Samples of the week: MEGA Sampler, Resonate, ZX Spectrum, Freebies
Here comes Samples of the week! Plugin Alliance released its first PA-branded plug-in and it’s called MEGA Sampler! Next, Spitfire Audio dropped Resonate, a cinematic percussion library worthy of the developer’s name. Soundpaint turned to the sounds of the ZX Spectrum, a computer that was popular in the 80s and had a 1-bit sound chip. BeatSkillz released a new virtual instrument featuring sounds inspired by New Age artists of the 80s and 90s. Heavyocity brought in an all-new drum kit powered by the DAMAGE 2 engine. It sounds ridiculously massive!
As for freebies, SampleScience once again turned in a free sample pack for everyone while Third Man On The Moon offered a small freebie containing sounds of the Moog Minitaur. Have fun and see you next week!
Plugin Alliance MEGA Sampler
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MEGA Sampler is a new sample player from Plugin Alliance. It’s being expanded with a growing online library with samples coming from the likes of Native Instruments. The German developer provided the initial 8000 loops. However, MEGA Sampler is not intended to be as deep as Kontakt. It’s the kind of instrument to facilitate competing with companies like Loopmasters and Loopcloud.
Still, you can load and edit your own samples onto 16 sample slots. The sampler adopts the tempo and root/key from the session. Various playback modes, such as loop, ping-pong, and reverse are provided. In Waveform view, you can set markers on the beat grid or loop selected areas. A slicing function, 16-voice polyphony, and one-shots will be added with a future update. Warping is already possible at different quality levels.
A selection of different filters is available for each slot, with algorithms coming from several PA plug-ins. Same goes for effects from pedal emulations.
MEGA Sampler is part of the Forever 29 subscription bundle, which costs USD 30 per month and offers various extras, such as an online mastering service and the option to buy a plug-in every month for a dollar.
Spitfire Audio Resonate
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Resonate isn’t just about percussion, it’s also about resonance – the sounds created after the initial strike. According to Spitfire Audio, there is a lot of magic in reverberation and resonance which the developer wants to capture. It hired percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie to play barrels, water tanks, kettledrums, and thundersheets. Some “instruments” were also bowed and ran through effects to generate new sounds and textures.
The instrument offers 49 playable sounds, 14 signal paths, and 6 effects. There are also unusual microphone positions, such as underwater mics, mics placed under (or even inside) the instruments, and so on.
Resonate works standalone under macOS (10.13 to 12) and Windows (7, 8, 10, 11). Until June 30 2022, you will pay EUR 179 instead of EUR 249.
Soundpaint ZX Spectrum Samples
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Soundpaint honored the small black computer with a 1-bit sound chip by producing a library with 106 patches and 122 parts. The effort took 18 months of working together with ZX Spectrum expert Andy Jenkinson. In addition to pads, leads, arps, drums, and other synth sounds, there are also voice samples created with the special Currah extension. There are also recordings of the pure oscillators that let you create your own sounds which would not be possible on the hardware. Really cool library!
The SDS Edition contains over 3900 samples and costs USD 20. The UDS Edition comes with 14,200+ samples and costs USD 40. The libraries work in the free Soundpaint Engine software which works in VST, AU, or standalone formats under Windows and macOS.
BeatSkillz Zodiac
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BeatSkillz released a new virtual instrument featuring sounds inspired by New Age artists of the 80s and 90s, such as Enigma, DeepForest, Vangelis, Enya, and others. All sounds are either sampled or generated using BeatSkillz’s own synthesis and effects engine.
Zodiac is available in VST3, AU, and AAX plug-in formats for Windows and Mac. It’s on sale via Plugin Boutique for EUR 37, down from EUR 75.
Heavyocity Damage Drum Kit
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Heavyocity produced an all-new, massive drum kit meant for epic and aggressive sounds for modern music and scoring. The explosive drum sounds are run through Heavyocity’s signal chain for powerful, punchy drive. The library contains over 23,800 samples organized in 25 kits which you can easily customize.
Damage Drum Kit works in Kontakt 6.7.1 (Player or Full) and later. The introductory price is USD 99.
Free samples: SampleScience Circuit Bend Loops
Circuit bending involves modifying and bridging circuits to do things their designers didn’t necessarily intend. A popular subject are toys that make noises and sounds. To that, SampleScience gutted a toy fire engine, modified it with new cables and switches, and produced 34 samples (23 loops and 11 one-shots).
Free samples: Third Man On The Moon Minitaur Bass FREE
Just like its big predecessor, the Taurus, the Moog Minitaur is a real bass monster. Minitaur Bass FREE is a sample instrument based on the mighty little synth. You can use the included samples to build your own patches in your favorite sampler, or spend a few euros on the larger package. If you like the taste of it, it may be worthwhile!
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