SAMPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS

We weigh up the current crop of soundware services

/ With more and more monthly soundware services on the rise, which one is best? We sign up and put four options to the test Producers take the use of audio files for granted. Primitive hardware samplers were bulky, fiddly to program, and only allowed a limited amount of sound storage. Skip to today, and the software sampler is an effortless part of the computer musician’s setup. And let’s not forget DAWs, which all allow you to chop, sequence, pitch and manipulate an unlimited number of audio files using intuitive editing tools.

Back in those early days of hardware sampling, loops and one-shots were usually ripped directly from other artists’ records, but as the copyright claims came flooding in, it became apparent that there was a market for purpose-made loops, drum hits and synth recordings that could be used to construct new tracks without those legal hassles. To cater to this demand, the sample CD was born, with seminal libraries providing rich sources of sounds for producers, paving the way for a whole new industry: sound ware. Physically-distributed packs are less common now, of course, and soundware companies now offer their products as digital downloads.

In today’s on-demand digital age, many of us pay monthly subscriptions to stream music, TV and movies from the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and Netflix, and soundware companies have started adopting similar models for purchasing and downloading samples from the cloud. These subscription services offer either unlimited access for a monthly fee, payment per sample via a credit system, or a combo of the two. And with industry heavyweights such as Loopmasters, Native Instruments and Samplephonics involved, it’s easier than ever to fill your boots with a massive range of highquality sounds via just a few clicks. This convenience comes with many benefits, the main one being that you can pick and choose only the samples you need instead of having to buy entire packs wholesale.

To help you navigate this brave new world of binge sampling, we’re going to check out a heap of cloud-based options, running through the pros and cons of each, as well as looking at some creative ways of integrating them into your studio endeavours. It’s time to serve up a big plate of all-you-can-eat samples and tuck in!