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Unbiased, independent pro audio reviews.
IK Multimedia Pianoverse
From $14.99/month or $129.99
The Bottom line
Pianoverse and the current DLC pianos are versatile and beautiful-sounding and definitely deliver on realism and musicality. Whether you’re a pianist aiming to capture the essence of a grand piano or a music producer seeking genuine piano tones for your tracks, Pianoverse will have you covered.
Best Service Nada
$149 USD
Bottom Line:
Of course, new-age meditative music producers will be enthralled by this, and rightly so. However, there’s a plethora of discoveries to be made here for all genres.
Sonuscore Dark Horizon
$99 USD (crossgrade discounts available)
Bottom Line:
While Dark Horizon can certianly shine as a big and shouty bass synthesizer, its best role serves more as a supporting enhancement rather than a standalone instrument
EastWest Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra
From $19.95/m or $99USD
Bottom Line
Whether you are working on film scores, video game soundtracks, or any other genre that demands the magic of a symphony orchestra, the Eastwest Hollywood series is a must-have tool for composers and producers at any level of expertise.
Artistry Audio Staccato
$129 USD
Bottom Line:
Staccato is an excellent-sounding instrument with plenty of effective controls and experimental randomisation options.
Spitfire Audio Abbey Road Two, Iconic Strings
$299USD
Bottom Line:
While I have gripes about the interfaces’ needless focus on style over functionality, there is no denying Abbey Road Two Iconic Strings sounds fantastic.
Spitfire Audio Fractured Strings
$299 USD
Bottom Line:
At $299 USD this is not a casual purchase, but if you can think outside the box and use it to the maximum potential, there is a lot to be found here.
Spitfire Audio Mercury
$149 USD
Bottom Line:
Spitfire Audio’s Mercury is a definite success in that fills a gap in the ever-saturated market of contemporary epic orchestral libraries. I am confident any arrangement from the most simplistic to complex will be elevated by Mercury, which at this bargain price point certianly puts it into your must-own list for 2022.
D16 Group Phoscyon 2 AcidLine
$159 USD
Bottom Line:
Excellent sounding and extremely versatile bass synth, Phoscyon 2 should be the default centre of your electro synth set.
Spitfire Audio Albion One
$449 USD
Original review, January 2018
Bottom Line:
Flawless quality, excellent curated presets and very usable content. Absolutely one of the finest composer toolkits on the market, and as confusing as the product line up might be to new users, rest assured this is definitely the grand-daddy flagship and the one you want to aim for with your budget. Albion One…
EastWest Hollywood Choirs
$799 USD or from $24.99/month
Original review March 2018
Bottom Line:
I can see many opportunities to expand the Hollywood series, even within the vocal genre alone. I look forward to future developments with expectation, but in the meantime, I shall be immersing myself in probably the best cinematic choir library money can buy.