Following last year's Kick-Ass Brass! plug-in, developer AMG has now released ONE, a combined groove module and sample library. The company is pitching ONE as a cross-platform, sequencer-friendly, groove-activating instrument with low CPU demand. It claims it has a 'simply powerful' approach to getting the job done - that is, it sounds great and is easy to use, but is also intelligent and flexible enough not to inhibit your creativity. And, to its credit, this is precisely the experience that ONE delivers.
ONE presents a good-looking interface, with three main areas to focus on: the browser on the left, global controls at the top and the main display window (featuring Racks 1-4, Racks 5-8, FX and Options buttons) in the centre. Straightaway, it's pretty obvious how things work. Using the browser, you can search and filter the Core Library (plus the My Files and Favourites folders) by genre, producer, format, BPM, effect type and so on. You can also preview loops directly from the browser and load your selection to a chosen rack by double-clicking (drag and drop won't work). As ONE automatically syncs to host tempo, auditioning loops during playback is easy.
ONE will load REX, ACID, WAV or AIFF files (although the latter two can't be time-stretched in real time), so any content you already own in these formats is immediately compatible. ONE also ships with a Core Library of 4.5GB of loops and samples and - given the audio-mangling capability on offer for every slice in every loop - this raw material alone should provide considerable distraction. The only caveat is that there's an electronic bias to the Library, with a consequent lack of acoustic drum samples, although this issue is to be addressed by one of AMG's (inevitable) forthcoming expansion packs to supplement ONE's content.
There are eight discrete racks in ONE, all of which can play back files simultaneously. Each rack can be triggered either by a single Midi note or across up to two octaves for instant keyboard sample mapping. ONE's output (and your performance) can be recorded directly in to your sequencer or you can export the Midi file for further manipulation. All operational aspects of ONE are also Midi controllable.
Each rack offers three different modes: synth, waveform or step sequencer. The synth controls cover everything you might reasonably want to do to a sample or slice, especially via the comprehensive and excellent multimode resonant filter section. The waveform page shows all slices in a file, colour coded to indicate current state (for example, dark blue means muted, while purple means reversed). A neat Show Layers option produces a blank row of slices beneath the existing loop, into which you can paste new sample data. You can also copy and paste existing slices into any slice in any rack or one of the 32 step-sequencer slots within every rack.
The step sequencer page houses a traditional 16-step sequencer, with individual accent control per step, 32 sound slots with independent volume, pan and pitch, and step swing per cent and accent strength controls for each rack. As before, the steps are colour-coded to indicate their state (on/off) and you can paste samples into them from the 32-slot matrix to build up your grooves.
ONE also has four 64-bit FX units (two insert, two send, all post-fader) and 16 effect algorithms. While you can't add more effect units, ONE at least offers flexible routing (up to four stereo outputs) so you can combine insert and send FX devices as necessary to route the audio as you choose.
ONE has plenty to offer: everyday tasks are easily accomplished, while deeper editing is only ever a mouse-click away. Some might find that the Core Library isn't entirely to their taste, but anyone who already has a large REX or ACID-ized file collection could quite conceivably never use a single loop from the included Library, yet still find ONE becomes an indispensable part of their music making. On this showing, AMG is fairly entitled to consider ONE 'the complete loop solution'.
On this showing, AMG is fairly entitled to consider ONE 'the complete loop solution'Author: Jonathan Wilson
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