AfroDJMac, a prolific creator of Ableton Live Packs, marks his 200th free offering with the Birds of Prey device for Ableton Live.
Brian Funk (aka AfroDJMac) has been making free Ableton Live packs since 2011. He samples synths, drum machines, and all sorts of acoustic instruments. Using those samples, he codes and creates original products for Ableton Live.
Anyway, Brian released 200 free Ableton Live devices so far, including numerous FX and lo-fi processors, a Push emulation for Novation’s Launchpad, an instrument made from a sampled NES Zapper, as well as an Ableton Live version of his mom’s piano. He also releases packs made by other creators.
See also: Free Recording SoftwareIf you’re looking for it, it’s there. And by the way, Bedroom Producers Blog collaborated with AfroDJMac on a few occasions, too! You’re definitely an old-school BPB fan if you remember the old Yamaha DD-8 Pack for Ableton Live that AfroDJMac made with BPB samples.
So, what is this Birds Of Prey thing for Ableton Live? Is it a collection of presets meant for use in Chicago Drill bangers? Is it a bunch of pre-made atmospherics for scoring horror short films? What about that superhero movie? Is that any good?
Birds of Prey is what it says on the tin. It’s an instrument made from three sampled raptorial birds: the Red-Tailed Hawk, the Bald Eagle, and the Great Horned Owl.
If you think that this would just be a bunch of screeches and birdy “hoooo!” noises, you are not correct. Brian actually took the time to make this into a usable instrument. In fact, that’s seven instruments and one drum rack, all made from the calls of these majestic creatures.
The Ableton Pack has an ASR envelope, a Hi and Lo Pass filters, a Delay, and a Chorus to finetune the sounds further. It’s pretty smart, as bird sounds tend to be very complex, so it makes for truly unique waveforms.
Here’s a video of Brian doing a full performance exclusively using sounds from his pack, sounding like an avian-themed The Postal Service. And yes, of course, there are tiki torches.
Brian Funk… more like Bird Funk, am I right?
Brian offers each pack for free, or a bundle of all of them together for $10, so it’s really up to you whether you agree with the old adage that time is money, but either way, it’s a straightforward and cheap way to support the access to thousands of free sounds that he provides.
He’s also currently offering a full course on performing with Ableton Live with coupon code STAYATHOME, so you can get on that too if you’d like.
More info: Birds of Prey (2.02 MB download size, ZIP archive, available for Ableton Live)
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