ModeAudio Cosmic Dust REVIEW

Cosmic Dust (£18) is ModeAudio’s recently released collection of royalty-free loops and one-shots that highlight Hip-Hop’s more eccentric side. We’re taking a closer look at the sound collection and giving away two FREE copies to two lucky BPB readers.

Cosmic Dust features over 200 genre-blending files that will take you on a psychedelic journey of creativity. In other words, it should help you produce some pretty sick beats.

Here’s a rundown of the included WAV/REX2 files: 16 Arp & Pad Loops – 22 Bass Loops – 21 Drum Loops – 48 Kick & Top Drum Loops – 11 SFX Loops – 34 Synth Loops – 13 Kick Drum Samples – 13 Clap/Snare Samples – 14 Hi Hat Samples – 11 Percussion Samples – 152 Music Loops (88 – 144 Bpm) – 51 Drum Samples

Loops, One-shots, SFX, the pack offers a bit of everything, as you can see.

High-Quality Samples?

High-quality audio recording is expected at all levels these days, so sample quality has become a bit of a non-issue. Most sample packs are created with great care, especially paid packs. Some creators might go all out with rare equipment or locations, but the sound quality is typically good, and Cosmic Dust is no exception.

Sound design is another thing, but I think Mode Audio has crafted some impressive and interesting sounds and sequences.

Just Another Hip-Hop Pack?

There’s no shortage of Hip-Hop packs; most producers have more than they’ll ever use. No matter how many samples you have, the trouble is that it’s about the right sample at the right time. So, when a new pack comes along, we can’t say we don’t need it until we’re sure it’s no different from what we already have.

The differentiators for Cosmic Dust are the blending of genres and being a little eccentric.

If you cycle through the Drum Loops, you’ll find hard-hitting Hip-Hop, smooth Chillout, Jazzy feels, and LA Beat Scene-inspired EDM meets Hip-Hop beats. With that, it’s easy to say Cosmic Dust isn’t a template for generic Hip-Hop.

When Mode Audio refers to the “eccentric sound of Cosmic Dust,” I take that to mean playing outside. In the most basic sense, playing outside can mean using notes/chords outside of a particular scale or tonal center to create tension and release. We can extend that to phrasing and other characteristics that aren’t typical of a specific genre.

Cosmic Dust doesn’t stray too far harmonically or melodically, but it does enough to feel edgy, which makes it interesting.

The same can be said about phrasing and timing with various loops that drag or push. I like that Mode Audio played both sides of the unquantized J-Dilla feel rather than just dragging a beat, which is more common.

There are too many packs out there for me to say it’s a unique concept, but it’s not a generic Hip-Hop pack by any means.

Is It Worth Buying?

FREE packs like the Modern-Retro Drum Sample Pack from Reverb and Cinematic SFX from Flame Sound can make it difficult to justify spending money on sounds.

However, the stupid but most accurate answer is yes, if you need it and want it!

When we cover free sample packs, I always say grab it, use it or not, take it because you never know. Buying sample packs when you don’t have an immediate use for them can become an expensive habit.

One justification for doing so might be if the publisher has a sale, and as it happens, Mode Audio is currently offering 3 for 2 on all packs.

The more important question should be, is it worth £18?

And that’s a more straightforward yes.

For me, the value of a sample pack is in how easily you can create something that sounds unique. Cosmic Dust already leans away from the norm, and I see plenty of opportunities to take it further.

If you’re into Hip-Hop or electronic music, Cosmic Dust is a very good pack to have. I particularly like the OldSwingers, LostAgain, and JacuzziVibes content.

More info: Cosmic Dust (£18)

The Giveaway

We are giving away two FREE copies of Cosmic Dust to two lucky BPB readers (thank you, ModeAudio!).

To enter the giveaway, answer this question in the comments section: What is your favorite Hip-Hop track?

We will pick the winners using a random comment picker on Monday, April 11th.

And the winners are… (drum roll, please!) 🥁

• Chris: cjt***@*****.com
• Tristan G.: tristan.g*******@*******.net

Congratulations! 🥳

Everyone else, better luck next time, and thanks for reading BPB! ❤️

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