choose the pre-made Reason ReFill, Logic Pack, FL Studio Pack, or Ableton Live Pack templates.

As always with ModeAudio libraries, the included samples are expertly edited and organized. There are no unwanted noises as a result of lazy audio editing, nor unclearly labeled filenames that make the library a pain to browse. What you’re getting is a meticulously crafted collection of drum sounds that won’t slow down your workflow.

The samples are organized into three folders (Raw Drums, Processed Drums, and Layered Drums), each folder containing a clearly labeled set of samples. The sounds in the Raw Drums and Processed Drums folders are marked with the source instrument information (like Linn_Kick01, HR16_GatedKick01, etc.).

Sound Quality

Having tested several ModeAudio sample packs in the past, I’ve come to expect high-quality sounds in the company’s releases. Foundation is not an exception in this regard. The clean samples capture the authentic, unaltered sound of the sampled drum machines. This is perfect for drum machine purists who want to use raw drum machine sounds as a starting point for their music production or sound design projects.

The processed and layered samples are there for music producers who prefer using ready-to-mix drum sounds. There’s just enough compression and EQ applied to make the processed drum machine samples sound punchy and make them cut through the mix. Finally, the layered samples provide a more modern take on the vintage drum machine sounds. The raw source samples were layered to add punch, snap, and presence in the bass region for a more modern flavor.

The Verdict

For the price of €19.12, you can’t go wrong with the Foundation drum collection. ModeAudio has once again crafted a superb collection of drum samples that can instantly be used in the studio. If you’re a fan of old-school drum machines or retro drums in general, this library will be a worthy addition to your arsenal.

One minor nitpick is that there are no patches available for some popular sampler formats like NI Kontakt, NI Battery, or FXpansion Geist. That said, ModeAudio provides a well-organized collection of WAV samples and a set of pre-made packs for several major digital audio workstations.

More info: Foundation (€19.12)

Free Download

As a special gift for BPB readers, ModeAudio is offering a free set of 40 royalty-free sounds from the full version of Foundation. This exclusive freebie pack contains the following sounds:

9 Behringer DeepMind samples
12 Alesis HR-16 samples
8 Akai MPC2000 samples
11 layered drum samples

ModeAudio has also created an exclusive coupon code for all BPB readers. Enter the coupon code BPB10 at checkout to apply a 10% OFF discount to your purchase. At the time of writing, ModeAudio is also running a “three for two” deal on all products. Purchase any two sound packs and get one additional library for free.

Free download: ~~ModeAudio Foundation BPB Free Pack~~ (3.71 MB download size, ZIP archive, contains 40 drum samples in 24-bit WAV format)

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Last Updated on November 26, 2020 by Tomislav Zlatic.