MusicRadar

The No.1 website for musicians
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Tech
  • Acoustic
  • Bass
Magazines
  • Future Music
  • Total Guitar
  • Computer Music
  • Guitarist
  • Guitar Techniques
  • Rhythm
  • Acoustic Magazine
  • Bass Guitar Magazine
More
  • Gear reviews
  • Tuition
  • Best audio interfaces 2018
  • Best electric guitars 2018
  • Free samples
  • Learn Ableton Live
  • iOS music making apps
  • News
  • Tech
  • 10 of the best new sample and soundware packs (May 2016)

10 of the best new sample and soundware packs (May 2016)

By Computer Music 2016-05-24T09:47:00.144ZTech 

Corking content for your DAW and sampler

Shares
Sample Magic UK Garage
£35

Sample Magic UK Garage

Just in time for summer, Sample Magic brings us 1GB of noughties-style 2-step loops, hits, ‘Inspiration Kits’ and MIDI files.

The tight, crisp drums bounce and swing, the sonically straightforward basses are both funky and melodic, the vocals are suitably cut up, and the synth and music loops draw heavily on an array of classic digital and analogue sound sources.

It all comes together quite brilliantly as an authentic UKG toolkit that stays on just the right side of the ‘referential’ line.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Sample Magic UK Garage

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Loopmasters Bass Music Lockdown
£40

Loopmasters Bass Music Lockdown

Produced by Dabro Music, this riotous 3.2GB library of loops (from 70-177bpm), hits, multis and MIDI files for DnB, EDM and other ‘bass’ styles, represents great value, and impresses in terms of impact and stridency.

The drum and top loops include a fair few ‘variation sets’, but still cover a lot of ground thanks to their sheer number, while the bass and music loops are supremely diverse and imaginative. The one-shots folders are much more than an afterthought, too, being packed with usable drums, FX, synths and basses.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Loopmasters Bass Music Lockdown

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Big Fish Audio Sinister Strings
£47

Big Fish Audio Sinister Strings

A fun, quirky collection of 318 creepy string ‘FX’ samples for media production and sound design - think Hitchcock and horror films.

Divided into Cellos, Violas, Violins and Group (all three together) categories, each instrument has been sampled playing a rich variety of high-tension bends, slides, sustains and tremolos, and we particularly like the crazy ‘random’ Group sounds. A set of effects-heavy scripted Kontakt instruments is included, bringing more creativity potential (and convenience) to this brilliant, unique and genuinely useful sample pack.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Big Fish Audio Sinister Strings

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Rankin Audio Future Bass & Electronica
£35

Rankin Audio Future Bass & Electronica

Alongside 225 drum, bass, melodic and vocal loops, Rankin’s 4GB smorgasbord of funky, laidback electronica sounds includes six extremely impressive construction kits (each a full two-minute-plus track, complete with vocals), a ton of one-shots (including some of the most engaging snares we’ve heard in ages), a folder of natural ambiences, and 50 Massive presets with accompanying MIDI files.

It’s an expansive, cerebral library, the highlights being the superb beats and music loops, and the only disappointment being the paucity of basslines.

4.5 out of 5

Buy Rankin Audio Future Bass & Electronica

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Niche Audio Underground Trap
£25

Niche Audio Underground Trap

Underground Trap’s 15 projects for Maschine 2 and Ableton Live are well up to Niche’s usual high standard - 100% on point both compositionally and in production terms.

The Live pack includes 15 Drum Racks and 57 Instrument Racks, while Maschine users can get hands-on with 15 complete Groups. Qualifying as trap in the broadest sense, the 625 samples involved are applicable to other forms of hip-hop and bass music, too.

Versatile, affordable and absolutely slamming, this is a sonic resource that no producer of urban music should be without.

5 out of 5

Buy Niche Audio Underground Trap

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Samples From Mars SP1200 From Mars
$69

Samples From Mars SP1200 From Mars

To create this 1GB library of multisampled synths and drums, SFM sampled a variety of classic hardware (Juno-60, Polysix, DX100 and the full x0x-box range) into its E-MU SP-1200, and captured the SP-1200’s factory drum sounds to tape.

