Beat magazine has released a new updated version of the excellent Beat Zampler virtual instrument which is now also available as a 64-bit VST/AU plugin for Mac OS X. In addition, a new free sound bank called Black Venom has just been released as well.
The new version of Zampler brings 64-bit compatibility on Mac OS and a redesigned user interface with a modern looking dark skin. The core functionality hasn’t changed at all, so the new version should remain fully compatible with your old Zampler projects, regardless of the platform.
Apart from the new version of the plugin itself, Beat magazine has also released a new free sound bank for Zampler, featuring 750 MB of royalty free sounds for use in techno, electro, dubstep, etc. The sound bank, called Black Venom, contains 36 new patches designed by Beat magazine’s own Marco Scherer. These are top notch, production ready patches and they’re pretty much a must have if you produce modern electronic music. This article could have been published 20 minutes sooner, however I ran into this brilliant patch called “LD In The House” while testing the new sound bank, resulting in an unplanned jamming session.
In case you’re not already familiar with Zampler, here are some of the instrument’s highlight features. It can load SFZ and REX/RX2 patches, it features a built-in arpeggiator, a 12-slot modulation matrix, three envelopes, three LFOs, a multi-mode filter with keytracking and six built-in effects. Pretty impressive for a freeware sampler! Besides, I’ve always liked Zampler’s streamlined workflow and its synth-like user interface. After all, the plugin was developed by Synapse Audio, the company behind the excellent DUNE synthesizer.
Zampler is my go-to tool for loading simple SFZ patches, because it makes it easy to quickly modify the volume envelope, as well as to add a bit of modulation and slap some great sounding effects on top. It can transform a simple SFZ patch into a complex sound in a matter of seconds. Best of all, it can be downloaded completely free of charge from the website linked below, no registration required.
Zampler is available for free download via Beat (2.33 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin formats for Windows & Mac).
Last Updated on September 23, 2016 by Tomislav Zlatic.
