The sound quality experience in most movie theaters is top quality. I don’t just mean the volume (which is often very load), but the actual quality of sound is often worthy of the visit alone. One of the reasons for this is the placement of the speakers around you in the theater. So the comparison to a normal television speaker or the conventional two speaker setup is not really fair. But you can see where I am going with this, I am sure. One of the essential parts of the home theater system experience is the surround sound to have any hope of emulating the cinema experience.

Home theater systems
Surround sound splits the sound up and outputs the component parts through different speakers. The effect is that you get to hear realistic sound as you hear it in the outside world, rather than from a wall in front of you. If you hear the mad axe murderer creak a floorboard behind you, it would certainly add to the effect. By the same token, if you are watching a tidal wave on screen, you really don’t want to hear that behind you. If the wave is in front, then that’s where the sound should come from. The technology behind these type of effects are wonderful, and they are something that you can experience in a good home theater system.

Home theater systems
So, when you are looking at home theater systems, try and find one that has surround sound. If you want a realistic experience, then this has got to be a good starting point. And, as technology improves and becomes more common, then the price should start to tumble. Get into the Internet and have a good look around, but try and see some systems in stores, and listen to them. Most good specialist home theater stores will be able to demonstrate their home theater systems for you.

Home theater systems
A surround sound system should have at least five speakers, but some may have more. The first should go above the screen. The bass speaker should be under the screen. Some systems will have two speakers for the side and two for the back as well, but you should get instructions on how to place the speakers that come with whichever system you buy. The two small speakers that go in the back of the room are an important part of the surround sound effect. This is where the background noises, voices and ‘behind you’ moments. It is this element of the surround sound system that gives it that extra bit of quality.

When you are starting to look at some theater systems, start by looking at the familiar brand names. But don’t restrict yourself to these. Try many systems out and you will soon begin to get a handle on the ones that are right for you. Maybe you have some friends that already have home theater systems? Why not pay them a visit and ask for a demo. People are always happy to show off their home theaters!

Drum and Bass is an urban music genre that originated from jungle. It emerged in the early 90’s in the United Kingdom .

It’s main characteristic is heavy basslines and fast beats usually at 170 beats per minute.

Dn’B has incorporated several music styles which are a powerful influence to producers and musicians. Dancehall, electro, funk, hip hop, house, metal, pop, trance and reggae are some examples.

There are several styles of Drum and bass, which include: hardstep, techstep, liquid funk, Neuro-funk, breakcore, jazzy, and drum funk.

A small Dn’B glossary:

Junglist- the name given to jungle and Dn’B followers, whatever their nationality, ethnic background, sex, or social and economic status.

Big Up - classic way of complimenting someone elses production.

Scratch-a famous turntable art, often used by dj’s to complement their drum n’ bass and jungle tracks, in studio and live-acts.

Rewind – after a warm response of the public when the dj plays his track or a mix, he rewinds the vinyl and plays it again, featuring a powerful intro or a particularly interesting beginning.

Drum n’ bass is an urban music genre that has a huge amount of followers, although it is more popular in Europe than the U.S.

Recreational drugs are often associated with Drum n’ Bass. They’re used in rave, jungle and DnB parties by people who want to have a higher musical experience with the sounds, and want to incorporate the beats and the heavy bass in their bodies and mind.

MCing is also a big part of Drum n’ bass. The master of ceremonies is a singer or rapper, who performs as the dj plays the track and mixes it live. He can performs in several music genres, from ragga to rap and hip hop.

Drum n’ bass has become a very popular music genre and its variations are a result of that. It’s been increasingly easy to incorporate dance elements into drum n’ bass tracks, so if you go to a club you’ll very likely dance to a Drum n’ Bass track.

Producing drum n’ bass tracks is also in fashion. It is a genre that excites both the expert but also the amateur home musicians.

To produce good, phat drum n’ bass tracks you gotta have the latest appropriate software but you also have to dominate a lot of techniques.

drum and bass beats are also a highly appreciated item of production.

Finding the right drum and bass loops can be a hard task, but there are some sample packs which have high quality sounds.

Future Loops’ Nuclear DNB has hundreds of beautifully designed drum and bass beats ready for you to make powerful tracks.

Dub is a music genre born in Jamaica ’s late 60’s.

It started as a construction of variations from reggae tracks but it expended in to a whole music genre, compatible with most of pop music styles.

The father of Dub is King Tubby (1941-1989). He was a Jamaican electronic and sound engineer who invented a sound system called the Home Town Hi-Fi, which allowed him to produce his own dub version tracks in his own home.

King Tubby’s innovative studio productions put him in a high creative level in what concerns sound producers.

He’s considered an early pioneer of the remix and had a huge influence on contemporary music.

Not only because of his vision and ideas, but also because of the sound techniques he developed.

Lee “Scratch” Perry is also an early pioneer of dub genre. He is, perhaps, more popular than King Tubby. He is a prolific Jamaican musician, sound technician and producer.

He’s responsible for the emergence of dub and reggae outside Jamaica and throughout the world. He won the 2002 Grammy Award for best Reggae album.

Mad professor, another great name of Dub Music is a british dub musician and producer.

He is also a sound engineer and trip-hop producer.

He’s responsible for several well-known mixes for bands and artists like Sade, massive Attack and Pato Banton, among many others.

His real name is Neil Fraser. He got the nickname mad Professor because of his fascination with electronic gadgets.

At the age of 9, Neil built his own radio through the use of materials he found in trash.

Zion Train are a very well-known German Dub/Dance band. They have been leaders of the genre for quite a while as, since the 90’s, they continue to impress their fans with their groovy, elegant productions.

