Free String Cyborgs SFZ Library By Karoryfer Samples

Karoryfer Samples has released String Cyborgs, a freely downloadable bundle of three synth-like SFZ instruments based on a collection of processed cello and double bass samples.

The three sample-based synthesizers that are included in the bundle are called Blackheart, Zinc and Ironface. All three are provided in SFZ format with fully customized user interfaces for Plogue sforzando, offering direct access to sound sculpting parameters like filter cutoff and resonance for two different filter types, amplitude envelopes, vibrato, tremolo and humanize controls, and so on. Each instrument is based on a different set of multi-samples and features a slightly different control scheme.

Considering that these instruments use looped cello and double bass samples as oscillator waveforms, it’s actually quite surprising how many different types of sounds can be sculpted using the provided synth engine. Of course, it’s possible to create all sorts of string machine style patches and some really nice sounding pads, however you can also come up with a bunch of really cool bass sounds and leads with a bit of tweaking. The resulting patches (especially the strings and pads) have a nice organic vibe to them, with an almost Mellotron-like taste if you add a bit of vibrato and pitch inconsistency. The library also includes a set of 43 factory patches to get you started.

If you’re into this sort of stuff, you should definitely check out the previous Karoryfer samples releases as well. They’ve released over a dozen free sample libraries so far, ranging from fairly realistic sounding instruments such as the Meatbass double bass library to some really fun experimental stuff such as the Weresax saxophone instrument. All of their samples are completely free to download and available for use in both commercial and non-commercial music projects.

Audio Demo

Check out the String Cyborgs audio demo:

Download

String Cyborgs are available for free download via Karoryfer Samples (60.8 MB download size, ZIP archive, contains 224 audio samples in 16-bit WAV format, 43 presets for Plogue sforzando).