The idea of altering ReBirth originated outside the "official" community and in the realm of code hackers. Originally, the modification involved hacking the application code using development software available through Apple Computer to replace audio and graphics data. The result was a new version of the software with a different user interface and drum sounds than the original 808 sample set. The first Mod appeared only weeks after the initial ReBirth release, credited to someone who dubbed himself, 'Ma Baker.' Having discovered how to manipulate the ReBirth 808 drum samples, Ma Baker created a "RB-339" using Roland TR-909 samples. This led another modification, "ReBirth po[arized," which featured loops and samples aimed toward hip-hop production.
The RB-339 hack inspired an aesthetic modification by Kurt Kurasaki ('Peff'), who replaced the TR-808 graphics with 909-inspired images and knob animations. The first complete graphics modification was by a Spanish designer named 'Breaker.' With a background in computer graphics and 3-D modeling, Breaker's interface modification set a precedent of changing the entire ReBirth interface, not simply the smaller panels of the 303 and 808.
In the fall of 1997, the first Mods for the Windows operating system appeared. Michael 'lunarguy' Price's "RB-33L" featured a partial interface redesign and LinnDrum sound samples. Allowing Mods to operate on both Macintosh and Windows platforms was one of the first programming challenges and Price's experience with the latter facilitated his conversion to dual-platform compatibility. Due to copyright concerns in using the LinnDrum logo, name, and samples, Price was urged to cease his efforts.
By early 1998, ReBirth Mods were officially adopted by Propellerhead Software, a move initiated by Price. They were an instant hit within the community, and the appeal of ReBirth additions contributed to the company's marketing efforts. Fredrik Solenberg recalled, "At the Frankfurt Musikmesse in 1998, we were showing mods and the reaction among less-initiated visitors was that if you bought that first rather dull looking piece of software, you got six other colorful, and glitzy programs for free."
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By '98, ReBirth Mods had become an important facet of the application in the sense users eagerly awaited new Mods as much as releases by talented ReBirth musicians. To deter the possibility of reckless distribution, ReBirth 2.0 included a file format technology unique to ReBirth Mods called "RBM." Released in combination with the ReBirth Modpacker Utility in 1998, ReBirth furthered its purpose as a vehicle of visual and aural expression. |
| The Mods themselves became electronic works of art as skilled graphics designers revamped ReBirth's user interface. Propellerhead's own Fredrik Hägglund designed the stunning "Pitch Black Edition", Thomas Holmström consistently produced stylized interfaces for his "MSM2," "Millenium," and "Sidstation 2 Mods," and, considered to be the most beautiful of all is the "Infernalizer Mod" by Thomas and Wolfgang Merkle. The most elaborate modification was the "Regulator Mod" by Ritchie 'Cipher' Argue and Jordan Benwick, in which Argue reconstructed the code to accommodate radically different bitmaps for knob and meter positions. |
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