Reverb has published a video tutorial on recreating the iconic sounds of the Blade Runner soundtrack, including the freely downloadable Synth Sounds Of Blade Runner Sample Pack in WAV format and project sessions in Ableton Live ($1.99) and GarageBand ($1.99) formats.
In the video tutorial (embedded at the top of this page), Justin DeLay goes over some of the most memorable sounds of the original Blade Runner soundtrack. He recreates Vangelis’ iconic Yamaha CS-80 patches in software like Ableton Live, Arturia CS-80V, D16 LuSH-101, and some of the more affordable hardware synthesizers available today, such as the Roland SH-01A, Korg Minilogue, and the Roland TR-606 drum machine. The video is well-made and worthy of a watch even if you’re not a fan of the Blade Runner soundtrack, although I’m pretty sure that the chances for that are slim if you’re even remotely interested in synthesizers and music-making in general.
See also: Free Stranger Things Sample PackThe included WAV sample pack contains 56 samples and loops in WAV format. It is priced at $1.99 but can be downloaded completely free of charge by using the coupon code BLADESAMPLES at checkout. The offer expires on January 1st, 2018. The included samples cover some of the sounds showcased in the tutorial, along with recreations of Blade Runner inspired sound effects, drones, and background atmospheres. These sound extremely authentic and are well worth the download if you’re a fan of the original film.
The session and project files for Ableton Live and GarageBand are priced at $1.99 each (discounted from $4.99) and need to be purchased separately. They contain the entire Blade runner soundtrack recreated with software synthesizers and samples, offered as a way to learn new sound design and song arrangement techniques.
Since watching Blade Runner 2049 last night left me feeling rather underwhelmed, I honestly enjoyed Reverb’s video tutorial as it provided me with a much-needed throwback to the original film. Something about Blade Runner 2049 simply didn’t do it for me. I believe that the problem was in the contrast between the film’s visual grandeur and slow-burning tempo on one hand and the substantially stale storyline on the other. The style and the sound design are a well-done evolution of the original concept, yet the emotional impact of the story falls short compared to Blade Runner and other masterpieces of the genre. I’d love to read your thoughts about Blade Runner 2049 in the comment section below.
The Synth Sounds Of Blade Runner Sample Pack is available for free download via Reverb (111 MB download size, ZIP archive, contains 56 audio samples in 24-bit WAV format, use the coupon code BLADESAMPLES at checkout).
