Sampleson have announced the release of Sandstorm, a new virtual instrument that aims to provide producers and composers with a quick and easy way to create evolving pads and soundscapes by combining up to 17 sound sources.
The included sound sources have been created by a mixture of wavetable, granular, subtractive and sample-based synthesis, and cover a range of string, woodwind, brass, vocal and synth sounds. The volume of each layer can be set using a row of level controls along the bottom of the main GUI window, and an edit button placed above each of the slots allows the sound to be modified using a selection of timbre, tuning and reverb parameters.
All of the layers’ parameters can then be controlled via MIDI or DAW automation, or assigned to the instrument’s macro controls. When choosing the latter option, users are able to control the values of all of the assigned parameters by dragging their mouse over the centre of the GUI in order to create continually evolving sounds. a global reverb is available in addition to the individual reverb for each layer, and the overall level of the instrument can be controlled via a master gain control.
Take a listen to the demos below to hear Sandstorm in action.
Compatibility
Sandstorm is supported on PCs running Windows 7 or higher, and Macs running macOS 10.7 and above. VST3 and AU plug-in versions are available, as well as a standalone application. 200MB of disk space is required. The instrument has been optimised for low CPU usage, and also offers a scaleable GUI.
Pricing & Availability
Sandstorm is available now, and is currently (15 March 2023) being offered for an introductory price of $39, reduced from its full cost of $59.
