While traditional studio recordings provide the luxury of multiple takes and post-production editing, capturing a live performance brings a distinct charm that’s hard to replicate. The unfiltered essence of a sound’s chemistry, the real-time interactions, and the genuine connection with the music come alive on screen, giving a taste of what it’s like to be front and center at a concert.
I don’t think there’s any doubt about. But how to do it that on a computer? Even in digital world you need “cables” to connect the audio output of your DAW to the software you use to record, whatever it is. If you are on Windows, the operating system will probably not help you and will make the use of an audio router almost essential, and you will have to have the patience to align the various software regarding Sample Rate, latency, USB buffers, etc. etc.
Furthermore, Windows has the unique ability to reset your audio preferences with each update, find out why. So if you had set your preferences manually you will find them back with the default Windows setting, which almost never coincides (for example, I record at 24 bit/48000 Hz but Windows regularly sets 16 bit, even if the sound card driver says otherwise). The worst thing is that Windows also resets the preferences regarding the so-called audio Exclusive Control, so something that used to work no longer works.
I mean, you’ve prepared your performance and all kinds of drugs are pushing into your brain and lo and behold, you press Record in your recording software and… error. “The recording device is not responding”. It’s not nice. Coitus interruptus of the worst kind.
But there is a way to solve the embarrassment: record directly from within your DAW. Fortunately, there are VST plugins to do this. Personally I use MRecorder by Melda Production, the free version.
Very simple but effective, with a series of options (some only usable with the paid version, but not essential for my use).
MRecorder interface.
It is a free plugin, downloadable with the MFreeFXBundle by Melda Production (38 free effects, not to be underestimated). And that’s the end of this problem. Put it in the main stereo mix bus on DAW mixer and live free.
Whether you’re just starting out with Kontakt, or looking to add some additional flavor to a well-seasoned library of your own, here are 100 free Kontakt libraries and instruments for your sound sculpting collection (from NI site).
With three wavetable-based electric pianos and 14 different types of wavetable algorithms, the Wavesynth EP Glow from Karanyi Sounds isn’t messing around. Sensuously sampled on a Sequential Prophet 6 and tastefully transformed into a rollicking Rhodes-like patch, this lushly sentimental instrument is perfectly primed for retro-future fun.
The SYNTH-1 Mini Collection from Karanyi Sounds packs an army of archetypal 80s tones carefully cribbed from 6 iconic analog synthesizers. Processed through equally iconic hardware at a price tag that beats the small fortune you’d have to spend hunting these vintage tones in the wild, this collection is the perfect pairing for nostalgic sonic explorers.
*The SYNTH-1 Mini Collection is currently unavailable. Please check in at a later date for updates.
Faithful, fully-functional, and fantastically free, Beaotic’s reproduction of the legendary 80s drum machine the LinnDrum LM-2 is a revelation in sentimental sonic expression: Control the start position of your samples via key velocity; add subtle pitch with the Oscillator Drift; or tweak individual edits in pitch, volume, and panning to sculpt unmistakably 80s sounds.
The Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe from Rhythmic Robot Audio features 30 superbly sampled patches from three different iterations of the iconic home computer. With an authentic SID Chip sound and a stylish and authentic UI design, this instrument can crank out everything from chip-tune drum kits to fat bassline synths, making it a must-have VST for crafting vintage 8-bit hits.
This experimental pack features seven authentically 80s-inspired wavetable synths. Unlike sample-based synths, which read a static waveform, wavetable synths allow stacked frames to morph from one wave shape to another as you play, resulting in harmonically rich asymmetrical sounds with a deeply textural and dynamically morphing quality – perfect for sculpting sci-fi patches, pads, and drones.
Vocal VSTs
6. Jacob Collier Audience Choir
Jacob Collier Audience Choir brings performances to life with audience samples captured from 22 different cities across the globe during Jacob Collier’s Djesse world tour. Get instant harmony with the chord generator function, blend different vowel types with the Vowel Morph pad, and conduct your own choir by recording custom motions in real time.
Piano Plugins and VSTs
Whether you’re looking for a heavy hitting sound or a delicate touch with your piano VST, we have some great free choices below.
7. Foundations Piano
Designed as a sound canvas for cinematic composers, this inspiringly lush piano from Heavyocity highlights the softer dynamics of a grand piano. These gentle notes form the basis of a textural sound design layer that can be manipulated to produce rain-like droplets or vibraphone-esque oscillations among even more unusual effects. An essential addition to any modern composer’s toolkit.
8. The Felt Seiler
Strezov Sampling’s Seiler was sampled from an upright piano with a layer of felt between the piano hammers and strings, giving it a warm and intimate tone. With a little massaging, the three different synth layers can be mixed and individually reversed to create otherwordly sounds and uncommonly wistful tones.
9. The 88E
Ever wondered what it might sound like if you tuned every single one of a piano’s 88 keys to “E” and played them all at once? Then Impact Soundworks has just the instrument for you. You can even stack up to three voices together, resulting in a truly massive sound that covers wide-ranging timbres from horror stabs to subterranean pads, and more.
