This updated drum machine looks the business, with a potentially groundbreaking feature list. Time to fire it up and put it to the test...Successor to the incredible RMIV, LinPlug's ^ RMV offers more than your average beatbox - it actually functions as a synthesiser, rhythm sampler, loop slicer and MIDI groove library. It was first announced in 2007, and it was clear from the impressive feature-list that LinPlug weren't afraid to set their sights high.
As we go to press, the Mac version isn't quite ready for public consumption, though a beta is available and release is said to be imminent.
Those familiar with RMIV will immediately clock the overhauled user interface, which now offers a more detailed approach to drum editing. The general philosophy seems to be to offer as much control as possible for each individual drum sound. This, in theory, translates into a very powerful system, but the proof is in the thudding, so let's find out how well it performs...
Padded cells
There are 48 pads in total, arranged in four rows of four, split over three pages, with LinPlug citing the typical layout of MIDI percussion controllers as the reasoning behind this format. Each pad can be used to trigger either a sampler module or one of the 12 types of drum synthesiser. The perfectly adequate sampler section remains largely unchanged from the previous RM iteration, with layering, velocity-switching and crossfading of up to 30 hits. The synth list, meanwhile, now includes a new universal drum synthesiser - see boxout.
Whichever you choose, each source is triggered by a specific, assignable MIDI key for easy programming. Every pad also has its own 12-by-12 modulation matrix; three LFOs; distortion and bit-crushing effects; pitch, amplitude and filter envelopes; not to mention a multimode filter and 4-band EQ. Oddly, the EQ only goes up to 11kHz, so if you want to tailor the upper reaches of snares, cymbals, or indeed, any percussive element, you can't.
The Varizer section offers three different ways of lending each played note a random element, reminiscent of the sound of a live drummer or 'organic' analogue drum machine, and again, this is on a pad-by-pad basis.
The pads can employ up to three insert effects, which are akin to those found in other LinPlug instruments. These include a
"LinPlug's RMV rewrites the rulebook, handing you extreme control over each slice"
compressor, bitcrusher, delay, ping pong delay, flanger, filter, reverb, trance gate and wah-wah. Furthermore, there are two send knobs per pad, which are assignable to one of three global send effects channels, comprised of one of the aforementioned effects and EQ.
Slice and dice
In addition, there are six independent loop modules that enable one to chop the loaded sample into up to 64 slices, each with the same kind of detailed controls that the sampler and synth pads enjoy - this is quite special. A lot of heavyweight breakbeat producers have moved away from the MIDI sampler and towards audio editing, where there tends to be greater control over each individual loop slice. RMV rewrites the rulebook, handing you extreme control over each slice, but with all the advantages associated with MIDI programming.
The loop section can load REX/REX2 files, but is also able to very quickly detect attack transients to make slices. However, we're not convinced that it's been fully fine-tuned for swift and efficient use. Certain user interface issues seem to have been overlooked - for instance, it's not that easy to create or destroy slices, and you can't define a loop's start and end points within RMV. If you're into drum loops enough to want to use up to six of the blighters, all with independent controls over each slice, you'd surely expect such basic features to be included!
LinPlug touted RMV's looping/slicing features as being the best on the market, but, ultimately, there are too many hindrances and annoyances for them to be truly useful right now. We do hope that this will be remedied in an update.
Quiet in the library
LinPlug have introduced extensive librarian features - you can scroll through and even preview several thousand preprepared MIDI grooves. Furthermore, you can simultaneously navigate through drum kits constructed by numerous artists and sound designers. We've mixed feelings about these features, however...
On the one hand, it's very easy to get going with RMV using the librarian - in an instant, you can have MIDI drum patterns playing while you audition or tweak kits. However, it feels like a case of quantity over quality, as the sampled content is quite hit-and-miss.
Not only can it take a while to find sounds that you like, but if your intentions don't include use of the supplied library content, some of the library features can be a little offputting. Perhaps our opinion will change if sample disc providers start to offer content in RMV format.
Overall, RMV is a powerful drum sampler and synthesiser and a decent successor to RMIV, but it's currently hindered by a few technical aspects. LinPlug have already issued updates addressing some of the problems we discovered earlier on in our review process, so we hope that they'll keep on refining what is potentially an excellent tool. If you can live with using workarounds for some of the interface issues and you're willing to get creative with the provided content, you may well find RMV an invaluable addition to your arsenal.
Contact: web@linplug.com
Web: www.linplug.com
Info: Upgrade from RMIV or RMIII
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Toss in a loop and RMV will dutifully chop it apart, ready for detailed, slice-by-slice tweaking≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌≌
Many of the standard drum synth modules have been updated for RMV - here's Kick 2Universal appeal
The drum synthesis modules in RMV instantly set it apart from other virtual percussion samplers, which tend to lack real-time sound generation capabilities. The unfortunate thing is, even though the individual modules for each type of drum/percussion hit have been revised, it seems that the needs of real-world users have been left out of the design process at times.
When LinPlug first announced RMV's "universal drum synthesiser", they claimed it would cater for all percussive needs. In reality, while it's suitable for sound effects, it's not so great for actual drum sounds.
For instance, why would anyone want a kick drum module with a noise generator, when there's no amplitude envelope for the noise? With no shaping, it's just noise. Also, why should the noise be totally free-run on a drum module when the foundation oscillator is able to lock its phase? The phase will be different with every hit if the noise is truly random, causing the sound to change each time, which is no good for many modern applications.
Many of RMV's competitors don't offer much in the way of synthesis, and so it's features like these that could have made it a groundbreaking launch as the virtual drum system to beat all others.
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System requirements
(PC) 1GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, Windows XP, VST 2.0 host application
(MAC) 1GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, VST or AU host application
Test system
(PC) Intel Core 2 Duo1.86GHz, 2GB_RAM, Windows XP, Steinberg Nuendo, Live 7
Alternatively
FXpansionGuru cm89» 10/10 » £152
Drum sampler with an awesome library and advanced sequencer
Native Instruments Battery 3 cm108» 9/10 » £170
Powerful multiformat drum sampler with over 10GB of content
Verdict
FOR
- Insanely powerful concept
- Handles loops as well asjiits
- Nifty internal effects
- Very detailed control over each sound
AGAINST
- Some user interface flaws
- Supplied content isrrt: the best
- Loop handling is a touch clunky
- Synthesis methods a little lacklustre
RMV is undeniably powerful, but with a bit more polish, it could yet be the dream drum machine that we hoped for
MARK: 7/10
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