Sample Libraries

The Vienna samplemeisters expand their Synchron orchestral range.

Rating **** 4/5 Stars. While Fractured Strings is a fully paid‑up product, Broken Strings is a freely available instrument, with samples drawn from a warped‑Nyckelharp and a broken Autoharp.

Rating **** 4/5 Stars. Auddict are back with a further library that uses the PercX engine: Raw Drum Kits, aimed more at songwriter/producer types.

Rating **** 4/5 Stars. As with its predecessor, this toolkit lacks any rhythmic material, but its astonishing sounds are well worth the entry price.

Rating ***** 5/5 Stars. DEEP’s drum sample content and collections of drum pattern style sets give it a distinct musical flavour within the UJAM drum line‑up.

Luftrum offer some found sounds as a cure for lost inspiration.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Acousmatic Engine explores future retro and Gothic‑influenced sound design to conjure a world of dank cellars, flickering lightbulbs and leering spectral apparitions.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. This is a very unusual expansion kit, steering well clear of the more familiar electronic drum sounds in favour of something rather more experimental.

Rating: **** 4.5/5 Stars. Sudden Audio describe this package as ‘strings reimagined’, setting this sampled‑suite apart from the more usual orchestral or solo string bundles.

Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars. Soniccouture have given this musical treasure the five‑star treatment it deserves...

UJAM and Hans Zimmer attempt to make creating professional string parts possible for everyone with Striiiings.

Orchestral Tools beef up their Berlin orchestra with a full‑size symphonic string instrument.

Auddict’s innovative orchestral strings library marks the legacy of a top London studio.

ZoneMatrix transforms a single instance of Kontakt into a multi‑instrument performance environment.