10. Preparato Piano
Recorded in a Roman church, Xperimenta Project’s prepared piano samples are a celebration of imperfection. This experimental library boasts diverse tones from foreboding string scrapes to delicate repetitions and everything inbetween. For especially chilling ambiences, try layering convolution reverbs from both real-world and fantastical spaces and enter a rabbit-hole of sound design possibilities.
11. The Lobby Piano
Pianobook’s Lobby Piano is a small grand piano recorded with a variety of techniques to create sculpted layers of creative sound design picks and plucks. With 10 mixable articulations from hammers to mutes, it’s easy to combine the sounds to create your own bespoke timbres – or you can take inspiration from almost 30 presets that showcase the versatility of this uniquely playful instrument.
Percussion Plugins and VSTs
12. Jacky
Rhythmic Robot Audio’s Jacky features five combinable transistor rhythms with a warm, slightly gritty tonality. With five grooves to choose from and a simple two knob setup (one for distortion and another for compression) it’s vibey, minimalist, and great for copping those vintage rhythm machine sounds from old Shuggie Otis and Sly and The Family Stone records.
13. Taiko
The Taiko is a traditional Japanese instrument whose percussive sound is so powerful that it was historically used to intimidate enemies during battles in feudal Japan. Prisma Sounds’ Taiko brings these 6th century sounds into the 21st century with a 3 band EQ, ADSR filter, and an FX tab loaded with distortion, saturation, compression, and delay – all of which make this an exceptional instrument for driving, cinematic soundscapes.
14. Heritage Percussion
Recorded in painstaking detail with crisp 24-bit fidelity, Heritage Percussion is a free collection of 13 heirloom hand percussion instruments from Impact Soundworks. Create your own custom drum mapping with djembe, rattles, shakers, cowbell, cork drums, and clavs – each with adjustable tone and envelope settings, including open, muted, and rim strike articulations for the djembe.
15. Thunder X3M
Strezov Sampling’s latest entry in their Taiko Thunder series lets you assemble a diverse tonal palette from the twelve programmable percussion zones and tweak them individually or as a whole mapped ensemble using the pitch knob and transient controls. The impressive new engine also features multiple dynamic layers, round robin sample playback, three mic positions, and two custom vintage analog hardware chains – all of which can be seamlessly blended in for thicker and punchier sounds.
16. XoX Drums
Based on samples of iconic vintage drum machines, Autodafe’s XoX Drums features five vertical slots, each with different selectable kits of sounds. Boasting a jaw-dropping collection of kicks, claps, cymbals, cowbells, and toms, this free drum machine boasts an abundance of options for countless colorful combinations.
Guitar Plugins and VSTs
17. 8dio Songwriting Guitar
8dio’s cleverly constructed library was recorded with an ESP LTD Deluxe, an Epiphone Custom, and a Fender TexMex Strat, all plugged into a 1962 Drawmer preamp. It lets you trigger major and minor chord loops in all 12 keys, with four keyswitching strumming rhythms and 12 keyswitching effects. Ostensibly intended as a pre-production tool, its stellar sound and sonic versatility make it a great fit for any project.
18. Impact Soundworks Shreddage 3
Capturing a Fender Stratocaster in four articulations (Sustains, Palm Mutes, Release Noises and Chokes) over three octaves, and with up to three dynamic layers and four round robins, Impact Soundworks’ Shreddage makes writing mix-ready lead and rhythm parts a breeze. Up to 16 effects can be racked up from a library of 30 guitar-orientated modules, and the TACT page facilitates customization of the Sustain and Mute articulation mappings.
19. Pettinhouse Funky Guitar
The free predecessor to Pettinhouse’s Funky Guitar 2, this instrument works 450MB of Fender Stratocaster loops and one-shots into three separate KONTAKT instruments: Funky Guitar, Funky Guitar Strum and Funky Guitar Muted. The scripted interface common to all three instruments offers six different amp models along with EQ, overdrive, mod wheel-controlled wah-wah, and one-knob reverb, delay and phaser effects – everything you need to create vibey rhythm guitar tracks perfectly tailored to fit your mix.
20. KONTAKT’S Band Ensemble
Our own KOMPLETE START package nets you a couple of tasty free guitar libraries alongside a wealth of other sampled instruments, synths and effects. And there’s plenty of sound sculpting available via the Tone and Pickup controls, alongside powerful effects (like one-knob wah-wah, distortion, overdrive and compression modules, master reverb, and three-band graphic EQ), and fret and string noise for heightened realism. An excellent option for quick and easily adaptable guitar parts.
21. Samplephonics Ronroco
Though technically not a guitar (the Ronroco is an Andean mandolin), this inspiring emulation from Samplephonics features a sizable collection of tempo-synced loops in six distinct styles and a comprehensive array of chords at your fingertips for user-configurable MIDI triggering. Its distinct sound and exquisite quality make it a must-have for authentic South American rhythm and solo guitar lines alike.
