Loopmasters has released Blu Mar Ten – Drum & Bass Vol. 6, a sample library in collaboration with Hospital Records, featuring a collection of Drum and Bass samples by one of the most dynamic and consistent duos in the industry: Blu Mar Ten.

This huge inspirational collection of single sounds, loops and fx includes uplifting pads, subsonic basses, submerged atmospheres, tribal breaks, imperial bells, pulsating pads, chilled strings, half time breaks, future breaks, growling hoover basses, complex percussion, and a huge array of instrument samples and Fx.

This collection weighs in at a mighty 1.9GB, and includes 550 24bit samples, with 350 loops and 200 one shot samples. Also included are 12 ready to play patches for Halion, Kontakt, EXS, SFZ and Reason NNXT compatible soft samplers. Apple Loops, Reason Refill and Ableton Live packs are also available to purchase separately.

Blu Mar Ten – Drum & Bass Vol. 6 is available to purchase for £34.95 GBP. The Wav Loops Pack and One Shots & Sampler Patches are available to purchase separately for £24.95 GBP and £14.95 GBP respectively.

More information: Loopmasters / Blu Mar Ten – Drum & Bass Vol. 6

UVI has announced a Give me 5 limited time promotion, offering 5 of its soundbanks at a discount.

• World Traditions : $49 instead of $99 – World Traditions is a sonic journey around the globe to capture the essence of several musical and percussive “Traditions” : African, Arabian, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, Spanish and Gipsy, Brazilian, Balkanish, Celtic and even Occidental with a complete collection of typical accordions.
  This libray contains in 2.2GB more than 4500 samples, including tons of Loops and Phrases, as well as instruments presets.
• The Seventh : $29 instead of $79 – For the first time, the last sequel of the all-time famous electric piano brand is now available as a virtual instrument.
  While sharing the same electro-mechanical design with its ancestors, this great piano also brings its own soul and character along with sound and music quality.
• Classic Electric Piano : $19 instead of $39 – The most famous brand of electric pianos counts several models along the years. For most keyboardists, the number one model remains the one manufactured within 1975 and 1979.
  This marvelous keyboard chosen for Classic Electric Piano was deeply multi-sampled on every key with up to 10 velocity layers and release samples on every note, to capture the beauty and the warmness of the original instrument used by renowned artists like Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock and many more…
• Funky Clav D6 : $19 instead of $39 – Immortalized by Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”, the Funky Clav D6, at first intended for classical music, took a dramatic U-turn and helped instead to define the sound of funk. Thanks to the irreverent climate of the late 1960′s and early 1970′s, it took hold as one of the primary instrument sounds of funk music.
• Killer Brass Riffs : $15 instead of $39 – This volume is full of killer authentic brass riffs. Focusing on Funk, Soul and Rhythm and Blues. From trumpet to flugle horn, sax to trombone, it’s all here just waiting to be added with just the right flare to any mix. As a bonus section: tons of hits and stabs.

The Give me 5 offer is valid until February 7, 2012.

More information: UVI Soundsource

Diginoiz has released the Hip Hop Producers Kit, a collection of loops and samples for hip hop producers.

Are You looking for inspiration? Best quality sounds and loops? Are You a Hip Hop producer? Yes! You are in the right place! You don’t have to waste time looking for several packs with samples to make music!

This time we have prepared a special Kit for Hip Hop producers that includes everything that You need to create Your own awesome tracks! You will find here drum loops, one shots and instrument loops (Piano, Strings, Synthesizers, Bass, Guitars and others) ready to be used, with tempo (80-98BPM) and root key included.

Over 890 Mb multiformat material, over 65 loops and over 50 one shots! Everything what You need is now in one place, and it’s called ‘Hip Hop Producers Kit’

The Hip Hop Producers Kit is available to purchase for 18 EUR.

More information: Diginoiz

eaReckon has updated its BloXpander VST host for Windows to version 1.3.0.

