Sounds and Presets: Tap Into Trevor Horn’s Impressive Library
Also, save on KORG presets and sounds for the Poly KB III
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Trevor Horn is one of the most influential producers of the last 40 years. Now you can access some of his most prized sounds for less!
This week we’re taking a bit of a cinematic approach to some great sounds and presets with some huge, wide and broad timbres to give your music that widescreen effect. And where better to start than with the producer who manages to create huge amounts of space for every instrument to shine in, the legend that is Trevor Horn.
Table of Contents
Solar by Spitfire Audio – Trevor Horn’s Jupiter & Chas Smith’s Mercury
Solar is a platform created by Spitfire Audio upon which they want to bring us a vast array of sounds and textures powered by tools that allow the end user to tweak and combine sounds from each library that uses it. The first Solar library was provided by Trevor Horn and the latest is made in conjunction with Chas Smith.
Jupiter has nothing to do with the Roland synth that bears the same name. Instead, it is a collection of sounds and textures gleaned from Trevor’s collection of synths, drum machines, bass and piano samples, as well as a range of stingers and what Trevor calls “gimmicks”. These sounds can be played dry or with a range of period reverbs, tape saturation and modulation FX.
Mercury is quite different. Chas Smith may not be a name you’re familiar with, but his completely and utterly unique sound sculptures are things you will definitely have heard. From Dune to Interstellar, Saw to The Hunger Games, this collection features over 600 sounds, all powered by the Solar plugin.
Each of the fourteen sculptures captured here brings its own sonic character and you can now have the sounds used by the likes of Trevor Horn’s mate, Hans Zimmer, and Charlie Clouser at your fingertips. Whatever the genre you are working in, Mercury will give you something that no other instrument or sample library can.
Both Jupiter and Mercury are on sale during the month of August 2024 with 35% off each.
KORG minilogue Sound Packs Vol.8: minilogue bass – 50% off!
KORG’s ‘logue instruments have become permanent fixtures in many people’s studios, delivering analog tones in compact, easy-to-use packages. The minilogue stands out particularly as it delivers a sound that betrays its petite size. Nearly two years ago, KORG introduced the minilogue bass, a limited edition unit that had a new look and plenty of low-end presets.
It was, however, just a re-skinned minilogue, so the new patches work just as well on this as they do on the original minilogue.
Now, with 50% off for a limited time, KORG’s Vol.8 of the Sound Packs series gives you 100 presets designed by synth programmers and professional bass players. All of these sounds can be adjusted and tweaked to taste and saved in the minilogue’s user patch memories.
But hurry! The pack is on sale for just $7.50 until August 18th 2024, after which it will revert to $15.
Celestial Resonance for Arturia Pigments by Rocky Mountain Sounds
Arturia’s Pigments is a stunningly good synthesizer and every self-respecting synthesist should have a copy. It’s an incredibly versatile, visual and rewarding synth to use, whether you’re heavily into sound design or, like me, a preset junkie!
Celestial Resonance is a bank of sounds for Pigments, or Analog Lab Pro which features Pigments capabilities. Exploring sounds and tones inspired by the celestial heavens, Rocky Mountain Sounds claim that this bank transports you to the vast emptiness of space. Given that in space, no one can hear you even scream, that might not be the best tag line!
However, back here on earth, these sound amazing and what makes them even more out of this world is the ‘Sonic Summer Sale’ that RMS currently have on, meaning that you can pick this bank up for just $12! Better yet, the bank comes with some extra patches for Unify, which allows you to use that host’s unique abilities to get even more cosmic, man!
Reach for the stars and grab Celestial Resonance for just $12 in Rocky Mountain Sounds Sonic Summer Sale.
Scoring Moods for Xils-Labs PolyKB III – Brighter & Darker
Rounding off this week’s column, we have a couple of patch libraries for XILS-Labs rather good PolyKB III. Created by Daniel Stawczyk, each pack aims to deliver a set of atmospheric and evocative sounds, ideal for game, movie or TV soundtracks.
As their names suggest, each bank is either brighter or darker with the former featuring more vibrant, pacey sounds and the latter delving into dark pads and soundscapes. Whichever pack you choose, you will find a variety of patches that span pads, arps, soundscapes, strings, bells and more.
Both ‘Brighter‘ and ‘Darker‘ are currently on sale for just €7.90 and even PolyKB III itself is on offer for a mere €69! Get all three for less than 100 notes! Bargain!
*Note: percentage discounts may vary according to your region and currency conversion rates on the day of purchase. Displayed percentage discounts are guidelines only.
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