Audionewsroom Review - Revolution-606

Jesse Gay (Audionewsroom) - 07/02/2015

Wave Alchemy established a strong precedent with their Transistor Revolution MKII Kontakt instrument. It’s my go-to sample-based instrument for 808 and 909 sounds that approach (and in some cases exceed) the warmth of the real deal. They've completed the trilogy with their recent release of Revolution 606, a similarly styled Kontakt instrument based on the TR-606. This instrument convincingly captures the sizzle of the hats and the snap of the snare that made the original such an effective rhythm machine.

Exploring the Revolution

They've taken the successful elements of TR MKII (meticulous multi-sampling/round-robin mapping, sampling through quality outboard gear and converters, real-time MIDI controllable step sequencer, and tape saturation effects) and upped the ante with an improved sequencer (now 6 levels of velocity), and most importantly, the introduction of Character Styles. Character Styles use 12 different sets of samples that were processed through enviable outboard processing chains or classic digital samplers, rather than just applying some tepid Kontakt effects or bit reduction. Through these aggressive treatments they’ve created a 606 instrument with adjustable attitude for each sound. Want warm saturation on the toms, but crunchy SP-1200 edge on the hats? No problem. Since you can select a different Character Style on each sound, you can tailor the kit to your liking. If you prefer, you can select this parameter globally for quick auditioning of different flavors across the entire kit.

Conclusion

Wave Alchemy is building a solid template for both capturing and improving upon classic drum machines, and I’m excited to put their latest installment into use.

Rating 4/5

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