Liquid drum and bass represents a melodic and atmospheric subgenre of electronic music, characterised by smooth basslines, intricate rhythms, and soulful influences. For music producers in the United Kingdom, accessing high-quality samples is essential for crafting authentic tracks. Fortunately, several platforms offer free sample packs tailored to this style. These packs provide loops, one-shots, and breakbeats that can be used to build tracks without initial investment. The provided source material details a selection of these free resources, focusing on packs available through specific websites and community-driven initiatives. This article examines the available free liquid drum and bass sample packs, their contents, and how UK-based producers can access them.
The HighPassResources Liquid DNB Sample Pack
One notable free offering is the Liquid DNB Sample Pack curated by HighPassResources. This pack is described as an "Artist Collection" featuring contributions from a diverse array of artists. The collection totals 593 MB of loops and samples, organised into 12 individual artist packs. Each artist contributes unique signature sounds and melodic expressions, ensuring versatility within the liquid genre.
The source material lists the contributing artists as Matt View, Bloque, Frameshift, United Souls, Criteria, Geety, AFEX, Jaym, Highpass, Conspiracy, Bruth, and Subkey. The pack is delivered as a convenient zip file, which users extract to access the full collection. The source encourages users to show support for the artists, noting that links to their work are included within the individual packs. This pack is positioned as a tool to elevate productions with the "essence of liquid drum and bass."
Samplephonics and Noiiz Integration
Samplephonics offers a selection of free drum and bass loops under the title "Liquid DnB Freebie." According to the source, this product is now exclusively available for download via the Noiiz platform. It is described as a hand-picked selection of loops from a larger sample library.
Access to this free pack requires membership in the Samplephonics community, and it is available on Noiiz as a 100% royalty-free download. The source highlights that Noiiz offers "try before you buy" options for sample packs, though specific eligibility rules or sign-up requirements are not detailed in the provided text. The pack is intended to provide producers with a starting point for liquid drum and bass production.
SampleRadar Resources
SampleRadar is highlighted as a "go-to resource" for new producers, known for balancing variety and quality in their free packs. Two specific packs are mentioned:
- SampleRadar: 485 Free DnB Essentials Samples: This pack is described as stacked with samples that work for both liquid and general drum and bass production. It is noted as a free resource that offers significant value.
- SampleRadar: 200 Free Drum n Bass Breaks Samples: Although the original link for this pack is reported as gone, the source notes that it survives thanks to "generous Redditors." It is considered a staple pack that has defined much of modern liquid drum and bass. One specific sample, "DNBBREAK66.wav," is singled out as notable. The pack contains numerous break samples suitable for layering, chopping, or direct use.
Arachne and Looperman Packs
The source material identifies two other free pack options:
- Arachne: Free Liquid Drum And Bass Sample Pack: This pack is recommended for producers seeking a curated selection of modern liquid drums, loops, FX, and synth sounds. It reportedly contains over 200 samples and is described as one of the top-value free packs available.
- Looperman: Free Liquid Drum and Bass Samples: Looperman is described as a long-standing platform offering a unique set of free samples suitable for liquid drum and bass. The source suggests that producers explore non-DNB samples on the site for creative inspiration.
Other Free Resources and Considerations
The provided text also references several other free and potentially useful resources for liquid drum and bass production. These include:
- Ed Solo: Classic Remastered Jungle Breaks: A pack containing 72 samples of iconic breaks, remastered for modern mix-down standards. It is organised by type and pitch.
- All The Breaks Vol. 1, 2 & 3: These packs offer raw sampled breaks at their original tempos, allowing producers to process and re-master them manually.
- Natus: Textures: A pack focused on chord textures rather than drums, described as useful for filling out space in tracks.
- DNB Academy: Motion Liquid Sample Pack: Available as part of DNB Academy Free Access, this pack includes kicks, snares, top loops, musical samples, FX samples, and FL Studio demo project files.
- Alexander: Shryne Sample Pack Vol. 1: A large pack of sounds used by producer Alexvnder, distributed in four parts requiring a RAR extractor.
- Sampleswap: A long-standing site requiring digging to find suitable DNB samples, with download limits.
- Antidote Audio: Free Drum and Bass Pack by K Motionz & Subsonic: A pack containing sounds suitable for energetic liquid tunes, though noted as potentially strong for some.
- Jungle Jungle: 1989-1999 Samplepack by Blu Mar Ten: Samples ripped from original tracks, with the caveat that they may not be royalty-free.
- Ghosthack: Free Liquid Drum and Bass Samples: A curated pack of 44 samples including atmospheres, basslines, drums, and synth sounds.
Access and Usage
The sources indicate that these packs are generally available for free download, often requiring a sign-up to a platform or community (such as Noiiz or Samplephonics). Most packs are described as royalty-free, though specific terms are not detailed in the provided text. Users are advised to check the individual terms for each pack, particularly regarding commercial use. For example, the Jungle Jungle pack is explicitly noted as potentially not royalty-free. The source also mentions that some packs are available on services like Splice Sounds or Loopcloud, though specific details are not provided.
Conclusion
The provided source material outlines a variety of free liquid drum and bass sample packs available to UK producers. Resources range from artist-curated collections like the HighPassResources pack to platform-specific offerings on Noiiz and community-driven sites like Looperman and Sampleswap. While these packs offer significant value and variety, the sources do not provide detailed eligibility criteria, expiration dates, or specific shipping policies, as these are not applicable to digital downloads. Producers interested in these resources should visit the respective platforms to verify current availability and download terms.