Looking for a legendary lead to pump up your tracks? Look no longer! Boasting high-quality samples nudged to neverending sustain, this ambitious instrument offers up a wide palette of tonal options – with Cutoff, Resonance, ADSR and Filter Envelope controls, and independent volume controls for each layer – all perfectly packaged in a strikingly psychedelic interface.
If you’re in search of seriously vintage vibes, pianobook has you covered. This creative kit is actually two instruments in one: the first is packed full of the monstrous high-octane distortion that put the Korg MS20 mini on the map, while the second is flush with subdued sonics for lush low-key soundscapes – and both feature cutoff filter, saturation, reverb, and delay to take your effects-laden expeditions further.
Finally, an 808 that covers your ambient needs. Painstakingly processed through the Little Labs Voice of God Bass Resonance Tool, this avant-garde instrument adds an explosive, saturated quality to each 808 note while simultaneously generating celestial sounds in the lower resonating frequencies.
Test drive the world’s most powerful pulse engine! This slimmed down version of Output’s groundbreaking rhythm instrument combines fat analog synths and exceptional effects that are perfect for sculpting assertive arps, powerful plucks, and everything in between.
Experience the motherload of cinematic sound effects – from domineering drones and bellicose braams to action-packed impacts and newfangled noises. This colossal collection comes fully loaded with retro-inspired SFX sourced from vintage analog synthesizers, and it’s top to bottom tailored for trailers, film scores, offbeat excursions, and cutting-edge sound design.
A grand piano instrument with a polished sound and a very straightforward interface that offers Release Volume and Reverb parameters, plus an Octave Blend control that mixes in a lower octave for a fuller sound. For a simple, quick piano sound without too many complications this is a great choice.
Shimmer Strings gives you simple sustained bowed violin notes with a touch of ever-present vibrato. The mod wheel can be used to fade the instrument in and out, and Reverb and Octave Blend controls are also on offer to offer some sonic fine-tuning. Ideal for adding an organic layer to chord progressions.
Recorded from an original 1928 Steinway with its original strings, this fully-featured piano instrument includes Pedal and Release Volumes, a visual Velocity editor, convolution reverbs and effects plus some abstract morphing patches that take it into more esoteric sonic directions.
A five octave antique music box, Polyphon has a unique vintage tone that can be sculpted with Attack and Release controls, Low, Mid and High EQ, and a selection of seven effects. The instrument also features eight presets that can be accessed quickly from the main panel, making it quick and easy to get an inspirational sound.
A selection of dark and twisted sound sounds, Free Radicals includes bizarre ambiences, disturbing vocal effects, menacing hits, surreal risers and a selection of other off-the-wall timbres and rhythms. An ideal download for getting an edgy sound quickly.
Prepare to have your ears tickled by a huge pack of closely recorded, detailed sounds covering whispers, living creatures, foley, field recordings and ambiences. The quality of the samples is impressively high, and the nearly 4GB of content will provide you with a noise for every possible circumstance.
Domestic found sounds abound in this collection of percussive, melodic and atonal sounds recorded by the 8Dio user community in their homes. This instrument includes over 800 sounds and five Kontakt instruments, making it a substantial resource for sound design and straightforward foley sounds alike.
Dreamy drones are the order of the day with Ambient Guitar, a vast smörgåsbord of ambient timbres created with a selection of effects to bring out the mysterious side of the instrument. With tones ranging from ethereal atmospheres to morphing soundscapes and beyond, Ambient Guitar is a unique collection of organic sounds suitable for a variety of applications.
A tonal percussion instrument recorded with mallets, Smiley Drum is akin to a mellow take on a steel drum sound. With twelve separate Kontakt instruments included, covering FX patterns, rolls, hits, slaps and wet sounds, there’s plenty to make you smile if you’re looking for a chilled-out tuned percussion sound.
Abstract layered sounds are abundant with Free You, which features more than 300 presets each with three layers that can be balanced with the included mixer parameters. Free You includes rhythmic pads, textural melodic tools, stuttery rhythms, and other sonic delights that are sure to provide inspiration for those looking for something a little different.
Extensively sampled percussion sounds are available for free with Cajon and Bongo, which features recordings from small medium and large bongos, and snare and non-snare cajon. This meticulously produced instrument features recordings taken in two studios, with various mic placements to give you a supremely flexible percussion sound.
Recorded from a custom-made copper pipe instrument, Copperphone has a sound midway between bells and a metallic marimba. 8 round-robins are used to give the patch a natural, organic feel, and a bonus set of ambiences created with the instrument are included too.
Featuring more than 5000 samples, Mini is a huge collection of small sounds. Paper, hoses marbles, bubble wrap and dozens of other objects were used to create this library, which also includes a bonus set of ambiences and Impulse Responses for you to do with as you will.
Packed with epic and cinematic rhythmic sounds, Hybrid Rhythms is perfect for adding an edgy energy to your projects. The seven included each have ten rhythms that can be swapped between on the fly, and the instrument can be played by either triggering all the rhythmic elements together, or individually to customise the sound.
