Berlin Free Orchestra and UVI Sonic Bundle – Sounds and Presets
Plus a free 303 samples and sounds for the Roland JU-06A
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Berlin Free Orchestra · Source: Orchestral Tools
UVI SonicBundle · Source: UVI
Berlin Free Orchestra · Source: Orchestral Tools
Orchestral Tools SINE Player · Source: Orchestral Tools
Vaults Acid Synth · Source: The Crow Hill Company
Mythology · Source: ADL Music Lab
Orchestral Tools delivers us Berlin Free Orchestra and UVI caters for the subscription haters in this week’s Sounds and Presets.
Sounds and Presets
Berlin Free Orchestra by Orchestral Tools
Orchestral Tools is one of the most respected orchestral sound library developers in the world today, delivering deep, powerful and hugely detailed sample libraries used by some of the biggest composers in the industry.
Their flagship product is Berlin Orchestra, which, as its name suggests, is an extensive orchestral sample library made in the company’s home city of Berlin. Recorded with surgical precision and in incredible depth at Teldex Studios, it is widely regarded as one of the best orchestral libraries available.
Like most such libraries, it has been available in a number of versions, to suit both needs and budget. The ultimate Max version retails for €2,499 and features a staggering number of articulations, instruments, legatos, mic positions and dynamic layers.
Below this there are Pro and Full versions but now there is a new version and everyone can benefit from it. Berlin Free Orchestra is compiled from the very same sample recordings as its paid-for versions, so you know that the quality is guaranteed.
Naturally, there have been some nips and tucks, but you still get 34 instruments, 67 articulations, multiple legatos, with up to two dynamic layers and round robins. Berlin Free Orchestra uses over 6GB of sample data, compress to half that in use.
To download and use the library, you will need Orchestral Tools free SINE Player, which gives you all the controls in a bespoke plugin environment. This means there is also no need for a paid-for host, such as Kontakt.
And the catch? There isn’t one! Yes, you will need to create an account, but you won’t get a ton of emails. SINE also has a bunch of other free content available, so the Berlin Free Orchestra is not all you get here! The quality is undeniable, and yes, the idea is that you will be tempted to buy into the range at a later date, but this is an incredible library to have in your sonic arsenal.
Learn more about the Berlin Free Orchestra and download SINE at the Orchestral Tools website now.
UVI Sonic Bundle
UVI has consistently grown, developed and delivered an amazing array of content over the last 20 years, including sample libraries of vintage and modern synths, acoustic instruments, sound effects and much, much more.
On top of that, their flagship instrument, Falcon, is one of the finest software synth plugins available today, incorporating, as it does, multiple powerful synth engines and effects in a fantastic user interface with superbly scripted front ends.
A few years ago they launched SonicPass, a subscription service for their entire catalogue. For €24 a month, you get everything they have available and it continues to grow with the cost remaining the same. It is undoubtedly one of the best subscription offerings in the music industry, but not everyone likes subscribing.
Well, it appears UVI have heard this and is now offering its current catalogue as ‘SonicBundle’ for a massively reduced price as a perpetual licence. The numbers are staggering, but in brief, you get:
- 116 UVI products
- Falcon 3 plus 27 Falcon Expansions
- 11 FX plugins
- 78 soundware collections for Falcon/UVI Workstation
- 1,000+ instruments
- 37,000+ presets
- 2,000,000+ samples
This lot fits into 777GB so you are going to need some considerable hard drive space (SSD is recommended). You are free to install everything on up to three devices, with licensing being handled by either hardware or software iLok systems.
Whilst updates to the products are included, new products will not be added. If you want that, SonicPass is the best package for you. Personally, the subscription model is by far the best value, but I get why people don’t like it.
And for just €799, you can buy and keep everything UVI has. If you already own some UVI stuff, your personal price will be suitably discounted. Log in to your UVI account for your personal offer.
‘Vaults Acid Synth’ by The Crow Hill Company
The phenomenon that is the Roland TB-303 refuses to go away anytime soon, and what with it recently being 3/03 day, The Crow Hill Company have added another free instrument to their Vaults collection that captures the silver growler!
The story of how the 303 went from failed accompaniment aid to the heart of a new musical genre has been told a myriad times, so I shan’t bore you again. Yet the allure of this unit continues unabated, with countless hardware and software clones available to this day.
Whilst you only get a few, fairly basic controls, Acid Synth does a decent job at giving you that classic 303 vibe. If you’re all about Acid House and the 303, you’re already likely to have a more authentic clone, if not the real thing.
But if you don’t, and you’re looking for a quick and easy squelchy fix, this Vaults version won’t cost you a penny and should sate your appetite. Download Vaults, Acid Synth and all other available Vaults instruments for free here.
‘Mythology’ for Roland Boutique JU-06A by ADL MusicLab
Bringing up the rear in this week’s Sounds and Presets column is a nice little bank for Roland’s Boutique recreation of their classic JUNO range of synths, the JU-06A. This little hardware unit gives you the two best JUNO variants in the shape of the 60 and 106. <ducks to avoid the missiles from Alpha JUNO fans!>
I have a real soft spot for the JUNOs as I find it virtually impossible to make a bad sound on any of them. Roland got it just right when they created the JUNO and whilst owners of the first three examples may lust after some of the features on the others, that JUNO sound is unmistakeable and grin-enducing.
The JU-06A is a great little reminder of the original’s magnificence, even if it does lack two of the six voices the original JUNO’s possessed. And if you can put up with that and the small controls, you’ll likely be very happy.
And now there’s a new bank in town, courtesy of ADL MusicLab, entitled ‘Mythology’. It contains 64 newly designed patches that embrace all that JUNO goodness. This bank has been designed specifically for the JUNO-106 engine, so make sure you have that selected.
The bank contains the usual fare, with sounds covering leads, pads, basses, arps, brass and more, suitable for a wide range of genres including Synthwave, French House, EDM amongst others. Priced at an affordable €20, you can buy and download the bank right here.
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