1975 pays homage to the progressive rock bands of the mid-1970s. This sample pack features a collection of instrumental loops and samples taken from live performances by world-class studio musicians with a deep understanding and knowledge of the musical aesthetics from the era.

1975 is the second release by The Sound of Merlin in which the musical atmosphere of that year is the main inspiration behind the pack. In the early '70s, most progressive rock albums were based on long 10+ minute compositions. These arrangements included extensive and impressive instrumental solos which showed off the musician's skills. Halfway through the seventies, it seemed that the personal emotion of the performer/soloist took the limelight further, with the guitar coming to the forefront. The music became more condensed and found a larger audience.

This 5.30-minute track has 6 distinct sections, which are typical for '70s prog rock.  With this in mind, The Sound of Merlin found inspiration to compose this track which includes a 5-minute solo for their lead guitarist, Peter Tiehuis. You get all of these solos when you buy this product. The rest of the arrangement enhances Peter's wonderful and emotional performance. The music is all about the lead guitar, accompanied by the rest of the band.

Featuring audio loops in various formats, as well as individual MIDI files and an OMF mix, 1975 is a superb collection of progressive rock elements to re-arrange in endless ways. This sensational product has been performed, recorded, and produced to perfection and it includes everything heard in the demo track.

Lead Guitar: Peter Tiehuis
Guitars & Synthesisers: John van der Lugt
Drums: Sander de Groot
Piano, Hammond, and Bass: Gregor Theelen 

Using OMF:

OMF format (Open Media Format) allows you to import a complete arrangement of audio loops into virtually any sequencer. Once loaded, you will see all parts on screen exactly as originally seen when exported, with chunks of audio data on separate tracks, all named by instrument. This format will allow you complete flexibility when re-mixing the arrangement.

By muting or soloing tracks while looping a specific section you will soon find the exact combination of instruments you want to use for your project. Keep in mind that it might be best to use the same file-naming system when exporting your favourite sections as you may want to add or change things at a later point in your creative process.

The OMF is great to study 1975 in a multi-track studio environment. The drums are included as stems, which gives the user the possibility to make their own loops. It's also great to experiment with mixing drums within a musical context. Most users won't have the chance to do so - this has great tutorial value. One also has the opportunity to solo every single track just to listen to how each instrument behaves in a classic progressive rock arrangement.