With sounds taken from ProjectSAM’s Symphobia series, The Free Orchestra has limited control options, but a broad array of instruments including basses, horns, strings, winds and everything else you could need for an authentic orchestra feel.
The follow up to The Free Orchestra includes new sounds such as tutti crescendos, dystopian bows, and warm ensembles, and at the time of writing its still being added to, so who knows what else you’ll find in there! The interface has also been enhanced to give you more control over the sound, making this an essential download even if you already have the original Free Orchestra.
The Rocky Mount Instruments Rocksichord is an electric harpsichord, used by the likes of The Beach Boys, Genesis, Dr. John, John Lennon, Sun Ra and Terry Riley. This virtual version includes all original stops and accents to give you the most flexible timbre possible, and a full effects section means you can tailor these tones to perfection.
Thunder Drum was recorded from a drum with a spring attached to the skin, which results in a continuous resonance through the body of the instrument when it’s shaken. This creates a noise that sounds like thunder, and in this Kontakt instrument every possible permutation of shaking, hitting and slapping has been sampled to give you a wild array of ways to create organic-sounding atmospheres.
Including samples taken from two music boxes, this instrument gives you Mix controls for both, allowing you to dial in the perfect sonic character. The patch also includes a filter with its own dedicated envelope, an amplitude envelope, and cathedral reverb with its own Mix control to get an expansive or intimate sound.
Inspired by the tape-based proto-sampling of 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love”, Tape Choir is a Mellotron-esque instrument based around samples of three male vocalists singing notes in unison. The result is an organic but uncanny choir sound that is perfect for creating angelic pads amongst other ephemeral sounds.
Also known as a thumb piano amongst other names, the kalimba is a westernised version of a traditional Malawian and Zimbabwean instrument. With its soft, pleasant sound this virtual kalimba is a great source of an exotic yet comforting sound, and it includes a built-in reverb and compressor to help you get the most of it.
Sampled from the very instrument used in the theme tune to the popular US children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, this virtual celeste has an enhancing, delicate sound. Perfect if you’re looking for an alternative to a regular bell or electric piano.
Packed with hits, stabs, textures, crescendi and glissandi, Tutti Free was recorded by a full symphony orchestra and has a powerful sound that makes it ideal for adding a dramatic edge to your music. Predominantly an atonal instrument, this is the ideal accompaniment to more traditional chromatic orchestral patches.
This electric piano patch offers an authentic sound with delicate softer notes, becoming richly harmonic at higher velocities. It includes customisable Tremolo, Drive, Chorus and Room effects, plus dedicated controls for Hammer and Release and some simple EQ settings.
An orchestral library with a huge amount of content, Vivace Legacy features 11 instrument patches covering chords, runs, crescendos, stabs and plenty more besides. Vivace Legacy gives you plenty of options to sculpt the sound by turning individual orchestra elements on and off at will, and also includes keyswitch options for getting a nuanced performance.
A festive collection of tempo-synced rhythmic and one-shot samples, Sleigh Bells is a surprisingly sophisticated instrument. Featuring recordings of six types of sleigh bells from individual bells to a 25 bell stick, Sleigh Bells will add a wintry feel to any project with ease.
Take yourself back to mediaeval times with this drone instrument that played an important role in musical styles from Europe, Eurasia, and large parts of the Middle East. Providing a rich bed for melody instruments to perform over, the hurdy gurdy has a distinctive sound brimming with historical flavour.
Bringing you all the fun of the fair, Carousel is an authentically recorded fairground organ instrument with an unexpected amount of depth, giving you control over the ten registers with level settings, octave offsets and a tutti mode to give you the pipes of your dreams.
Easy to use but with a great deal of control, Minimalist Violins Legato Free has a polished sound and allows you to mix three microphone sources to get just the right tone. Delivering both fantastic legato lines and chords, this is a great download for realistic-sounding strings.
56. Strezov The Creative ToolboX: Steinway Grand Piano
A beautiful, crystal clear-sounding Steinnway with an unfussy interface, The Creative ToolboX: Steinway Grand Piano nevertheless gives you a good deal of control over its sound with three sets of microphones to mix, plus EQ, pedal noise, stereo width and room reverb controls.
57. Strezov The Creative ToolboX: Drums and Percussion
A useful collection of bread and butter drum and percussion sounds, this instrument features three patches: a Roland TR-808 kit, a drum kit, and a full-featured set of percussion sounds. These all offer comprehensive mixing controls and their straightforward presentation makes them easy to use.
Offering piano, double bass and two alto sax instruments (sustain crescendo and legato flutter), Diamond Jazz Trio Free is a convenient one-stop-shop for jazz sounds. The double bass is arguably the best instrument on offer here, with a rich, punchy sound that sits great in the mix.
The xiao is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute, and this free version from Strezov’s JADE Ethnic Orchestra is very straightforward, with Legato, Overlap, Release and Reverb controls, plus the ability to mix three microphone sources.
The duduk is a double-reeded woodwind instrument originating from Armenia, and this free instrument brings its evocative sound to your DAW. Offering sampled phrases that can be played chromatically, this instrument has limited flexibility, but it sounds beautiful.
