MEGA

Put the authentic sound of an iconic audio device into your productions—all with the flair and intrigue of Pyro Audio sound design

MEGA features 252 royalty-free percussion samples with generational options passed through 1/8" analog cassette tape via an original Sony Walkman, complete with original headphones and Mega Bass circuitry.

FEATURES

• 252 all-new production-ready sounds (that's over fifteen 16-pad banks!) with generational options for each of the 63 core samples: choose original, line out, binaural, or line out with Mega Bass

• Generational samples feature the characteristics of the iconic analog cassette tape, recorded into our Yamaha hi-fi deck, subsequently using our Sony WM-F397 as a transport for output

• Select samples incorporate the noise floor and Mega Bass circuitry inherent in portable cassette players

• Binaural sample options played through our KU 100 and the Walkman's original MDR-W14 earbud headphones

• Contains a plethora of kicks, snares, hats, toms, cymbals and more

• Wet and dry variations of specific samples for instant inspiration

• Sticky, warm, and inimitable textures with extra-long sample sustain/release envelopes for customizing the noise floor at the end of samples

• 100% authentic signal chain—no emulations or plugins used for tape effects such as warble, cross talk, phase drift, noise floor, tape compression, 

• Perfect for sample layering and adding character to existing tracks, or building drum patterns from the ground up

DETAILS

MEGA is a massive sound pack based on the iconic sound of the 90’s portable cassette player. What sets this pack apart are the “generations” of designed sound—each sample has three alternates that impart the character of ⅛-inch cassette tape. In total there are 252 samples (63 samples x 4 generations) to choose from, letting you assemble a wide palette of textures that cover all of your core sound needs: kicks, snares, toms, cymbals, and hi-hats.

The clean, 1st generation sounds in MEGA are special in their own right, bringing the transient-rich drum events from our in-house TAMA drum kit into the future. From there, each sample was tracked to our Yamaha Hi-Fi deck, allowing us to move the sounds over to the star of the pack: an original Sony WM-FS397 Walkman with Mega Bass. In the 1990’s this portable cassette player + AM/FM radio was nearly as ubiquitous as the iPod two decades later. The Mega Bass feature was a marquee attraction, accelerating the adoption of low-frequency urban and dance music. With the cassette inserted, we made 3 passes back into our DAW in order to capture the unique flavor of the gadget: Line Out sans Mega Bass, Line Out with Mega Bass, and a final pass through our KU 100 binaural microphone—using the original MDR-W14 earbud headset as the delivery platform. This transports the listener back in time, offering a truly authentic listening experience through the perspective of the wearer using all of the original gear.

To give beatmakers additional sonic flexibility, generational samples exhibit extra-long feature long sustain and release envelopes, allowing the producer to manipulate the noise floor after the sample has passed. All of the samples in MEGA were initially captured and designed in the 96 kHz, 24-bit domain for dramatic dynamic range, then re-captured from the cassette in the same format.

COMPATIBILITY

• Pyro Audio samples work with all popular DAWs and groove production software that supports .WAV files. This includes (but is not limited to): Ableton Live, Logic Pro X, MPC Software, Maschine, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Studio One, iPad apps, and so on. 
• Pyro Audio samples work with any hardware samplers that support 24-bit, 48 kHz .WAV files. Older samplers that do not support internal loading of 24-bit content will require that the samples be converted to 16-bit or lower. A number of free converter tools are available here so that if your requirements change, you can still use your Pyro collection.