Platinum Samples (www.platinumsamples.com) is now shipping the second expansion library in its Master Engineer Series for FXpansion BFD, Joe Barresi Evil Drums ($249.95). Barresi is best known for his engineering and production work for artists ranging from Weezer and Tool to Bad Religion and Queens of the Stone Age. Featuring drums played by Bobby Jarzombek of Riot and Halford, MIDI grooves played by Pat Wilson of Weezer, and samples recorded with as many as 250 Velocity layers, Evil Drums delivers Barresi's take on what makes drums rock. It supplies six full kits with additional kicks and snares recorded direct to analog tape. Like Andy Johns Classic Drums, the new collection requires BFD 1.5 and from 30 to 70 GB of free hard-disk space for installation.
From Nine Volt Audio (www.ninevoltaudio.com) and one of the original sound designers for Spectrasonics Stylus RMX comes Beat Bandit: Hans Scheffler Edition ($79.99), a DVD-ROM (also available as a download) that offers a REX-based loop library of global electronic rhythms. Using analog drum machines to generate beats and tones, Scheffler has assembled a unique collection of grooves that work in a variety of musical genres. Beat Bandit is organized into 60 Beat Suites in construction-kit format, each furnishing full mixes and variations with individual instruments muted and soloed. You also get 50 MIDI files, a QuickTime video tour, and plenty of kits and Multis programmed specifically for Stylus RMX.
Supplying 3 GB of samples and loops, Jazz Sessions ($149.95) promises to add swing, soul, and attitude to your recordings. More than 3,000 individual WAV files capture the sounds of seasoned jazz players doing what they do best. The DVD-ROM contains almost 1,900 REX2 loops and more than 3,000 Acidized WAV files, as well as patches for HALion, Kontakt, EXS24, and NN-XT. You get over 450 drum loops, 130 percussion loops, 160 drum samples, 140 fretless bass parts, 160 brass section riffs, 96 Hammond organ loops, and plenty more. Jazz Sessions was created by Loopmasters and is available from Big Fish Audio (www.bigfishaudio.com).