An uncomplicated male choir, Ancient Voices has polyphonic and legato modes, plus a Dynamics control and settings for Close and Stage mics and Reverb level. With just a two-octave range it’s not the most expansive instrument, but it has top-notch sound quality and is quick to use.
Intimate Strings LITE gives you three elementary string patches, a legato string, plus sustain and sordino polyphonic. The instrument has a limited three-octave range, but the variety of patches gives it some flexibility, and its sound is excellent.
Let’s talk turkey: Gobbler is a very simple novelty instrument that features up to five human voices impersonating our chunky feathered friends. You can turn each voice on and off, and there’s a Verb mixer for getting the perfect level of avian ambience.
Capturing and subsequently mashing up the sound of a vintage recorder/melodica hybrid, Harmonette isn’t an instrument for everyone. However, if you’re after unique tones its eleven varied instrument patches will bring you unexpected sounds that might just fuel your imagination.
Created using the unforgettable sounds of a squeezy toy giraffe, Atmoraffe is a light-hearted and extremely specific instrument that might be just what you need in some very specific use cases. It also includes a bonus patch Where Animals Go To Die, which features the sounds distorted to an ear-piercing degree.
An improvised drum instrument created with water jugs, Jug Drum Free has a big, tactile sound that could be employed to create dramatic drums, enhance rhythmic parts, or to beef up impacts. The patch features four octaves of sounds and a Reverb button.
An unforgettable vintage tenor recorder instrument, Ivory Wind offers legato, vibrato, Round Robin and Stage reverb options. Both mono and poly modes are available for all your playing needs, making it a great choice for those after authentic recorder sound.
A Canjo is a single string musical instrument made from a can, and is held like a guitar but may also be played on a table or lap. This virtual version gives you its authentic sound, and includes an arpeggiator for rhythmic can-based action. The download includes 14 patches, giving you more canjo than you ever knew you needed.
With its vague name, you might suspect there’s something mysterious about The Keyboard, and you’ be right. Originally an April Fools prank, this instrument features sampled sounds from an unplugged MIDI controller. So, if you’re after plastic tapping and scraping noises, The Keyboard has everything you need.
The Kitchen delivers the most dramatic kitchen foley sounds you’ve ever heard over its 14 discrete instrument patches. Everything from processed oven door slams to arpeggiated lamp hits is here, taking everyday household objects to strange new sonic places.
This 9GB download is substantial to say the least, but as long as you’ve got the bandwidth it’s worthwhile thanks to Roads MK II’s incredibly authentic recreation of the classic Rhodes MK II electric piano sound. The incredible range of velocity layered timbres its provides put it on-par with the best commercial electric piano instruments, making this an essential download.
Prepare yourself to fall in love with this soft and inanimate piano which uses 12 velocity layers to get its delicate sound. Including 18 IR convolution reverbs, LO.VE. Piano is ideal for creating romantic moods and perfect for creating soulful soundscapes.
A granular sample playback instrument, Korn allows you to twist the 20 included samples or whatever else you like into eerie soundscapes with its comprehensive controls. Ideal for creating drone music or soundtracks.
A pattern generator that triggers tenor ukulele, xylophone and guitar harmonic samples, Zement 3 creates complex harmonies and features a Randomize button for when you’re low on inspiration. With spooky-sounding Hall reverb and Delay, Zement 3 will take you for a walk on the aural wild side.
An instrument dedicated to making abstract soundcapes, Mad Libs Xmas allows the user to pick two sound sources from a pool of 14, and combine them with EQ and Church reverb to create otherworldly tones.
Make a drone of your own with Landscape. With seven layered source sounds and eight effects, this instrument has the potential to create sonic vistas beyond your imagination. If you’re struggling for inspiration, it features randomization features, plus an ‘Infinity’ mode that creates endless, forever-mutating soundscapes all by itself.
A bite-sized box of ambiences, pads and textures, Colors Free includes ten sound sources that can be mixed together to create haunting leads and chords. There’s also a dedicated source for noises, and a small but powerful effects section with Drive, Filter, Chorus, Reverb and Delay effects.
Leeds is a town in the English county of West Yorkshire, and as its name suggests this instrument was recorded from the Town Hall’s imposing organ. 3.5GB it’s pretty weighty itself, and it features six presets that range from a modest sound to literally pulling out all the stops. For striking organ sounds, this is a no-brainer.
Tuned Vietnamese gongs are the order of the day here, with a detailed interface that allows you to mix between mallet and stick sounds, add up to three syncable feedback delay lines, convolution reverb with 26 impulse responses to pick from, chorus and transient shaping.
Spooky pizzicato plucks haunt this free Kontakt instrument, featuring a Density slider that when turned up transforms the patch into something truly uncanny-sounding. A useful tool for adding a disturbing edge to soundtracks.
Standing for Extra Harmonics, Ext.Har is a library made from viola harmonics that can be played chromatically. Described by its creators as sounding like a mix between a flute, an organ and a cello, Ext.Har. is a good choice for those after an alternative to tried and tested traditional string or woodwind sounds.