Everything is provided in Live Drum Rack, EXS24, Kontakt and WAV formats, the depth of multisampling is impressive (each drum is provided at between ten and 16 pitches, and two volume levels) and the sounds are gorgeous. Ultimately though, it’s all about the drums - the synths feel a bit superfluous.

4 out of 5

Buy Samples From Mars SP1200 From Mars

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Sturmsounds - Electro Turner Mk2
€99

Sturmsounds - Electro Turner Mk2

This nicely-scripted Kontakt 5 library is described as a “sample slicer/beat machine/remix tool”, but essentially, it’s a 5-track step sequencer with an integrated 270MB sample bank, keyswitchable ‘scenes’ and integrated effects.

The sequencers control everything from sample selection (awesome!) and triggering to pitch (with 13 scale options), pan, filter and saturation levels; and sample assignments, sequence contents and sequence playback can all be randomised.

It works well and sounds great, but it’s too expensive and the documentation is very poor.

4 out of 5

Buy Sturmsounds - Electro Turner Mk2

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Goldbaby MT40 Digital Dancehall revolution
$9

Goldbaby MT40 Digital Dancehall revolution

Casio’s MT40 is the ‘80s home keyboard that kickstarted ‘digital reggae’, with its preset ‘Rock’ groove forming the basis of dancehall’s famous Sleng Teng riddim.

This multisampled MT40 (including EXS24, Geist, Battery, Kontakt, Reason and Maschine patches) weighs in at just 190MB, and features all the drum sounds, the bass sound, and 16 of the melodic presets (Guitar, Flute, ePiano, etc).

It’s not the biggest or most versatile library around, but the drums are very cool, some of the tones really stand out, and that addictive Goldbaby warmth and depth is in full effect.

4 out of 5

Buy Goldbaby MT40 Digital Dancehall Revolution

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Zero-G Nu Bossa
£56

Zero-G Nu Bossa

32 polished bossa nova and samba construction kits, plus a good number of bonus drum and guitar loops. Stylistically, Nu Bossa is very smooth and clean, as befits the genre - to the point of being perhaps overly shiny in places - and while the drums are obviously programmed (presumably we can consider that to be the ‘Nu’ part of the deal), they sound great.

In fact, the whole thing sounds great, and any producer of lounge, downtempo and even hip-hop would find plenty of plunder among the bass, guitar and keyboard parts, especially.

4 out of 5

Buy Zero-G Nu Bossa

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Samplephonics Meta Beats
£35

Samplephonics Meta Beats

255 loops and 150 one-shots for trap, hip-hop and R&B production. The beats are menacing and minimalist with the requisite ticklish hi-hats, lazy snares and depth-extended kicks, and the synth basslines are simple but punchy.

Elsewhere, the Chords & Textures folder is full of interesting pads, beds and chordals, while the melodic loops are surprisingly (for the genre) pretty.

All in all, it’s a compelling, characterful, aurally satisfying collection, although we’d have liked a bit more for the money.

4 out of 5

Buy Samplephonics Meta Beats

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Shares
Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects…
…with the latest issue of Computer Music magazine
More Info

The best of MusicRadar in your inbox

Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials

No spam, we promise. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details without your permission.
  1. null
    1

    The BBC is letting you download more than 16,000 free sound effect samples from its archive

  2. 64,197 free sample downloads
    2

    Free music samples: download loops, hits and multis

  3. null
    3

    DJ and producer Avicii has died, aged 28: stars react

  4. Our top PC and Mac mixing tools
    4

    The 10 best DJ software applications in the world today

  5. Featuring Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase and many more...
    5

    The 20 best DAW software apps in the world today

  1. null
    1

    The BBC is letting you download more than 16,000 free sound effect samples from its archive

  2. null
    2

    Weaponiser – the ultimate virtual instrument for weapon sound design

  3. null
    3

    DJ and producer Avicii has died, aged 28: stars react

  4. 64,197 free sample downloads
    4

    Free music samples: download loops, hits and multis

  5. null
    5

    Tone makers - EarthQuaker Devices' Jamie Stillman: “The way I voice the pedals is just how I like a guitar to sound”

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

  • About Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy

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