Sample Libraries

EastWest get gritty with their latest Opus‑fronted virtual instrument collection.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars. Time Crystals pairs Emergence Audio's sampling technologies with the resonance of quartz singing bowls...

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Elpiano covers a range of mechanical and electronic piano models that may then be processed via a choice of five different speaker cabinets.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4/5 Stars. 

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4/5 Stars. Emma Legato is a very simple and inexpensive vocal instrument that runs on the free version of Kontakt (version 8 or higher).

If you’re an EZ user with a hankering for fusion, Toontrack have got you covered.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Bones is a ‘super sample pack’ containing over 400 loops, 800+ one‑shot samples and more than 100 drum stems.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Actual angels who do vocal session work are hard to come by but Ethera Gold Odyssey can get you wonderfully close.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. This all‑in‑one library from Spitfire Audio brings together a broad range of orchestral textures in one easy‑to‑use package.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4/5 Stars. With the Iremia series, Bunker Samples get quiet, intimate, and very close to a solo viola and cello.

The latest addition to Orchestral Tools’ Berlin series of sample libraries shines the spotlight on the soloists.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars. With Soft String Soloists, Fracture Sounds provide an intimate solo violin, viola and cello recorded at Nave Studios and inspired by the Scandinavian sound.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. This tape-emulation instrument offers 230 presets pitched at media composers, but may well appeal to anyone working in ambient, lo‑fi, hip‑hop or electronica.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 4/5 Stars. While the original Poiesis Cello was impressive, Poiesis Cello 2 takes things further while retaining the ethos of the original and still remaining affordable.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Vessels presents a broad range of hardware synth‑based timbres alongside variously patinated and ‘distressed’ re‑amped and re‑recorded sounds.

This all‑in‑one symphonic package offers an easy way to create orchestral arrangements. Distilled from seven large Synchron collections with no loss in sound quality, the library comprises two string ensembles, brass, woodwinds, ethnic winds, percussion and harp playing all the essential orchestral articulations.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Kepler is inspired by the sounds and moods of film scores such as Dune, Tenet and Oppenheimer, and the aim is to give you a complete scoring toolkit.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Tonal Drums is a Kontakt instrument that focuses on the pitch and tuning of a meticulously sampled Canopus Yaiba drum kit.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars. Native Instruments are back with another gorgeous piano library, and this time, it’s Claire — a Fazioli‑based Kontakt instrument.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars. Strezov Sampling bring the world of sample libraries one step closer to the twin goals of expressiveness and realism.

Fancy composing a symphony on your commute? Steinberg have got you...