Trap Gods is a quick way to get a bunch of workhorse trap sounds including Roland TR-808-inspired drums (naturally including big 808-style basses), plus leads, keys, pads, plucks, strings and more.
A convenient collection of urban-style kicks, snare, hats and percussion samples, Sounds From The Streets is a quick and streamlined way to make trap and hip-hop beats fast, and the quality of the drum hits themselves is great.
As well as a selection of typical trap drum sounds and 808s basses, Galaxy also includes 10 ‘beat starters’, instrumental, drum-free loops at various tempos designed to give inspiration to start your own track.
A gritty, primitive-sounding synth, NamoMod 7 allows you to morph between detuned multi-voice analogue oscillators and an early digital synth waveform that can provide you with a respite from the polished gloss of contemporary soft synths.
Offering a unique take on orchestral chords, this instrument features a full orchestra sound with optional extra low and high strings. The unusual part is that the chord played is either major or minor depending on note velocity. This can lead to some interesting results, and the chord samples themselves are big and beautiful.
PatchVault Taster offers a simple polysynth patch with filter, chorus, tube, amplitude envelope and tilt EQ options to sculpt the sound to your taste. To add expression you can adjust the modwheel LFO rate, and activate glide mode for portamento lead lines.
Recorded from an analogue metronome, Doctor 33 features four extremely lo-fi but charming percussive analogue splats, bleeps and ticks. The instrument includes a Tone control that can be used to filter these sounds to interesting effect, and it’s perfect for getting an old school analogue feel.
Sampled from an extremely venerable analogue rhythm machine, PanaRhythm uses round robin samples to maintain analogue authenticity, and includes three sounds: a kick, a hat, and a snare that can be played chromatically over an octave.
An exploration into nature-inspired acoustic-electric hybrid sounds, Hypha is optimised for polyphonic aftertouch and includes organic textures, atmospheric keys and mysterious soundscapes among its presets.
The synth sound of the 1980s is brought up to date with this preset-packed instrument. Dozens of synth-based plucks, basses, leads, FX, and pads are included, making Analog Dreams ideal for synthwave, techno, and anything else with an electronic edge.
A meditative collection presets divided into chords, FX, metallic, natural, pad, sequenced and synthy categories, Ethereal Earth is the perfect instrument for creating chilled soundscapes and relaxing ambiences.
This state-of-the-art instrument features a meticulously-sampled 34-string Irish harp complete with a swathe of keyswitches and performance phrases that will have you sounding like a Gallic musical genius at the press of a button.
The yangqin is a traditional Chinese hammered dulcimer, and this virtual version includes advanced scale, mixer and mapping controls, plus myriad keyswitching capabilities and built-in performances.
Foundations Nylon Guitar provides a great clear acoustic guitar sound with a clean interface, and if you’re looking for more esoteric sonic inspiration it can handle that as well. With atmospheric reverb and delay effects plus an additional texture layer that can be dialed-in plus an arpeggiator, this is a fun instrument that more than fulfills its remit.
Ideal for hybrid electronic-orchestral scores, Cinematic Synthetic Drums is crammed with epic percussion hits and devastating drum sounds. FX keyswitches are available to help you create the perfect feel, and an Ensemble mode allows you to increase the size of your sounds.
Inspired by a certain popular handheld gaming device from the late 80s, Super Audio Boy includes classic chiptune waveforms such as pulses, triangles, saws, and four separate voices to play them back with. Wave waveform can be tailored with pitch, amplitude and filter modulation, and there’s also an FX section with a reverb inspired by a famous home console.
The stroh violin is a self-amplified variation on the classic violin design with a resonating metal body and horn. This Kontakt version includes three custom-mapped articulations, with dedicated step sequencers for velocity, step length and attack offset. The perfect instrument for creating unique, rhythmic string tones.
An orchestral library created from public domain samples, The Alpine Project serves to complement other orchestral libraries by focusing on a wide variety of expressive solo instruments. With more than 1.5GB of samples included, The Alpine Project offers a comprehensive collection of brass, woodwind and string patches.
PRISM Drums – Lite Edition includes six drum kits: Modern Pop, Retro Pop, Trailer, Urban Legends, Taped Drums, and Lofi Drums. Featuring a straightforward interface with Compression and “Sauce” sliders, PRISM Drums – Lite Edition is a handy way to get some slamming drum sounds into your mix quick.
Looking for even more free instruments? Check out this list of free VST plugins.
“Audio cable types are some of the most numerous of any cable, with both the consumer and professional space packed with different options for different uses and different generations of technology.” says a extensive guide.
Even in an in-the-box studio you will still need some cables, for example for a microphone or for recording a guitar or keyboard, or anything else that requires a physical connection. Also, you will need USB and MIDI cables. Either way, you’ll soon find yourself in a tangle of cables.
But at least in the digital domain this mess will be mitigated: you don’t need a stereo cable to connect your synths and effects to your DAW, and that’s already a huge step forward in simplification.
