Angular Momentum Virtuadrum 1.1 [Freeware]

(Originally written by [boubou]/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
- Did you have any problems during the installation?

None.

- Did you have any incompatibility problems?

Not really.

- How complicated is the overall configuration?

Very easy: load the desired samples, either from the 250 samples provided (conceived for techno music) or from your personal banks (16 or 24 bits). You can listen to them depressing the trigger pad in each channel. Additional controls: pitch, velocity, filter, pan, volume... The multi-channel output (8 stereo channels) is automatically configured in the sequencer so you won't need to do anything.

- Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive?

I don't think the unit has a user's manual. It would be useless.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

- Which computer system do you use? (motherboard/CPU/RAM/HDD/sound card..)

AMD Dual Core 3600+ / 3 GB RAM / MindPrint TRIO USB channel strip.

- Does the software work correctly with your setup?

The software works perfectly well: no crashes nor bugs!

- How is the performance? (if measurable)

No drop-outs nor noise.

- What about the hardware+software configuration stability?

Perfect.

OVERALL OPINION

- How long have you been using it?

A couple of days. It was a nice surprise to find this tool in the freeware jungle of the web.

- Which feature do you like the most / the least?

Pros: I love the ability to load 24-bit samples. I also like how the velocity is managed, and the multi-channel output. These advantages make Virtuadrum a serious free alternative to the top products on the market (like Battery) given that they are much more complicated to learn and very (probably too) expensive.

Cons: The maximal output channel number is only eight. Some additional channels would be nice to create more comprehensive drum kits. A useful alternative would be to give the user the possibility to choose between 8 stereo channels or 16 mono channels... that would be perfect.

- Did you try any other models before buying it?

I tried out nearly every freeware tool in this product category... Most of them are quite bad, some of them are well conceived but unreliable... this one is perfectly stable and provides lots of possibilities. Very good!

- How would you rate its value for money?

Unbeatable. I'm positively surprised that such a program is available as freeware! It could perfectly well be a paid software... A commercial XL version with two additional channels, a sequencer and thousands of samples has just been launched for a very nice price ($35). I'm thinking about buying it, but I'm afraid that 10 channels are still not enough and I personally don't need the sequencer function. It's worth a donation to allow the development to go on.

- Based on your experience, would you choose this product again?

I'm still trying out every freeware tool I find... Until now, this one is the best one I've found.