Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Plugin Week 25
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Plugin Week A-Z
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
plugins
Tech "It's a stupendously powerful tool": 10 of the best sampler plugins in 2025
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
Software & Apps "This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
Plugins
Plugins To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
Plugins Future owns
Plugins Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
synths
Tech 5 innovative synth plugins daring to do things differently
Pluginweek logo
Plugins Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
plugins
Tech The ultimate soft synth showdown: Serum 2, Pigments 6, Phase Plant, Vital and Massive X: But which is best?
  1. Tech
  2. Samples

10 of the best new sample and soundware packs (March 2017)

News
By The MusicRadar Team published 8 March 2017

Loops, hits, patches and more

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Raw Cutz The Raw Cutz Super Pack

Raw Cutz The Raw Cutz Super Pack

The Raw Cutz cats are some of the illest hip-hop and funky sample makers doing it right now. Those unacquainted with their dopeness need to step to this mammoth release, which collects all 30 releases from the prolific label.

The sample artillery in this sonic ammunition store is enough to blow a hole in any speaker. Naturally, they have drums for days - the backbone of hip-hop, and 80% of many a big track. Not to mention enough dusty musical samples, bass shots, loops and hook-ready vocals to make even SP-1200 legends like Large Professor blush.

4.5 out of 5

Subscribe to Splice and download Raw Cutz The Raw Cutz Super Pack
 

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Mode Audio Fragment

Mode Audio Fragment

330 acoustic, electronic and ‘found’ drum and percussion samples, foldered by instrument type (Kick, Snare, Shakers, etc) and rolled into 12 kits for Logic, Live and Reason.

Fragment immediately nails its ‘tribal’ flag to the mast with the kicks, which are more rounded and resonant than the usual drum kit bass drums. The snares follow suit, the toms are enormous, and even the hi-hats have more heft than expected.

These are big, dense, intricately-layered sounds that no producer in any genre could fail to have an absolute blast with. Essential.

5 out of 5

Buy Mode Audio Fragment
 

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Zero-G Ethera Soul Edition

Zero-G Ethera Soul Edition

The follow-up to Ethera is a 1.4GB vocal Kontakt library packed with vocal phrases (“oohs”, “ahs”, etc), emotively and soulfully sung by Clara Sorace and featuring more in the way of actual words.

The Phrases and Phrase Builder instruments are the main events, the first drawing on 12 presets that map phrases up the keyboard for stretching, shifting, shaping, processing and stringing together; the second for creating phrases by arranging words and phonemes in a step sequencer.

Legato control and effects wrap things up, and it all comes together in an effective, capable package.

4.5 out of 5 

Buy Zero-G Ethera Soul Edition 

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Future Bass Generation

Future Bass Generation

1.6GB of tough, cone-shaking loops and hits for producers of future bass and related styles. We particularly love the 20 stemmed drum loops (81 files), which show plenty of rhythmic inventiveness, and the five Songstarter construction kits, from which slick intro/build-up/drop arrangements can be quickly formed.

The all-important bass loops are also up to scratch, but we’d have liked more than 35 of them, particularly given that there are twice as many synth lines included.

That’s a minor complaint, though, and FBG is a winner in all other respects.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Future Bass Generation
 

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Wolfgang Gartner: Signature Series Pt.

Wolfgang Gartner: Signature Series Pt.

This release forms part one of Wolfgang Gartner’s signature series, and gives us the keys to the cream of the production don’s very own personal library. Taking in cutting-edge sound design from the last eight years, it serves as a style guide to the dancefloor trends he helped shape, as flashes of electro house genius sit pretty with big room riffs, future house flourishes and tech house grime.

The drums punch like hell, and the rest of the loops and licks are as tough as nails. And everything, on the whole, feels like it’s been given a mammoth boost through a serious processing chain.

Also thrown in are a handful of selected stems from Gartner classics like Piranha, which is sure to be a selling point for many a fan. Recommend.

4.5 out of 5

Subscribe to Splice and download Wolfgang Gartner: Signature Series Pt. 1 

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Rhythmic Robot DX Keys

Rhythmic Robot DX Keys

Described as a recreation of “a single DX7 II Program Memory slot”, the Robot’s 840MB Kontakt library lets you mix two layers of multisampled DX7 electric and ‘acoustic’ piano patches, each chosen from a roster of eight: Piano 1 and 2, Ebony/Ivory, PianoBrite, KnockRoads, RubbaRoads, HardRoads and Full Tines.