Remember Murphy’s Law? If a cable can break, it will and leave you standing awkwardly amidst an eerie hum and not knowing where it’s coming from.
But you may need cables, albeit virtual, even in the digital world. For example, you have a music program that you really like but it doesn’t exist in VST format. How to drive it from your DAW?
I would like to build a monument dedicated to people like Tobias Erichsen, creator of VirtualMIDI. Its utility allows you to quickly create a virtual MIDI cable (more cables if necessary), and thus it will be simple to connect your standalone software (non VST) with a MIDI channel of your DAW and so all events can be recorded and played back even without VST. Really excellent.
Also have a look at all of Tobias’ other utilities, some are really useful even if more complex to use (a MIDI network driver? Really?).
If instead you need to capture an audio stream (for example, a singer who sings remotely on your base station in Skype) you will need an audio router.
Sound threatening? It’s just weird terms, it’s actually as simple as plugging a jack into your mixer or amp. Let’s see how.
Probably the most complete solution is the free and open source Jack Audio Connection Kit, which can handle both MIDI and audio cables.
With Jack2 you can also connect your DAW to OBS, thus opening the door to audio/video performances. If you’re already drooling, hold back.
If, on the other hand, you only need a no-frills audio cable, plug and unplug, probably the simplest and freest solution is that of VB Audio, VB-CABLE Virtual Audio Device.
Cable input, cable output and done. Just connect the right cable to the right place. All audio streams sent to VB-CABLE inputs (Playback Device) will be forwarded to VB-CABLE outputs (Recording Device).
In previous episodes we talked extensively about virtual instruments, or VSTs. But what exactly are they?
Virtual studio technology (VST) is a digital interface standard that is used to connect and integrate software audio effects, synthesizers and effect plugins with recording systems and audio editors (DAW). VST is basically a software emulation of hardware synthesizers, instruments and samplers, and often provides a custom user interface that mimics the original hardware down to knobs and switches. It provides recording engineers and musicians access to virtual versions of devices and equipment that might be otherwise too expensive or difficult to procure, or that are inexistant on marker as hardware.
There are many types of VST plugins, which can be mostly classified as instruments (VSTi) or effects. VSTi does exactly what its name implies, as it emulates different musical instruments so that the recording engineer or musician does not need to procure the specific instrument or find someone who can play it. Modern VST plugins provide their own custom GUI, but older ones tended to rely on the UI of the host software.
Steinberg released the VST interface specification and SDK in 1996. They released it at the same time as Steinberg Cubase 3.02, which included the first VST format plugins: Espacial (a reverb), Choirus (a chorus effect), Stereo Echo, and Auto-Panner.
Steinberg updated the VST interface specification to version 2.0 in 1999. One addition was the ability for plugins to receive MIDI data. This supported the introduction of Virtual Studio Technology Instrument (VSTi) format plugins. VST Instruments can act as standalone software synthesizers, samplers, or drum machines.
VST have a story: in 2006, the VST interface specification was updated to version 2.4. Changes included the ability to process audio with 64-bit precision. A free-software replacement was developed for LMMS that would be used later by other free-software projects.
VST 3.6.7 came out in March, 2017. A long story that make this technology solid and tested.
There are three types of VST plugins:
VST instruments generate audio. They are generally either virtual synthesizers or virtual samplers. Many recreate the look and sound of famous hardware synthesizers.
VST effects process rather than generate audio—and perform the same functions as hardware audio processors such as reverbs and phasers. Other monitoring effects provide visual feedback of the input signal without processing the audio. Most hosts allow multiple effects to be chained. Audio monitoring devices such as spectrum analyzers and meters represent audio characteristics (frequency distribution, amplitude, etc.) visually.
VST MIDI effects process MIDI messages (for example, transpose or arpeggiate) and route the MIDI data to other VST instruments or to hardware devices.
VST plugins often have many controls, and therefore need a method of managing presets (sets of control settings).
Steinberg Cubase VST introduced two file formats for storing presets: an FXP file stores a single preset, while an FXB file stores a whole bank of presets. These formats have since been adopted by many other VST hosts, although Cubase itself switched to a new system of preset management with Cubase 4.0.
Many VST plugins have their own method of loading and saving presets, which do not necessarily use the standard FXP/FXB formats.
Now that we have bought an audio interface, we need to think about the tape recorder, mixer, effects, anything required in a studio.
In a digital studio, the reel to reel recorder is part of the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
The digital audio workstation (DAW) has become the music producer’s canvas, a central software platform containing all the sounds, instruments, and tools they use for recording music (and other).
DAWs are deep, complex programs with lots to learn. Choosing a DAW is one of the biggest early decisions a producer faces. But what is a digital audio workstation exactly, what can you do with them, and which one is a best fit for your own ideas and interests?
Think of a DAW as a digital representation of a physical recording studio where you can produce audio for a wide variety of mediums including film, gaming, podcasting, music, UX, and more. The whole studio process is packed into one, the creative ideas in tandem with the technical. You can record tracks, build up beats, add instruments or vocal parts, then lay out the arrangement, apply effects, and mix the finished work all within one interconnected hub.
