Sounds and Presets: Relive Classic E-MU and Ensoniq Sounds, Free Sounds from TCHC and Sonicware
And yet another new sound bank from GForce!
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The classic E-MU and Ensoniq sample libraries were, and still are, highly regarded for their variety and quality. You can still enjoy these sounds in the form of Kontakt/NKS libraries from Digital Sound Factory!
Sounds and Presets
Classic E-MU and Ensoniq Sounds from Digital Sound Factory
Throughout 2024, I’ve been touring the U.K. with a display at various synthesizer events such as SynthFest U.K. and Machina Bristronica featuring an example of one of every E-MU Emulator made, as well as an Ensoniq Mirage, Proteus 2500 and more.
The response we got on the stand was overwhelming and clearly demonstrated that these E-MU and Ensoniq machines are still highly regarded and still in use today. But not everyone can fit big, old samplers into their studio spaces. And the inherent cost and time of keeping these things alive is nothing to be sniffed at.
But you don’t need to worry because you can get all of these sounds and more as sample libraries, from a company run by one of E-MU’s former sound designers, Timothy Swartz. Digital Sound Factory’s portfolio covers not only some classic E-MU and Ensoniq libraries, such as the EMAX, but also those featured in their incredibly successful line of 1U genre-focused sound modules of the 90s.
Furthermore, they’ve captured a wealth of Ensoniq content too, particularly the expansive ASR library. All of this content is available in NI Kontakt and NKS-compatible formats and many of them are also available in other formats, such as Reason NN-XT, Soundfonts and Logic EXS.
Browse the Digital Sound Factory E-MU and Ensoniq libraries here.
Dark Ambient Preset Collection for ELZ_1 play by Dr. Yu Endo
Sonicware arrived on the synth scene a few years ago with their delightful ELZ_1 which offered an affordable alternative to things like Teenage Engineering’s OP-1. It sold like hot cakes and was eventually discontinued due to a lack of essential components in a post-pandemic world.
Undeterred by such restrictions, Sonicware’s founder, Dr. Yu Endo, redesigned the ELZ_1, gave it new, more powerful features and launched it as a small-scale project outside of the main Sonicware brand. Such was demand, and having sold out of its initial production run, the ELZ_1 play was recently brought back to life as part of the main Sonicware portfolio.
To celebrate this, Sonicware released an updated firmware with a raft of workflow improvements, plus two new filters and three new ambient-inspired effects. Clearly influenced by their recent forays into ambient music-making tools (see their Texture Lab and Ambient Ø LIVEN units), Endo-san created a bank of ELZ_1 play presets that can be had for free!
The Ambient Preset Collection contains 9 ‘palettes and 36 patches’ which have been specifically designed to work very well with the unit’s Looper functionality. Not only have they provided these sounds for free, they’ve even created a tutorial video on how to create your own.
Grab the Dark Ambient Preset Pack for the ELZ_1 play here.
Free Orchestral FX from The Crow Hill Company
The Crow Hill Company is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of innovative and excellent sample libraries. Head honcho, Christian Henson, seems to be taking the formula that worked so well for his previous company, Spitfire Audio, but delivering it in a more accessible and inspirational way.
It’s a great marketing plan to release great quality sample libraries for free that lead users into the Crow Hill world and encourage them to invest in that. Crow Hill’s VAULTS range is just that. Having been in beta stage for a while, it has begun to yield some seriously useful stuff, wrapped up in a simple to use interface.
Their latest offering, Orchestral FX, was clearly inspired by Halloween last week, so I apologise for the late arrival of this news nugget but these sounds should not be limited to use at that time of year. Watch their video for some inspiration when making scary music!
Grab the Crow Hill Vaults libraries, including Orchestral FX, from their website here.
Modern Pop for GForce Minimonsta 2 by K/V
Another week, another new sound library pack from GForce Software! This time, regular GForce contributor K/V have put together a range of patches for the Minimonsta 2. More than just a Minimoog-inspired synth, Minimonsta 2 is capable of so much more than that.
As I discovered when I reviewed it, Minimonsta 2 is a powerful, polyphonic beast with huge sound-shaping capabilities. It’s a synth that can cover a multitude of sins, from ear-piercing leads to huge, evolving, luscious pads.
K/V have decided to focus this pack on ‘Modern Pop’ which means we get a range of tones that have been inspired by, and designed for use in, today’s pop music scene. Whilst i might be some way beyond that audience in terms of my age and musical tastes, there’s no arguing that this pack contains some really well-designed patches that aren’t just for the kids!
But the Modern Pop pack for Minimonsta 2 by K/V at GForce Software’s Website.
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