Review: Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada by 8dio

Once again, 8dio pushes the limits of modern sampling with their new Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batacuda library which boasts powerful, authentic percussion ensembles, a ton of deeply-sampled content and a surprising amount of flexibility.

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Review: Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada by 8dio

8dio’s Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batacuda is highly-detailed percussion instrument with a wealth instruments, articulations and special features. The library has truly captured a world-class ensemble sound, while also including many first-rate sections and soloists. In short, a great option for composers or producers in need of some epic, Latin drums with sincere versatility.

All Solo Instruments

Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada sells for $248.00 from 8dio

Thoughts

In an attempt to create a truly innovative and authentic percussion library, veteran developer 8dio has travelled to Columbia to capture some of the world’s finest and most experienced ‘Batucada’ musicians. The term ‘Batucada’, is actually derived from the Latin American, percussive music genre that is categorized by it’s a highly-rhythmic, fast-paced style. Naturally, it is this characteristic performance that permeates the library along with outstanding musicianship, a huge sound and clear emphasis on a very tight playing-style.

With just over 100,000 samples, 8dio has raised the bar in terms of deep-sampling while delivering a comprehensive amount of articulations, loops, pre-programmed rhythms, effects, as well as a mix of extra features. The main ensemble is actually comprised of a large, 33-person band which encompasses 5 Timbas, 9 Tamborims, 6 Guaches, 11 Chocalhos, 12 Caixas, 12 Repiniques, 12 Surdos, 11 Dobras and 10 Cowbells. In addition, there are many individual sections and soloists which were all recorded with the same level of care.

NKIs

The prominent sound is a combination of massive, yet natural recordings that is not often heard in most percussion sample libraries. The ensemble is highly-energetic which makes it the perfect option for more aggressive, spirited tracks but is also detailed enough for more exposed, emotional moments. What’s more, the separate sections enable the percussion to be quite adaptable and easily fit within a variety of modern, musical genres. It is highly recommended that perspective buyers listen to the numerous company demos which clearly illustrate just how many different styles the library can cover exceptionally well.

In terms of content, users will come across several patches separated primarily by sections and solo instruments. The majority of these have been split up by range with a separate NKI for the Compact, All, High, Mid and Low sections. As one might assume, these were also painstakingly recorded at the same extensive level as the main ensemble. Each instrument also embraces real dynamic control, numerous round-robins and many articulations. There is also a useful pack of Latin-style screams, claps, voices and sound effects, which are helpful for certain, more genre-specific tracks.

Ensemble Rhythms

The Ensemble Rhythm patch is made up of several musical styles to choose from such as; Samba, Pagode, Samba Reggae, and Funk. All of which make use of a key-switching menu that is generally efficient, well-designed and globally divided into three different segments. These are intros or fills, fully loop-able phrases and endings or rhythmic cadences. Each of these can be played directly in your DAW and are triggered via the keyboard. Of course, these all utilize the Time Machine Pro tool in Kontakt which enables tempo-syncing within your sequencer. As one might assume, the loops sound fantastic and definitely have a more genuine, natural feel. These are perfect for those looking to get a great sounding percussion bed quickly and with minimal effort. Creating these very stylized percussion tracks can be extremely difficult to do with conventional, single-note sampling.

Solo Bass Instruments

While the phrases are amazing, the true gem behind this library is all of the beautifully-recorded sections and solos that are included. The level of care and attention that was given to these samples is unmistakable which is remarkable considering the sheer number of instruments in the library. Clearly, each was meticulously sampled, edited, mixed and mastered which absolutely helps with the uniformity overall. Each of these patches contain multiple instruments, grouped by range, which are evenly spread across the entire range of the keyboard. Having these all load up at once can be invaluable for rapidly testing out different combinations. While it may be easier to quickly run through the different sounds in this manner, it can be a bit complicated and cluttered. An option to have separate NKIs for each instrument would be a huge help and give composers the option to load them in one-by-one depending on their own workflow.

With all of this in mind, it is appreciated to have such a modern, clean GUI to house the immense volume of instruments that are involved. For those familiar with the rest of the Legion series, the Batucada uses the same user interface design which is well-thought out and easy-to-use, especially considering all of what’s included. The Browser panel displays the numerous styles or articulations which can all be turned on or off independently as well as a few additional special features. In addition, the Chaos button is located below and activates a ‘randomize’ tool which changes a multitude of effects, creating a different sound altogether. Similarly, the Stack button is another good option that can easily combine numerous articulations in a single click.

Sequencer

The Sequencer is convenient for creating quick and interesting percussive figures at the touch of a button. For those who are less rhythmically inclined, this is quite a useful device and allows your percussive section to be interesting as well as being unique. As well, the built-in XY Effects Engine is also helpful for further sound manipulation possibilities. Last but not least, the Modulation Panel consists of several sound controls that affects expression, gate, and tuning.

As for mix, composers should have no problem getting the library to seamlessly integrate with any mock-up as the developer incorporated several mic options within the Mixer Panel that can be adjusted according to personal preference. This is a worthwhile attribute when considering the libraries’ versatility and should be helpful when attempting to fit a specific musical style or track. The main ensemble also contains a distinct ‘Spot’ microphone patch, which is practical to have and adds even more flexibility to the library overall.

Mix

On the whole, 8dio’s Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batacuda is a substantial percussion library that takes in-depth approach to sampling with a truly original and talented group. The library performs well and allows composers to get high-quality sounding results quickly. Without a doubt, this is due in part to the exceptional musicianship, large band size and clean recording style. The flexibility of the sections also gives producers many more possibilities for crafting their specific sonic palette. The separate sections or solos are handy to have while also giving composer’s a decent variety of sounds to choose from with high, mid and low sections.

Above all, it is always a pleasure to see developers take a take an innovative step forward and break new ground with modern sampling techniques or ideas. For any composer who is in need of some extra percussion, 8dio’s Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batacuda is certainly in a league of its own. Calling this an ‘ethnic’ percussion library would undoubtedly be selling the it short and ignoring its inherent versatility. The ensemble’s unique, commanding sound oozes power and would be perfect for any pop or jazz chart, modern film score or trailer track in need of some serious percussive impact.

XY Effects Matrix

Facts

Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada 19.8 GB download with 82 separate NKI instruments and contains just over 100,000 individual samples. The library requires Native Instruments Kontakt 5.8 Full or later; it will NOT work with the free Kontakt Player.

Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada sells for $248 from 8Dio

Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada sells for $248.00 from 8dio

Demos of Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada by 8dio

Videos of Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada by 8dio

Contributor BenG reviews Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batucada by 8dio
“Once again, 8dio pushes the limits of modern sampling with their new Legion Series 33 Drummers: Batacuda library which boasts powerful, authentic percussion ensembles, a ton of deeply-sampled content and a surprising amount of flexibility.”