Today, the convenience and accessibility of DAWs have made them the most popular way of making music and editing audio — used by everyone from bedroom producers and songwriters all the way up to top industry professionals.
There’s a range of DAWs available that we will explore in more detail below, each with unique features and advantages. That said, common standards of design and compatibility can be identified across the different brands. Personally i use as DAW Presonus Studio One and Reaper, but it’s just because in my opinion they have the best workflow for me, the one that facilitates my personal way of working.
But all DAWs have points in common, find the one that best suits your personal preferences. If someone tells you “this sounds better than that,” doubt it. A DAW doesn’t have to “sound better” but allow you to manage the way you work most effectively without hindering your creativity.
We’re talking bits, they can’t sound better in one DAW than another. If they feel like they do, there’s something wrong with either your setup or DAW. There are lots of both free and paid ones. Find yours and learn to use it well, even reading the fucking manual. The DAW is the most important tool in your creative arsenal.
What can you do with a DAW?
1. Record, play and edit audiotracks
Digital audio workstations come with built-in viewport that allow you to record, save, edit, and playback audio. To record audio from external instruments or microphones, you need an audio interface. An audio interface takes audio signals and converts them into data that a computer can process, allowing you to record and edit audio in software based environments like a DAW.
An audio track in your DAW (in this case in Studio One, but is the same in any DAW)
Once you record, all audio is saved and displayed on the timeline, where you can cut, copy, and paste audio waveforms. From the sequencer window, you can easily mute waveforms, stitch them together, and crossfade them into one another, much like you would with audio recorded on physical tape.
2. Record, play and edit MIDI virtual instrumentstracks
DAWs also allow you to play virtual instruments (VST) for composing music. Virtual instruments and effects are software programs designed to replicate the sounds of physical instruments like synthesizers, pianos, drums, guitars, violins, trumpets, and more, or create completely new digital instruments for which there is no analog reference.
Most DAWs come with stock libraries of sounds, but they also allow for third party plug-ins—external software that can be “plugged in” to a DAW to enhance its functionality. In general, each VST has an installer that copies the needed files in the right place, a location predefined by Steinberg, the inventor of VST technology. However, many free plugins don’t have an installer, so you’ll need to place the necessary files in the correct folder by yourself.
Also check that the VST plugin is consistent with your DAW, a 64 bit DAW wants 64 bit VSTs, or it won’t work.
As you can easily imagine, a track in which the events you play or the settings of an audio effect are recorded is not equivalent to an audio track: another very important technology comes into play: MIDI.
Yes, your DAW can record two types of events: audio, such as from a microphone or guitar plugged into your sound card input, or digital in a format called MIDI. Midi tracks don’t contain audio, but a list of events such as how you pressed the A key for 1 second and with what intensity, and a series of other performance-related events. A example in the following table:
Before MIDI Learn, there were MIDI implementation charts only. This table shows how the Korg Volca Drum responds to various MIDI messages. The Control Change section in the middle lists the MIDI CC numbers and the parameters they correspond to. If you wanted to control the pitch of oscillator 1 from an external MIDI controller, for example, you’d set one of its encoders to output MIDI CC 26.
Don’t be scared, there’s no need to handwrite these codes. Your MIDI keyboard (you have one, don’t you?) will send the DAW everything needed to write your performance, just like when you use your PC keyboard to write text.
The enormous advantage is that, just like in a word processor, it will then be very easy to correct any errors, modify the execution, align the MIDI messages in a grid, manipulate the intensity of a note, in short, everything you possibly want to modify in your MIDI track. This track will faithfully send all the necessary MIDI messages to the virtual synth VST, which will play it using the sound you have chosen (any sound included in the library of the VST) and on the dedicated MIDI channel. All this events are recorded in the piano roll, vhere you can edit each note in very simple manner.
MIDI is so popular and flexible that you can find a lot of songs on MIDI format in many sites, where you can download a song and then import the file in your DAW, where you can manipulate sounds for better results for make the better cover never seen..
Midi events in piano roll view, the area dedicated to MIDI in any DAW. Any event can be edited yout editing the notes on piano roll. Very easy!
Sounds complicated but it’s not, just imagine a midi track as if it were text in your favorite word processor, and being able to edit each note as you would in the word processor.
If these concepts are difficult for you to understand, I recommend watching this video. It’s based on Studio One, a commercial DAW, but the concepts apply to any DAW.
Your DAW is not “only” a recorder, it also has a mixer to mix your sounds as you wish and VST plugins are not only instruments, but also sound effects of all kinds that you can apply to your tracks.
Mixer console in Studio One Each slider represent a track.
All this can be managed to get your final master in the preferred audio format and resolution.
There would still be a million things to say, and we’ll do it in dedicated posts. For now it’s enough for me to think that you understand how important it is to choose the right DAW for you, don’t follow the advice of gurus but get an idea by trying to work with one software and then another. The main functions of DAWs are almost equivalent, find the one that best fits your creative workflow, it’s the only trick.
