Free Orion ROMpler plugin gives you 3GB of sounds to play

A constellation of sounds.
A constellation of sounds.

Everyone needs a workhorse sound module - something to call on when you're at the songwriting stage and just need to load up stock sounds quickly - and now you can download one for free in the shape of SampleScience's Orion.

Using 3GB of public domain samples, the sonic bases covered include pianos, basses, percussion, world instruments, analogue synthesizers and modular synths. There aren't a great many editing features to speak of (though you do get an ADSR envelope and a Glide control), but simplicity is the watchword here.

Orion can be download for free from the SampleScience website and comes in VST/AU formats. The plan is for expansion packs to be released for it in the future.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.