Sample Libraries

• Soniccouture Abstrakt: Konkrete • Tekniks Drumm EAR • AMG Kick-ass Brass • Bela D Media Lyrical Distortion: Volumes 1 & 2

Four hot Sample Collections get the SOS Sample Shop review treatment: • Big Fish Audio Chill • Best Service Chris Hein Horns Volume 1 • M-Audio Premium Electric Pianos • Loopmasters Soulful House Sessions

Working with musical loops is now a well-established part of the musical mainstream. Could you do with One more tool to get the job done?

Project SAM Organ Mystique • Best Service Peter Siedlaczek String Essentials • Big Fish Audio Roots Of South America Vol.2 • Big Fish Audio Soundscapes For Cinema

The Vienna Symphonic Library are well known for their amazingly detailed collections of orchestral sounds, and now they're providing them as virtual instruments. Will this take the VSL concept to a new audience, or is it a step too far?

East West and Quantum Leap's Symphonic Orchestra was one of the largest orchestral libraries ever released, at 19 DVDs for the full edition. However, it still wasn't enough for some people — so East West have released this 18-disc expander set...

It should be simple, but nowhere can I find a General MIDI (XG/GS) software sound module for VST. Can you help? A freeware...

• Sony Sound Series: Trance NRG2 • Big Fish Elements: Traditional Jazz • Big Fish Raging Guitars

Zero G Nostalgia: Kompakt Instrument • Big Fish Audio Soul City: Multi-format • Zero G Vocal Forge: Intakt Instrument

Do you like AAS's Tassman but are a bit baffled when it comes to programming? Check out some of Harm Visser's ready-made instruments...

Could you please explain what construction kits are? I've come across them on sample CDs but don't know how they differ from normal loops...

• Big Fish Audio Hip-Hop High: Multi-format • Garritan Jazz & Big Band: Kontakt Instrument • Sample Lab Broken Beats: WAV+REX+Apple Loops • Sonic Implants Symphonic Harp: Gigastudio

The addition of woodwind and percussion libraries rounds out Sonic Implants' Complete Symphonic Collection, bringing their three-year symphonic project to a close.

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.