Anyone here used these before?

[Saudade]

Hi all!

I am thinking of purchasing the following sound libraries but I would appreciate some user reviews/advice to help me make my decision:

The entire Altered States series by Zero G:
Cuckooland Unhinged, Ghost in the Machine, Asylum, Malice in Wonderland and Fields in Motion.

Obviously I am looking into getting the best in the market for cutting-edge textural \"sound design\" sounds or rhythmic loops. Are these the best libraries one can get at this moment or are there any better ones out there that I have not heard of?

Also I would like to know how much difference in terms of flexibilty and usability if I purchase the Audio version compared to the Akai format CD-ROM(for the last two titles). Does Gst do a good job in converting these two Akai titles to GS format? Is anything lost ot would I do just as well if I purchase the Audio CDs and extract the waves and make them into GS instruments myself?

Lastly, I would also know user experiences for the following libraries:

Distorted Reality (Spectrasonics)
Distorted Reality II Darkness and Light(Spectrasonics)
Bizzare Guitars(Spectrasonics)
Metamorphosis (Spectrasonics)
Groove Dimensions (Big Fish Audio)

Thanks for in advance any help!

[Damon]

I have Distorted Reality 1 and 2, and Metamorphosis. Very good CDs for weird sounds!
If you\'re looking for modern loops then Metamorphosis is a great buy. You get Groove Control along with the CD which allows you to change the tempo of any loop you want, quantize it differently, or use the individual drum sounds off of each drum loop to create your own loops. Also, there is a Metamorphosis Menu that puts all of the loops at a given tempo so you can combine any of these loops together ranging from 70 bpms all the way up to 164 bpms. There are many options with this library. It ranges from trip hop loops to Nine Inch Nails type Industrial to lo-fi old school hip hop to experimental, etc. The best thing is the price-only $199.00!
Eric Persing always delivers fresh new sounds that will inspire. I think you\'ll like all of the CDs you mentioned from Spectrasonics. The Groove Control option is really a plus.
I do know if you\'re looking for cutting edge textural stuff, Bizzare Guitars has alot of that. Take a listen to the demo at www.ilio.com (\"http://www.ilio.com\")
Type in Bizarre Guitars where it says \'Search\' and it will take you to the page then scroll down to hear the demo.
Hope that helps.

[Bruce A. Richardson]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=\"1\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Damon:
If you\'re looking for modern loops then Metamorphosis is a great buy. You get Groove Control along with the CD which allows you to change the tempo of any loop you want, quantize it differently, or use the individual drum sounds off of each drum loop to create your own loops. Also, there is a Metamorphosis Menu that puts all of the loops at a given tempo so you can combine any of these loops together ranging from 70 bpms all the way up to 164 bpms. There are many options with this library. It ranges from trip hop loops to Nine Inch Nails type Industrial to lo-fi old school hip hop to experimental, etc. The best thing is the price-only $199.00!
Eric Persing always delivers fresh new sounds that will inspire. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

ABSOLUTE ditto on Metamorphosis. Eric did an amazing job on this, it is by far the most flexible and usable loop collection I\'ve ever seen, especially at the price. You can use it in Giga, ACID, sequencers...each \"type\" of use yields completely different results.

The \"metamorphosis menu\" feature Damon mentions is GREAT. Set your sequencer to the same tempo you choose from the menu, then just jam out rhythms on the keys combining the various loops. Quantize that keyboard performance, and the track instantly solidifies into something that is a completely new sound...hence the name of the collection.