Before buying any new sample library we ask ourselves two questions; does this new library bring anything new to the table? And, two – how much space will it swallow up? From expansive suites of delicately performed (and recorded) instruments, to those deep samplemangling creative tools that inspire you to craft new sounds from pre-recorded materials, this year many have passed that test.
We’ll kick off with one of our favourite releases of the year, Steinberg’s HALion 7, the mammoth sample-and-sound-design-friendly instrument that’s really a joy to use when processing or creating your own samples, or when you’re harnessing its internal VIs to generate new textures. While at its core, HALion remains the humble sampler first seen in 2001, version 7 introduced deeper FM synthesis options via FM Zone as well as the new Spectral Zone, granting us the ability to pitch and timeshift with ease. Summarising our review, we stated that, “HALion seems to have been around forever, which could also mean you overlook it as a relevant sound design tool in 2023. The truth is, it’s still one of the most feature-packed ecospheres out there. Ignore it at your peril”. What of those aforementioned curated libraries of playable sounds that blew us away this year? While many releases in the orchestral domain played it relatively safe, the likes of Spitfire Audio’s increasingly expanding Abbey Road series as well as Orchestral Tools Salu, Drones and Peteris Vasks Strings became new firm favourites. For us though, the latter’s most interesting, and fun, release this year came in the form of vintage toy and instrument collection, Abacus. Curated by Richard Harvey, it put a smile on our face with its charming assemblage of unusual sounds, from old school children’s toys to metallic instruments.