Wave Alchemy Evolution review

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UPDATE!


 An update to Evolution called Revolution has been introduced, check it out here.  I´ve updated this review with new video clips as Wave Alchemy pulled all the old Evolution clips off youtube. 

What it is

Wave Alchemy has released a number of sample/loop libraries over the years, mostly focused around electronic drum sounds. Their revolution kontakt library focused on vintage drum machines was a big hit, and since they have followed up with Evolution which is what we will be looking at today.





Finding the perfect drum plugin has been a quest for years, and when I heard about Evolution I thought it might be it. It certainly ticks many boxes:
  • Mix of electronic and acoustic drums
  • Ability to conveniently layer sounds 
  • Powerful drum shaping tools
  • Professional and creative sound library
  • Usability - getting to results quickly

Evolution is certainly ticks a lot of boxes. 

Those on the same quest may also want to check out the review of UVI Drum Designer.

What you get

Evolution is a kontakt library, so you´ll need kontakt (player) to use the product. The library comes with a pre-compiled sample pool  with both clean and tape processed versions of samples, but it´s not possibly to import your own samples. The library is however Native Instruments NKS compatible.

What it does

The library comes with some 28 000 samples based on various acoustic and electronic sources and covers a wide range of hits from kicks and snare to effects and percussion.

Each drum pad can contain up three layers, and each layer can be processed using a number of different tools such as a pitch shifter, filter, envelope shaper, compressor and so on. The different layers can be blended using an X/Y style controller pad.



It also comes with a relatively competent sequencer plus a set of master effects including a convolution reverb.

Presets and sounds

The bundled sounds has a lot of variety and covers  a wide range of styles, although mostly geared towards electronic and urban genres. There are quite a few acoustic sources, but I would personally have liked to see more acoustic sources, especially for toms and cymbals.





Finding sounds is straight forward, and the browser allows you to choose a category for each type of drum sound, so kicks for example have sub categories like Classic, Deep, Heavy and so on.



Each sub category has a number of samples to choose from. This sounds great in theory, but there are a few issues with this. First of all there is no favorites function and the samples aren´t sorted in alphabetical order so it´s rather difficult to find your favorite samples. I found the categorization a bit random at time, and a tag based browser would probably have made more sense.


Sounds can be auditioned a number of ways, but I wish samples was played backed automatically when selected.
That aside, the system works relatively well and one thing I really like is the randomize function that can spark creativity. More importantly, the samples sounds great.


Sound design

What´s really unique with this library is that Wave Alchemy have created separate sample sets for body, transient and layer. 
  • Body: Classic dry single hits
  • Transients: Snaps, clicks, pops and claps
  • Layer: Tails, subs, rooms and more acoustic samples

This feature is brilliant and enables you to get to results very quickly, and I can´t imagine myself ever going back to doing this with conventional tools.





The blending of layers can controlled with an X/Y pad, which is a nice touch. That interface also provides a number of macro knobs which could be used for live performances for instance.



Interface 


The library looks very classy and modern, and Wave Alchemy has managed to get an impressive number of features crammed in to a small place. Most things are well laid out and colors have been used consistently to help you quickly identify a group of features.

One problem is that it´s not always clear what you´re editing as some sections relate to the the layer (or all layers), while others affect the whole sound or controls the master effects. You also have to be very careful about what you've currently selected for editing. I´ve mistakenly tweaked the wrong layer numerous times.





Workflow


Layers and categorization of samples is truly a great concept.

One gripe I have though is that it's relatively time consuming to design sounds based on a specific idea, and the relative complex GUI gets in your away at times.

Another thing that annoyed me at times was the lack of a copy functionality that enables you to copy one drum pad to another, and there is no undo function either.

Don´t get me wrong, this library is truly a drum designers dream if you´re willing to invest the time.

Here are a few suggestions that improve the workflow:

- Create a focused library for each drum category with a single page GUI
- Add presets for each type of drum (snares, kicks etc)
- Implement a tag based browser to quickly enable the user find the right sounds
- Clean up the editing area, and possibly move some functions to sub pages/pop-ups

What´s great about it

  • A very comprehensive and versatile sample library with high quality sounds
  • Very powerful feature set for the sound designer
  • Stable product, no issues so far
  • Massive potential for creative sound design

Issues and limitations

  • Sample browsing is clunky (no sorting, favorites, search or auditioning)
  • No presets for individual drums (ex kick presets)
  • The interface is quite complex and has a relatively steep learning curve 
  • No presets for the sequencer
  • No undo or A/B function
  • A synth layer for subs, tone and noise would have been very useful (but no show stopper)
  • Pads can´t be assigned to any midi note (may be an issue for some). 
  • Not possible to copy settings between pads
  • Some people will not like the fact that you can´t import your own samples
  • No reverse function for samples
  • More acoustic sources would have been welcome, ex for toms and cymbals

The bottom line

Evolution is a very competent tool in the right hands, and the idea of layers with specialized samples for each layer is a truly a great concept that will help you get results quickly. The main drawbacks relate to workflow and the relatively complex GUI, but this will be a knock out if Wave Alchemy manages to streamline and polish this in a future release. I wouldn´t hesitate recommending this product to a seasoned producer. 

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