Sample Libraries

***** Following their excellent SAM Horns title comes a Giga set dedicated to a three-trombone section, augmented by a fruity solo bass trombone.

**** Programmed and produced by Lukecage in the heart of LA, Ultra Magnetic Beats is AMG's latest hip-hop sample library

5 stars ***** Two audio and two Acid-ready Wave CD-ROMs of drum loops and basic construction kits.

4 stars **** Homegrown Sounds have eight sample CD-ROMs available, each offered either in Soundfont format or as a combined NNXT, Halion, EXS24, Kontakt and Wave set.

**** Dirt Bag by Simeon promises "hundreds of grungy, fresh and inspiring dance samples", and that's a fairly accurate description of what's on offer here...

4 **** Rizing Drum & Bass is an extensive collection of drum & bass samples, presented as audio...

The Vienna Symphonic Library is more than just a sample library — it's a tool that aims to help you create true-sounding orchestral performances of your own music. But are we talking Berlin Philharmonic or Portsmouth Symphonia?

• Solo Brass **** • Solo Woodwinds ***** • Solo Strings ***

****** 6/5 stars! Dave Stewart is a skilled musician and composer who's been reviewing sample libraries in SOS for years. With so much experience in this area, Dave has produced a library of his own, and rather than sampling conventional instruments, he's focused on a collection of unique instruments built up over many years.

Steinberg and Wizoo's latest collaboration aims to provide high-quality string sounds at an affordable price, with a software interface to make string arranging so easy that even drummers can manage it. Have they succeeded?

PMI's second Grandioso library takes a thorough approach to capturing every nuance of a Bösendorfer Imperial 290 concert grand piano.

5***** We check out the mighty Fender Rhodes 73 Stage Piano, brought to you in a new 3GB sampled version by the Danish company Scarbee.

An awful lot of blowing went into Dan Dean's new orchestral release - but is this the wind of change, or just a great deal of hot air?

Score = ***** 5/5 stars. Garritan has released GOS Lite, a three-CD version of GOS available in either Akai or Giga formats using samples from the full library.

Score = **** 4/5 stars. Named after Waldorf's Microwave synth of the same colour, Orange consists of 216 NN19 presets, 12 Redrum kits and 65 REX2 loops on a single CD-ROM.

**** Score = 4/5. Many libraries offer a French horn ensemble within their menu of brass sections, but this is the first horns-only release we've come across.

**** Score = 4 stars. AMG add to their growing Catalyst series of sample libraries with this two CD collection.

**** 4/5. Bardstown Audio has collected together nine classic accordions in this two-CD Giga-format collection, and all are sampled from instruments made in the 1950s, when they were hand-made to high standards.

***** 5/5. Zero-G have reworked the entire contents of their extensive library into a single, three-CD Refill package for use with Reason, providing over 9000 individual samples.

**** 4/5. Da Nu Hiphop Era is a two-CD set (both audio) made up of 27 construction kits.

Score = **** 4/5 stars. Cool Vibes consists of a single GIG file containing 80 patches organised into 16 instruments, each with five stereo placements.