Project SAM True Strike 2

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Project SAM True Strike 2
https://www.projectsam.com/Home
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIeaPSjRlvo[/youtube]
Multi-format
SOS star rating sample 5

True Strike, an impressive, walloping collection of orchestral percussion, made a big splash, and the sequel True Strike 2 (TS2), has now arrived. Like its predecessor, this 13.8GB library is aimed at film, trailer, TV and game composers, but TS2's percussion is mainly of the ethnic/world variety.

A lot of sonic territory is covered: the 'Big Bang' and 'Dystopian Hits' folders contain all-purpose, deep percussive impacts, bashes, thuds and thwacks that Hans Zimmer would be proud of. 'Dystopian Effects' features other-worldy soundscapes, and in 'Dystopian Scrapes' the programming is over the top in a good way, with mad, heavily-processed alien-radio soundbursts.
SampleShop_03_ProjectSam.eps.s

Back on earth, TS2 does some serious globetrotting, providing bendir and darabuka hand-drums from Turkey (the bass darabuka has a great, deep, clean, resonant sound), African udu, djembe and gankogwe bells, a cajon box-drum and Japanese drums, bells and cymbals. Japanese monk cries add some extra colour: it sounds like the chap is uttering an urgent call to prayer, but there again he might be asking someone to call him a mini-cab. There is a large variety of authentically-played hits but no grooves; the hand-drum phrases centre on rolls, accelerating repeated hits and flams.

Complementing these earthy drums and bells is a pretty set of tuned bowls, ideal for chill-out meditation and getting in touch with your inner hippy (unfortunately, mine moved out in 1978 and is now a successful trust-fund manager). A bowed vibraphone is another great ethereal timbre but, if you want less soothing sounds, the screechy bowed cymbals and crotales are guaranteed to set your teeth on edge.

SAM's 'Hall percussion' offers a high-pitched logdrum, more African drum hits, a couple of octabans, tam tam scrapes, a boingy Peking Opera gong, a rattle drum and even a set of Caribbean steel drums (strange to hear their cheerful carnival tones in a concert-hall acoustic). It also features some unsettling, low shuddering and groaning noises produced by rubbing an orchestral bass drum's skin with a rubber superball.

The cimbalon is a surprise inclusion; it's good to find the refined, plaintive twang of this Eastern European hammered dulcimer nicely recorded in a concert hall. So-called 'prepared piano' samples (piano-interior effects, such as glissandi, slithery string rubs, percussive cluster hits, reverberant bass knocks and scary rumblings) are another unexpected bonus. In a more melodic vein, I liked the beautiful multisamples of piano strings plucked with a plectrum and hit with a drumstick.

Two criticisms: the library shipped with the wrong installation software and it provides no information about its instruments, but I found many of its sounds truly inspirational, so True Strike 2 gets five stars, even if its title does sound like a Bruce Willis movie. Dave Stewart

All formats £236 including VAT.
Time + Space +44 (0)1837 55200.
www.timespace.com www.projectsam.com