Finally, An Ableton Live Sample Pack Worth Celebrating

I’ve written about sample packs and a few pop up browser remakes of instruments and well, the amount of precision that has gone into this project takes the cake. SympleSound is so much more than samples taken from ancient or non-existent hardware such as the Roland SH-101, Moog Little Phatty, and Doepfer Dark Energy Mk I. The approach taken for tackling such a project is something very few people have the patience and understand to undertake.

Francis Prève, writer and reviewer for Keyboard Magazine, has a legendary understanding of synth design and carries a resume over a mile long in the subject. Having his hands with the creative sample process in Ableton, teaching classes in Austin, which in my humble opinion, have produced some well rounded students ready to take on the music industry (Medicinne, Tritonal and Buala to name a few), all while still pumping out a few tunes here and there, he fits the criteria for a near perfect candidate.

For starters, if you’re not an Ableton user, specifically 9.5 and counting, you might as well move along. These aren’t for you. This pack has been produced around the original designers brain in mind; capturing the instruments as much as the sounds. Below is some detailed information from the website on said samples with an FAQ page that goes even deeper into the production of these packs.

• Each library consists of 4 detailed analog instruments, 48 synth presets (24 with integrated effects), 4 versatile effects racks, 24 effects presets and 20 royalty-free MIDI loops that can be used directly with the collection – or even with other softsynths in your studio arsenal.
• All of the synths in the collection have been faithfully multisampled over a five-octave range at 24-bit resolution, so whether the sound is a classic bass patch or a retro lead, every instrument covers vast sonic territory across the entire keyboard.
• What’s more, while many of these synths were originally monophonic, the sampled instruments are polyphonic. Long sought-after Moog pads and SH-101 chord stabs are a reality in this new context. For the full story, check out our FAQ.

The image above is what all of the samples come in. Racks are a key element in Ableton Live and when used correctly, they provide an extensive amount of flexibility when producing a desired sound. Making this the backbone feature of the entire collection, along with the extensive use of Ableton’s MIDI clip envelopes, are an important aspect giving the user the option of test driving each sound before adding it the library and enhancing the creative process.

Mr. Prève even went to the trouble as to add an integrated help guide that goes in depth into every nook and cranny of the entire collection along with a Pro tips to help be a guide to inspire inspiration through experimentation.

As a grand opening of sorts, go to the SympleSound site through May 1, 2016 where they are giving away a free audio loop pack, taken from the libraries, and adding a 25% discount on all products.