It’s that time again! I’m proud to announce my sample pack for the DSI Tempest, a drum synth which captivated me long before I got my hands on one. The weapon of choice for Skee Mask and his contemporaries on the Ilian Tape label, it’s perhaps the most complex machine designed to make drums ever made - loads of envelopes, modulation destinations and LFOs and four oscillators per voice (two analogue/two digital) make for some intense sound design sessions. So much so, that it’s usually best to spend an evening creating sounds for a project, and to devote the next one to making music, as trying to do both in the one night can be very draining! It’s totally a labour of love though, as once mastered, the Tempest is a sonic chameleon, capable of producing music of any genre imaginable.
This sample pack features 574 (previously 356) one-shot samples covering the full range of sounds on offer - 64 of each type of sound (Bass Drums (BD), Snare Drums/Claps (SD-CP), Closed Hats (CH), Open Hats/Cymbals (OH-CY), Percussion (PC), Leads (LEAD), Pads (PAD) and Effects (FX)).
There are also nine sample chains provided presented in 24-bit and 44.1khz so they work better with the Octatrack, though the samples will work nicely in any sampler that can slice.
Finally, there is an Ableton Live Drum Selector rack (will work in Live Suite only) which allows you to program a pattern and change the sample with the turn of an encoder, as well as alter decay, pitch, distortion, compression and more with ease.
If you don’t use BandCamp, send me a message and we can sort something out.
Saw you got the tempest awhile back and wondered when this would show up. Big thanks - your packs are awesome. I’ve been using a few recently to vet new drum machines.
No that’s great. Thanks for the links I’d been looking for a skee mask interview for awhile but missed this. Love Marco Zenkers newest and Ilian in general.
No problem, my pleasure! Skee Mask and the Zenker Brothers played Bristol where I live but not a scrap of targeted social media informed me so I missed out. Could kick myself!
There’s something really cool about the label, it’s kinda grungy and breakbeat-y but techno-y and weird. Very inspiring.
So I was going to pick this up to support you, but you had the Perkons kit as well, and it has that raw sound, almost like the DFAMs I got… plus I was gassing for the Perkons, and thought… might as well get that instead.
After listening to the hits after I downloaded them, first off… they sound wonderful, and actually nothing like the DFAM… they are more controlled and metallic. Where the DFAM is all Moog-y warm fuzz distortion and filter…
@BLKrbbt Thank you too! Yeah that Perkons is super raw, I would love to hear it through a piece of really analogue outboard equipment like an SSL Fusion or LTL Silver Bullet, because it does sound pretty digital as it is. Nothing wrong with that, in fact it’s awesome, but you really can hear the difference between say, a Perkons and something 100% analogue like the DFAM. In terms of the DFAM sound in the hits, I know what you mean. It was tough to get a bunch of sounds from the machine that fit together as a pack because the DFAM is a bit of a loop monster rather than one-shot wonder if you know what I mean. I really liked the aggressive kicks and hats and snares and stuff, and hope I captured that in the pack. Incidentally that pack is due a 2.0 upgrade which will mean smaller files that are easier to reverse due to trimming the air at the end of each sample.
Also, I believe it is Bandcamp Friday, so don’t forget that 15% discount on all my sample packs until tomorrow- enter ‘elektronauts15’ at checkout!
Do you get the upgrade to 2.0 if you bought the pack? That would be great if you did.
I like how the kit sounds a little digital, not that the term captures the character of the Perkons. It has a hard attack on every wave of the oscillators, which give it a pronounced and clean vibrating quality to the hits. Like those springy door things in apartments.
I like how it’s different than the all analog DFAM. Another thing about the DFAM is that it’s tuning knobs aren’t precise at all. I have to use a tuner to dial them in, which gives it a “slop”. I like that about it. It gives it a barely able to control sound that lends to the raw analog sound.
The Perkons is surgical in its sound.
I should also pick up the Tempest pack since I own a Prophet 6.
I was thinking. That big red trigger button. I’ve used it to trigger some bone shaking one shots on a track. I use it to easily add a loop variation by recording into the DAW and then going back over firing the step with a sound to add flavor.
I used it to get “trappy” with the bass or snare sound because the sequencer is locked to its eight steps,
Tempest bought. Won’t be able to check it out till I get home.
Expecting great things!
Buying even more samples is making me think.
I think I need to stop participating in the Mission Briefs for a bit. I’ve been compelled to because I wanted a challenge, and it’s so much fun, and I love the challenge even if it’s sometimes not the best.
But I’ve been focused on other peoples samples that they provide instead of the gigs and gigs worth I picked up over Black Friday.
I’ll still host, but I want to really get to work using your packs and others. Without a prompt, and just going where my ear takes me.
Yeah they’ll just replace the original ones. Will send out an update email once done. Got a few on the 2.0 already, more to come.
Love that description of the Perkons, it’s very special indeed. It’s silly I know but the only complaint I have is that it isn’t as heavy as it looks. Unless they plan on significant hardware upgrades, I kinda would like a smaller chassis, only because it feels half empty.
DFAM is super fun, gets so much better with something that can mangle it. Guess the same can be said about everything though! The big red button was very useful in making samples, though the real joy of that machine is pressing play and going hog wild on a crazy loop.
The Tempest is actually designed by both Dave Smith and Roger Linn. And it plays like an MPC had a beautiful monster child with a polysynth like a Poly Evolver.
Me too, they’re great fun when I get round to taking part! I have spent a year making samples (I make a lot more than I share) rather than focusing on music. It’s been a great time but now I want to get back into putting more tracks together. Like you say, go where your ears take you.
In fact, I sold my Tempest a couple of weeks ago cos I wanted to go all in with the Rytm as my analog drums. Plus I’ve got several other options for sound designey drums so… Super nice to have these sounds on the Rytm and OT now!
