"Among the many hip sample CDs in today's market, there lurks an occasional gem that really excites me. Drone Archeology (audio; $99.95) is one such disc. Drones are musically dear to my heart, so I relished the opportunity to review this assortment of low tones.
"Hovering Beneath It All
"Drone Archeology consists of nothing but stereo drones. This may seem like overkill, but drones do have their niche in music. Their role as a textural foundation makes a disc of drones vastly useful. The drones are divided into seven categories-Basic Drones, Natural, Science, Drama, Industry, Voice, and Bell. Ultimately, these sounds are infinitely mutable, but these descriptions suffice as guidelines. These are all stereo samples that range from 32 seconds to over a minute in length, so expect an average sample size of around 7 MB.
"Hovering Beneath It All
"Drone Archeology consists of nothing but stereo drones. This may seem like overkill, but drones do have their niche in music. Their role as a textural foundation makes a disc of drones vastly useful. The drones are divided into seven categories-Basic Drones, Natural, Science, Drama, Industry, Voice, and Bell. Ultimately, these sounds are infinitely mutable, but these descriptions suffice as guidelines. These are all stereo samples that range from 32 seconds to over a minute in length, so expect an average sample size of around 7 MB.
"The samples were generated using proprietary additive-synthesis algorithms and are programmed to evolve throughout their full length. They shift, hide and re-emerge; variations in amplitude and harmonic content continue throughout each sample's duration. A multitude of icy, hollow tones are here, as well as complex, rippling passages. I couldn't possibly choose a favorite-take my wordfor it, there is much here to suit a wide cross section of tastes.
"Sand Dunes" has an eerie, sensuous quality graced with resonant whistling rising and falling around its edges. "Tropical Moisture" and "Tropical Rainforest" are both chaotic sheets of buzzing aural pixels, akin to a swarm of jungle insects. "NASA Solar Wind" and "Solar Warnings" would be perfect synched to images of outer space-haunting, alien, and evocative of the endless void. "Ultra High Temperatures" brings to mind randomly bowed church bells more than heat, but its shimmering waves of bell-like texture are alluring nonetheless.
"These files can be directly imported into your DAW or favorite sample editing program. Exact loop points are provided in the basic sound file tables-the first audio CD I'm aware of to offer such a feature. Simply enter the loop points, and you're set.
"Documentation
"My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the 111-page booklet and accompanying session worksheets included with the disc. I wanted to hug the producers. In the booklet, you get incredibly detailed explanations of every aspect of the the drones. The first 12 pages explain the graphs, speaker versus actual bass reproduction, harmonic properties (complex harmonic, complex partials, pure harmonic, or integer harmonic), and looping. The remaining 99 pages contain right and left channel envelope graphs in decibels, along with 9-band frequency band energy graphs (which aid in choosing the right drone to fit your mix). An informative table gives you the track, type, drone name, total length in samples, length in minutes, pitch, loop start and end points, loop length, and harmonic properties. Another table breaks the loop data down into even more detail.
"As the Drone Fades
"I just loved this disk. CD producers take note; this is how to do it right. Eminently musical and useful, presented with admirable forethought and enough detailed information to sate even the most sophisticated users, Drone Archeology is a hit. A big high five to Ernest Cholakis and Numerical Sound."
"Sand Dunes" has an eerie, sensuous quality graced with resonant whistling rising and falling around its edges. "Tropical Moisture" and "Tropical Rainforest" are both chaotic sheets of buzzing aural pixels, akin to a swarm of jungle insects. "NASA Solar Wind" and "Solar Warnings" would be perfect synched to images of outer space-haunting, alien, and evocative of the endless void. "Ultra High Temperatures" brings to mind randomly bowed church bells more than heat, but its shimmering waves of bell-like texture are alluring nonetheless.
"These files can be directly imported into your DAW or favorite sample editing program. Exact loop points are provided in the basic sound file tables-the first audio CD I'm aware of to offer such a feature. Simply enter the loop points, and you're set.
"Documentation
"My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the 111-page booklet and accompanying session worksheets included with the disc. I wanted to hug the producers. In the booklet, you get incredibly detailed explanations of every aspect of the the drones. The first 12 pages explain the graphs, speaker versus actual bass reproduction, harmonic properties (complex harmonic, complex partials, pure harmonic, or integer harmonic), and looping. The remaining 99 pages contain right and left channel envelope graphs in decibels, along with 9-band frequency band energy graphs (which aid in choosing the right drone to fit your mix). An informative table gives you the track, type, drone name, total length in samples, length in minutes, pitch, loop start and end points, loop length, and harmonic properties. Another table breaks the loop data down into even more detail.
"As the Drone Fades
"I just loved this disk. CD producers take note; this is how to do it right. Eminently musical and useful, presented with admirable forethought and enough detailed information to sate even the most sophisticated users, Drone Archeology is a hit. A big high five to Ernest Cholakis and Numerical Sound."
Jeff Obee, Electronic Musician May 1999
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