Also know for sticking to the roots-reggae philosophy, Neil Perch’s Zion Train are considered one of the greatest dub live-acts in the whole world.

They have a very loyal legion of fans throughout Europe, although in the U.S. they’re not as popular as in European countries.
Making dub is certainly a pleasure.

Any good dub producer or musician, should be aware of the importance to have good drums or beats, excellent basslines and cool effects to ad to their music.

Future Loops released a great dub sample pack produced by Zion Train producer, dj and composer, Neil Perch.

Dub Drums has hundreds of dub loops that will give extreme authenticity to any dub track.

Whether you’re an experienced producer or just an amateur this sample pack has super groovy dub loops with the spirit of jah all over them.

If you’re looking for the finest, phattest dub beats the best collection.

Scratching is a turntable technique practiced by dj’s which consists in moving a vinyl back and forth on the turntable, thus, creating different sounds. Although scratching is commonly associated with the hip-hop culture, it is also used in metal bands, electro and pop sounds.

Early pioneers of scratching were Dj Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, Kool Herc and Grand Mixter DXT.

One of the most classic examples of recorded scratchings is featured on Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” through Grand Mixter DXT’s scratches but it gained stronger popularity in UK and Europe through the 1987’s hit “Pump of the Volume” by MARRS.

The most frequently scratched sounds are drum beats, horn stabs and spoken word samples.

There are several scratching techniques. The most common include: Atari scratch, baby scratch, back and forth scratch, tear scratch, scribble scratch, chirp scratch, hydrophonic scratch, flare scratch, transformer scratch, crab scratch, orbit scratch, tweak scratch and euro scratch.

Famous artists for their scratch techniques are: Dj Shadow, Mix master Mike, Dj Krush, Q-bert, Cold cut, Dj Craze, Dj Storm, A-Track, Terminator X.

The art of scratching and turntablism has originated a lot of competitions and techniques demonstration.

There are several contests which feature live performances in order to decide who has most evolved techniques and feeling of the turntable.

The most popular contest is the DMC World Dj Championship, held every year since 1986.

Scratching is becoming more and more popular in the pop music world but originally it was associated to underground hip hop culture.

The numerous techniques of scratching are a reflexion of the studies, technology and machinery that has been developing for turntables throughout the years. Scratching can be done without a vinyl record: cdj’s are devices that allow people to perform scratching through a cd.

There are also software programs that use the turntables as an interface for people to scratch digital sound files.
More recently, we have seen the appearance of several sample packs of already scratched sounds.

These are to be used by people who want to incorporate scratched sounds into their musical creations without having to hire a dj or knowing how to scratch.

These sample libraries are very usefeul and partially responsible for the use of scratch in so many music genres.

In fact, if we look closely, scratch is almost everywhere in pop culture. From dub, to electro, to drum n’ bass, rap, hip hop, funk, metal, rock, pop, etc..

Future Loops’ Scratch Anthology by Scratch expert Dj Quest features hundreds of beautifully scratch samples in an array of sounds which exposes the multiple techniques of the genre.

It has a very powerful usability as the scratch loops are ready to be used by anyone.

If you’re looking for scratch loops at different tempos, styles and categories this is the ultimate sample library that offers, quality, innovation and expertise.

Funk is a style that emerged in the 60’s and it has its stylistic origins in soul music.

Funk was born from the mixing of soul music with other music styles like R&B, Rock, Jazz and psychedelic music. It’s main reference is undoubtedly James Brown and his musicians Maceo Parker and Melvin Parker.

The funk genre is well recognized for its syncopated and dancing rhythms, groovy basslines and the common use of saxophones, clarinets etc..

Black north American musicians started calling funk to the music which had a slower, looser rhythm and was often accompanied with repeated singed phrases.

This music had a very groovy feeling to it, a dancing vibe to which musicians and audience were instantly attracted to.

In the end of the 60’s and throughout the 70’s there were literally thousands of funk musicians and bands, from the more obscure one (with a couple of 45’s released) to the heavyweight sounds which were rolling the discos, like Parliament and Kool and the Gang.

Whether a track had a more soul, jazzy or disco feeling, if the
drums and the heavy bass were groovy then it would be funk! Jam sessions were a great way to create singles and for the musicians and singers to improve their techniques and develop each of their own unique groovin’ and feeling of the genre.

Classic funk artists and bands include: Parliament and Funkadelic (both George Clinton’s bands) , Kool and the Gang, James Brown, Maceo Parker, The Meters, Archie Bell & The Drells, The Gap Band, Curtis Mayfield, Bootsy Collins, Sly and the Family Stone, The Commodores, Herbie Hancock and Dyke & The Blazers.

A sub-genre of funk called the Electro-funk, emerged in the beginning of the 80’s through artists like Afrika Bambaataa, the fathers of the genre. Also known as electro, this sub-genre featured the use of synthesizers and the electronic rhythm of the TR-808 drum machine.

The most common sub-genres and variations, fusions of funk are electro funk, jazz-funk, afrobeat, g-funk, go-go, funk rock and p-funk.

Funk is a genre highly appreciated by hip hop artists who often sample old funk tracks. The songs of James Brown, Parliament and Funkadelic are among the most frequently sampled of all time.

Herbie Hancock’s Head hunters’ legendary drummer Mike Clark is one of the most sampled drummers of all time.

He is very well known for his experience and knowledge of all funk rhythms and ability of improvisation at the highest level of grooviness!

You can find Mike Clark’s powerful grooves in Future Loops’ sample title “Funk Drums”. He gives you hundreds of magnificent tight funk beats that can help you build authentic funky tunes.

Mike Clark’s Funk Drums is a 5 start collection of the heaviest, sickest funk samples available on the market .

If you’re lookinf for high quality, authentically funk samples, this is the number one title!