The two layers can be detuned and nine Lexicon-based convolution reverbs and a Chorus control are on hand for completion of the ‘80s nostalgia trip.

Direct and to-the-point, DX Keys sounds awesome and is well worth the asking price.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Rhythmic Robot DX Keys 

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Sample Magic Vaporwave

Sample Magic Vaporwave

A strange ‘80s-influenced fusion of synthwave and urban vibes, the 685 loops and one-shots of Vaporwave have a sound all their own.

The Cassette Loops folder - ‘stolen’ recordings made to an old Panasonic tape deck - is well worth trawling. The bass and synth loops are also highlights, full of crusty digital and analogue tones; and the 15 Music Loop kits all work well.

On the downside, we did start to tire of the relentless reverb on the drum loops after a while, but that aside, this is a fascinating and voluminous collection.  

4.5 out of 5

Buy Sample Magic Vaporwave 

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Au5 Elemental Sample Pack

Au5 Elemental Sample Pack

For this cutting-edge dubstep collection Splice has let New Jersey’s Au5 (known for his releases through Skrillex and collabos with BT) man the controls. On his Elemental Sample Pack he brings the level of musicality he’s famed for, as well as his diversity, navigating the styles and textures of many a sub-genre to inform his own dubstep sound palette.

His drum hits are punchy and polished, his bass loops are growling and anchoring, and his pads dreamy enough without being airy fairy. Add to that a wealth of wobbles, plucks, leads, lazers, sirens, FX and synth lines, and you have all the elements you need to make your own dubstep classic. 

4.5 out of 5

Subscribe to Splice and download Au5 Elemental Sample Pack 

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Rankin Audio Tropical House Essentials

Rankin Audio Tropical House Essentials

A no-frills 525MB sample pack in the eponymous genre, Tropical House Essentials’ four folders of palpably sun-drenched loops take in foot-tapping drums, catchy basses, a diverse array of melodics (synths, guitars, pianos, tuned percussion, etc) and some heavily processed vocals.

Although we take issue with their use of the term “huge collection” to describe a total of 143 loops and 79 one-shots, this is a joyous library at a very fair price. Your house doesn’t need to be tropical for it to be relevant, either…

4.5 out of 5

Buy Rankin Audio Tropical House Essentials 

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Loopmasters Dimensions - Experimental Soundscapes

Loopmasters Dimensions - Experimental Soundscapes

At almost 5GB, Dimensions is one of Loopmasters’ biggest libraries yet, its 441 samples averaging about a minute long (the shortest is 16s, the longest 3m12s).

The core proposition is a set of 72 drones, soundscapes, textures and ambiences, but with more going on musically than that description suggests. You also get 20 of them broken down into multitrack stems, plus one-shots, including 75 brilliantly trippy Oddity Hits and 79 dubby FX hits. So much to explore!

4.5 out of 5

Buy Loopmasters Dimensions - Experimental Soundscapes 

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
The MusicRadar Team
Read more
plugins
"It's a stupendously powerful tool": 10 of the best sampler plugins in 2025
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
"This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
Plugins
To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
Plugins Future owns
Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
synths
5 innovative synth plugins daring to do things differently
Pluginweek logo
Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
Latest in Samples
nitzer ebb
SampleRadar: 205 free EBM samples
gregg lehrman
Output's AI-powered Co-Producer plugin chooses samples for you, but is it streamlining workflows or outsourcing creativity to AI?
robots
SampleRadar: 533 free MIDI orchestra samples
Moby
“I want you to just dive in, use the music, and see what happens”: Moby makes 500 instrumental tracks available for free as he relaunches Mobygratis sound library
splice
Splice acquires Spitfire Audio in rumoured $50m deal
Marshall Jefferson
SampleRadar: 267 free deep house samples
Latest in News
Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr names his proudest moment in The Beatles
beyonce album cover
Beyonce takes to a flying golden stallion on her last few Cowboy Carter dates
Billy Joel
Billy Joel reveals the classical music origins of one of his biggest hits
Exodus Gary Holt
"It might have been like 12 people there”: Exodus’ Gary Holt pulls zero punches in his new autobiography
blur and oasis
“I am happy to accept and concede defeat”: Damon Albarn just admitted that Oasis won
Jeff Lynne ELO
"Jeff is devastated": ELO's last ever mega-gig plunged into jeopardy after last-minute cancellation of last night's Manchester show

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...