Sample Libraries

While the sampling world has warmly embraced the drive towards superb sonics, Dagenham-based Worsesounds have made their mark with cheap-but-cheerless sound libraries aimed at the undiscerning...

Miroslav Vitous's orchestral library was the first of its kind, and more than 10 years after its launch, has been reinvented as a self-contained virtual instrument. Is the original still the best?

Big Fish Audio First Call Horns • Best Service Galaxy Steinway 5.1• Big Fish Audio London Solo Strings • Tascam Larry Seyer Acoustic Drums

Loopmasters Afro-Latin Producer • Tekniks The Mixtape Toolkit • Big Fish Audio Funk City • Big Fish Audio Big Beat 2

Sample libraries with virtual-instrument wrappers are nothing new, but Ueberschall's new Liquid Instruments have an extra twist — the front end is derived from Celemony's Melodyne, offering you complete freedom to change the pitch of the phrases in the library.

VSL, makers of the world's largest orchestral library, have unveiled their next phase of development. SOS were at the launch...

This month: Funk University;  Koncept & Funktion; Chopped Guitars; Downtempo Guitars Volume 2 and Talkbox Guitar.

We check out the latest sample libraries on the block: True Strike 1 • Flatpack 2 • Drumdrops In Dub Volume 1.

Ever fancied arranging 'Oops, I Did It Again' for a full choir? Well now you can, courtesy of Symphonic Choirs, the latest virtual-instrument sample library from East West and Quantum Leap.

We check out the latest sample libraries on the block: Reason Drum Kits • Beats Working In Cuba • The Giovani Edition

If you want the sample playback features of Steinberg's Halion sample player, but you don't need its detailed editing facilities, there's now an affordable answer to your needs — and it includes the full Halion sound library too...

Continuing the recent tradition for wedding software-instrument front ends to vast sample libraries, Ra is a 14Gigabyte collection of exotic and 'world' instruments with an NI Kompakt wrapper...

Hollow Sun's vintage keyboard sounds go against all the current sample-library trends, being supplied on CD-ROM rather than on dedicated hard drives, and weighing in at Megabytes in size, not Gigabytes. But how do they sound...?

We check out the latest sample libraries on the block: Spatial Awareness, Ghetto Electro, Housematic, Cycles Volume 4: Momentary Incursions.

We check out more sample libraries on the block: Analog Archive ***, Cycles ****, EZ Rollers **** and Notre Dame de Budapest *****

Under review: Toontrack DFH Custome Vintage, Zero-G Analogue Sequencer Loops, Drumdrops Drops In The Bronx Vol. 1,  Loopmasters Origin Raw Power.

German company Yellow Tools started off as sample library developers, but like many others, they've moved into the world of virtual instruments with the lovingly crafted MVI range. We check out all three...

Like Ronseal products, EWQL's Colossus is pretty much as it's described on its container, offering the user a vast 32GB sample collection supplied on eight DVD-ROMs. Size, however, isnt everything — or is it?

Native Instruments' Kontakt has become one of the most popular software samplers since its release in 2002, and the new version, with its many excellent new features, should keep it near the top of the heap.

Midiman/M Audio have come a long way since their days as a MIDI interface company. Now they sell everything from mics to laptop bags — and Key Rig and Drum ∓ Bass Rig are their first foray into software instruments...

Three sample libraries get the aural review treatment from the SOS samplists: Stylus RMX SAGE Expanders***** VSL Opus 2 ***** Drum Werks Volume 5****