BeatKangz Beat Thang Virtual Drum Software (Mac and Windows)

Feature:
The more you dig into this product, the more you'll be rewarded. When I started making my own kits with the 16 layers of sample playback per-pad, it really blew me away and when making instrument sounds, it really comes into it's own. How many synths do you know that can have a different ADSR per key, 16 layers to a single sound and also a different filter cutoff and resonance setting per key for $149.00??? Graphic waveform editing, auto-chop and some great effects are a bonus to the final sound and you can really make this "Thang" kick (watch your speakers). Also, from what I have read of the website, AU and VST plugin support is coming soon, so you'll have more than just standalone mode and be able to load it up in your DAW. This will really take it to the next level. Updates are pretty frequent too, which is better than waiting forever for the manufacturer to "eventually" get around to it. Very impressive for a new company.

Quality:
There's not much to fault here. The software is supplied on a USB key and the quality of the key is more than solid. It's also on it's own lanyard making it easy to carry around with you and load the key with your own custom samples to take to different studios. Excellent.

Value:
When you look at what you're getting here, it's pretty amazing value for money. Just about all of the competition is at least double the price and not without some major problems. What I've found with Beat Thang Virtual is that it really puts the fun back into making a beat and that's because you're not sat trying to work out what not is on what key thanks to the chromatic pad layout, which really works. The individual bar lengths on each track are great, as you can have your kick drum playing a one bar loop while your synth plays 8 bars and your bass plays 4 or whatever. It doesn't tie you down to having to make each track the same length, as they loops around perfectly and the swing value really adds a lot of extra feel too. I love this product and will no doubt order the hardware version in time. If beat making and producing is your thing, this is the "Thang" for you!

Desirability:
While I don't think anyone can ever really call a software product "sexy", it does have a lot of appeal. The hardware version really is the most desirable version, but that doesn't mean the software is second place by any means, it's just as good. There will most likely be a lot of lazy people out there that will try and stay put with what they know but that really is a shame as if you do, you are missing out on what I feel is a modern day classic that's up there with the Hip-Hop legends of the SP-1200, MPC60, Studio-440 and TR-808. If you're thinking "oh, come on - you have to work for them", I don't. I live in the United Kingdom and have no ties with Beat Kangz Electronics, though actually wish I did as I would love to be a part of the future of this amazing product.

Sound:
The sound of this product is very diverse. At times, It reminds me of when sampling drum machines first hit the streets, products like the E-MU SP-12 (and 1200), the original MPC60 and the Sequential Studio-440 with raw, punchy, gritty, powerful and warm sounds that truly kick. At other times cleaner and more crisp like some of Native Instruments products like MASCHINE. I like the sound of Beat Thang Virtual more though, as it's more authentic and has a vibe all it's own. The great thing about this is that it lends itself more to a wider range of musical styles rather than having a narrow sound set, you really will find there's something for everyone, no matter what style of music you make. You get 3,000 sounds out of the box and you can load in or sample your own. Also worth noting is that each kit has 88 pads which you can bank up and down. Very cool.

Ease of Use:
When you first load up Beat Thang Virtual, it may take you a little time to get to grips with it if this is your first beat making software. For those who have used MPC's and MV's (such as myself), you will find it a breeze! Everything is laid out in the same way as the hardware version and this makes it great for if you plan to own both and move your ideas around from studio to stage. There is no load time when moving from one pattern to the next and this makes radical sound changes possible with no glitches in the sound. Everything is smooth and in all the time I've had it (and in the time I evaluated the demo version), I couldn't get it to crash once. If you plan to use it live on a laptop, you'll be set with this (unlike some other software beat machines I could mention, but won't).

Support:
I have had no trouble contacting support, as I had a few questions before I bought the product while I was still checking out the demo. I was also fortunate enough to get to speak to the CEO directly via a streaming webcast and got a revealing insight into the company and the products. Not many companies you can say that about, so you feel more attached to the product by being directly in contact with those who make it.

Overall:
I've been waiting for a product like this for ages. It ticks most of the boxes and those (rare) ones that it doesn't are coming as future updates. I own or have owned just about every software beat making product since they started being made (Steinberg LM-4 was one of the first I owned), and none of them have really hit the mark on all fronts. I'm glad that I can stop using four or five different products just to get the job done and can work in one environment from now on, an one that I like more than any of them! I wouldn't want to be without it, even though I've only had it for a short time and don't know how I ever did without it.