Roland and Melodics partner on new Beat Maker Sample Pack series

Roland and online music education tool Melodics have announced a new partnership in the form of the Beat Maker Sample Pack x Melodics Series.

The series features professionally crafted sample content from global artists, along with companion lessons to help further the development of finger drumming skills on the SP-404MKII Creative Sampler and Effector. The first release within the series, Messy Samples by Lionclad, is live today.

Messy Samples by Lionclad features Seoul-based producer Lionclad, who brings her finger drumming expertise to this one-of-a-kind sample selection. Users can access a library of pre-recorded lo-fi backbeats, chill hip-hop groovers, and off-kilter rhythms, or use the sample material to create new remixes and compositions. This sample pack is available as a project, ready to load in the SP-404MKII with samples and patterns arranged in eight banks of ready-to-play loops and one-shot samples.

The 128 DAW-ready WAV files can also be imported into users’ favourite music production software and hardware samplers, and files are clearly labeled with tempo and key information to help streamline workflow.

In addition to Messy Samples by Lionclad, there will be five future beat maker sample packs through the partnership, each of which will include Melodics lessons that work exclusively with the SP-404MKII. Melodics lessons give finger drummers direct feedback on their rhythm and timing through a desktop and iPad app that behaves like a mix between Duolingo and Guitar Hero.

Roland and Melodics began their partnership in 2018 with Melodics for V-Drums, a desktop app with an ever-expanding range of premium lesson content and integrated communication with Roland V-Drum sound modules. Melodics offers Roland drummers a unique visual approach to music education with finger drumming and electronic percussion courses based on modern music styles. The partnership expands through the launch of the Beat Maker Sample Pack x Melodics Series, with the goal of expanding users’ finger drumming capabilities on the SP-404MKII.

Messy Samples by Lionclad is available for free with a Roland account through Roland Cloud Manager. After downloading the pack, users can visit the SP-404MKII x Melodics page to access two free companion lessons specially created for this collection and the SP-404MKII hardware.

This and future releases within the Beat Maker Sample Pack x Melodics Series will be compatible with Roland hardware that supports sample imports, and will offer companion lessons through Melodics.