This VST host has been designed to meet the requirements of musicians and sound engineers in live situations. As a serious musician, you surely need a complete DAW to record your music, but when you are in front of your audience, it may be easier to use something dedicated to live situations.

And during live situations, the access to your instruments and effects must be fast and intuitive. The adjustment of these must be done efficiently, and the necessary software sub layers running on your computer should not be your concern when it comes to play or produce music.

Changes in BloXpander v1.3.0

• MIDI Improvements:
  • Tempo tap and tempo value can be controlled via MIDI.
  • Manual edition of MIDI assignments. A control type (switch, knob, …) can also be selected for a better interpretation of incoming messages.
  • Insert mutes are now controllable from the “Main Controller” in “Basic” mode.
  • New “Omni” MIDI input option (input slots).
  • New “Programs map” feature (MIDI Input Panel).
  • This new functionality can be used to send Bank Select and/or Program change and/or All Notes Off MIDI messages to inserts or MIDI outputs.
  • The programs map is a “per BloXPander channel” / “per MIDI channel” / “per target (insert or MIDI out)” feature. Programs map are saved with scenes and subscenes and can be used to quickly manage external MIDI devices or VST samplers/romplers.
• Audio Improvements:
  • New “per channel” output modes. Four output modes are available on each channel:
    • Stereo (default)
    • Mono (a mono mix is sent to both left and right channels)
    • Mono Mix to One Channel (a mono mix is sent to one of the left and right channels)
    • Only One Channel (one of the left and right channels is just muted)
  • New Option: “Process Muted Inserts”.
  • At the cost of an increased CPU usage of muted inserts, these latter still process audio while they are muted in order to avoid unwanted residual audio when they are un-muted.
• Fixed bugs:
  • Some plugins provide an option to change the arrangement of their outputs (number of outputs, mono, stereo, …). When loading a scene featuring assigned “Multi-outputs”, BloXpander now checks for changes in plugins’ IO.
  • New workarounds implemented to improve compatibility with some 3rd party plugins.

BloXpander for Windows is available to purchase for 69 EUR.

More information: eaReckon

Forgotten Keys has released Korg Rhythm 55B, a sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt.

The Korg Rhythm 55B (AKA KR-55B) is the 1982 follow-up to the Rhythm 55 released in 1979. The sound generation is identical but there is a doubling of preset rhythms, Intros and Fill-Ins as well as a major overhaul of the existing rhythm patterns. Re-created here for Kontakt 4.2 or later.

FK11: Korg Rhythm 55B features

• 12 sounds, each with 8 alternative samples.
• 96 rhythms (truly combinable unlike the real KR-55B).
• 32 Intros and 32 Fill-ins.
• Requires Native Instruments Kontakt 4.2 or later (full version).

FK11: Korg Rhythm 55B is available to purchase for £5.50 GBP.

More information: Forgotten Keys / Korg Rhythm 55B

Sounds To Sample has released Progressive House Melodics 2, a collection of 200+MB of cone-shredding basslines, scorching synths and malleable Midi files for customised melodics.

Once again built from scratch by progressive powerhouse Stedd, the collection is somehow punchier, fatter and wider than its chart-topping predecessor – dishing up meaty mainroom hooks, speaker shredding synths and brazen basslines in the style of Swanky Tunes, Hard Rock Sofa, Nicky Romero, Deniz Koyu and Afrojack.

The 50 synth loop range from epic trance-tinged progressions to wonky electro-tinted leads via luscious gated pads whilst the bass folder delivers 50 loops of deep, direct and dirty workouts for a thumping bottom end.

To top off the collection there’s also 60 Midi files that allow you to put your own stamp on the loops or your own sounds.

Just fire up sound and Midi loop of your choice and get creative with the key, tempo, notation, velocity and whole raft of other customisable parameters.

Progressive House Melodics 2 is available to purchase for 15.90 EUR.

More information: Sounds To Sample / Progressive House Melodics 2