Summary - Audio quality is excellent. There is virtually no noise and recording is very sharp. There is quite a lot of deliberately introduced distortion, in some cases perhaps too much, but that's just a matter of taste, others will probably disagree and many of the sounds are heavily processed.

As I mentioned before this is probably the first CD to which I'd say that the CD-ROM version was significantly better than the audio version. If I just had the audio version then I would probably have raved about how good it was, however, having been playing with the CD-ROM version, for months now, I do have to say that the audio version does pale in comparison, not in quality, just in quantity, and more importantly in terms of flexibility and usability. Whilst the audio version is far from bad, if you have any choice at all then do get the CD-ROM version.

Because of the huge flexibility that the CD-ROM version offers most anyone could make use of the sounds and loops contained therein. Whilst the modern dance scene is the target audience, from Kraftwerk lovers to soul makers, could use at least parts of the CD, as much as anything by simply leaving parts of loops out, or just using a few of the components.

This CD has had very good reviews in the music press and its easy to see why, you can appreciate how much effort has gone into the creation not only of the sounds but the loops as well that go into making the thousands of loop combinations available. Certainly this is once collection that begs to be used and experimented with. Perhaps if there is one fault is that you'll spend more time than you'll want playing around with the various combinations that are available, it's impossible not to ! With a regular sample CD, you pick the loop you want to work with and go from there and then your set, however here I found myself finding something, and then spending the next hour playing around with that combination and never actually getting anywhere !. This is actually high praise !

Downsides, ummm, perhaps the spread of BPM's is a bit too wide, not so much that 64-144 BPM's are covered, but there as many 64 BPM loops as 120 BPM loops and I would think there would be a more demand for the quicker combinations. I would have liked to see more of the 100 BPM+ loops anyway. I'm afraid that's about the best I can come with !

If there is such a thing as a must have sample CD-ROM then this is going to be it, totally excellent. If your thinking about getting the audio version, don't, go and buy a CD-ROM drive instead and then get the CD-ROM version.

Overall - Must have dance sample loop CD-ROM 10/10.

Zero G products are distributed by Time & Space, click here to visit their UK web site.

Time & Space, PO Box 4, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2YL, England
Tel - 01837 841100
Fax - 01837 840080
Email sales@timespace.com