Applied Acoustics Releases AAS Free Masala Preview Pack (WAV)

Applied Acoustics announced the release of AAS Free Masala Preview Pack, a free collection of ethnic string instrument samples based on their latest AAS Masala (priced at $19 for a limited time only) sound library for the free AAS Player and the String Studio VS-2 ($99) virtual instrument.

AAS Free Masala Preview Pack contains a set of 42 samples based on a selection of presets from the full release. The sounds are provided as rendered one-shot samples in WAV format, with 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit variants of each sample (both 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz options are provided as well). This means that the sample pack is compatible with virtually any sampler instrument on the market, from software ones like Kontakt and EXS24 to hardware devices like NI Maschine and the Akai MPC product line.

See also: Best FREE Sampler VST/AU Plugins For PC & Mac!

The included sounds cover a range of plucks, drones, bass sounds, and percussive hits made with the String Studio VS-2 virtual instrument. Going through the sounds, I was absolutely certain that they were sampled from real ethnic string instruments as the sound is very organic and true to life. The fact that these were actually sampled from a virtual synthesizer came as quite a surprise. My only, very minor, complaint is that the freebie pack doesn’t include any pre-made sampler presets. You will need to create mappings for these sounds manually in your sampler instrument of choice. Other than that, the freebie pack is more than worth the download if you’re looking to add some high-quality ethnic string sounds to your arsenal.

As for the full version of AAS Masala, it is currently on sale for just $19 (list price is $39). It cotains a total of 101 editable presets (unlike the one-shot samples in the freebie pack) that are fully compatible with the free AAS Player plug-in and, of course, the String Studio VS-2 synthesizer. Get more info about the full product and the freebie pack at the product page linked below. A valid email address is requried to download the freebie.

AAS Free Masala Preview Pack is available for free download via Applied Acoustics (123 MB download size, ZIP archive, contains 42 audio samples in 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit WAV format).