Sample Libraries

Is it a drum loop player? Is it a drum sampler? Auddict try to do both, and more...

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Gold 2 is stocked with samples for creating 'epic' vocal parts plus a substantial collection of synth, pad, sound effects and drum options amongst its sonic arsenal.

Rating: **** 4/5 Stars. Heavyocity have combined traditional woodwind scoring with extensive sound-design capabilities, allowing you to go from 'standard' to 'sci-fi' within a few clicks.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. This sonic toolkit for the creation of New Age and meditation music ships with over 14GB of sample content.

Rating: *** 3.5/5 Stars. Suit73 employs the company's Spectral Modelling technique to analyse the original Rhodes Suitcase sound and recreate the same timbral components by stacking sine waves together.

If you crave the sound of super-slick backing singers, is EastWest's Hollywood Backup Singers a viable alternative to paying regular session fees?

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Powered by their multi-layered engine featuring sequencers, modulators and effects, Sonuscore give you Elysion, the 'hybrid twin' that does for synthetic sounds what The Orchestra does for the orchestra.

Rating: **** 4/5 Stars. For this virtual oud, musician Bassam Ayoub recorded and produced his own performances at his studio in Weisbaden, Germany.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Straylight is designed with media/film composers in mind and, by combining a granular synthesis engine with sample playback, Straylight specialises in soundscapes, transitions and ambient tones...

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Moonkits' unique selling point is that it is dominated by (mainly) brushed drum sounds...

Rating: ***** 4/5 Stars. This company has been filling various sonic gaps with their innovative and affordable electronic, acoustic and hybrid instruments. Now they've added the evocative and useful Duduk.

Rating: **** 4/5 Stars. If you're used to old-school percussion libraries consisting largely of single hits on individual instruments, this collection may come as a pleasant surprise.

Can Sample Modeling's combination of, er, sampling and modelling deliver convincing string sounds?

Audio Imperia's new orchestral library brings together a complete set of cinematic symphonic essentials in one creative toolset.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Time Micro continues the intriguing temporal-symphonic experiments on a smaller stage, using chamber-sized sections, small vocal groups and softer instruments.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Vocal-esque sounds dominate but this is not just another collection of 'ooh' and 'ahh' vocal pads...

Rating: ***** 4/5 Stars. Cabal 8 comprises three sampled eight-string guitars paired with Audio Assault's Bulldozer plug-in.