SampleScience has introduced SampleScience Player, a freeware virtual sound module instrument in VST and AU plugin formats for digital audio workstations on PC and Mac.
SampleScience Player includes 200 playable instrument patches, making it the biggest freeware rompler instrument available today. The included samples come from various public domain sources and the license for each sound kit is shown on the GUI when its corresponding patch is loaded. In other words, you are free to use this virtual instrument in your commercial music projects without worrying about any hidden copyright issues.
UPDATE: SampleScience posted a comment with a bit more info about the included samples: “Only a part of the library is public domain. Some of the sounds have been designed by me (SampleScience) and are made to be used only in music production only while other sounds are CC 3.0 with attribution. To put it simply: you can use all the sound in your music production and the public domain sounds can also be used for sound design projects (commercial or not).”
With such a large amount of included sample content, it’s no surprise that SampleScience Player packs a whopping 2.99 GB of data when extracted. However, since the plugin itself is very easy on the CPU, the instrument performs very well even on lower-spec computers. Just make sure that you have enough free storage available on your hard drive to install the plugin. Speaking of installation, all you need to do is to extract the downloaded ZIP archive in your preferred VST or AU plugin folder and load the instrument in your DAW.
The user interface is centered around the preset browser which provides easy access to the instrument’s 200 presets. Positioned below it are the modulation and filter controls, along with the copyright info for every patch. The users can choose between two different filter types (low-pass and high-pass) and four LFO waveforms (triangle, sine, saw, square, and exponent). The velocity sensitivity and polyphony controls are also located in this section of the GUI. The lower half of the interface hosts the virtual keyboard and the volume ADSR, LFO, Cutoff, Reverb, Glide, and MIDI Panic controls. It’s also worth noting that every preset comes with a different background image, which is a nice touch.
As for the sound quality, SampleScience Player does a great job considering that all the sounds come from free and public domain sources. It won’t beat a pricey rompler like Kontakt in a head to head comparison, but the included presets are so nicely organized and polished that it’s really hard to tell that you’re using a freeware instrument. For a beginning producer, the SampleScience Player is a definite must-download. By the way, SampleScience is inviting everyone to send them your music made with the Player. The idea is to create a compilation of original music made with this wonderful freeware instrument.
SampleScience Player is available for free download via SampleScience (2.0 GB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin format for Windows & macOS).
21 Comments
Willito
onHi, I just wanted to add that SampleScience is promoting this plugin (SampleScience Player) as the replacement of the already well known Orion Sound Module for the users of this one, mentioning that the new player “contains all the sounds available in Orion Sound Module plus an additional 100 playable sounds!” in an email I got a few days ago.
So it might be good to consider this as an “Orion Sound Module v2.0” despite the new name for the people who already own the first; you won’t be getting a whole new rompler, but an improved/expanded version of the older one.
Pierre
onThank you for the review Tomislav! Just one thing though; only a part of the library is public domain, some of the sounds have been designed by me and are made to be used in music production only while other sounds are CC 3.0 with attribution.
To make it simple: you can use all the sound in your music production and the public domain sounds can also be used for sound design projects (commercial or not).
Tomislav Zlatic
onHey Pierre, thanks for the clarification and for yet another amazing free instrument. I’ll add the notes from your comment to the article.
Erwin Vomberg
onI have to give them my email because I had looked at it a few days ago and now I can see it only by giving them my data?
Are they nuts? They can shove themselves that sample library where they think would have the most fun with it. Outrageous i****s.
Tomislav Zlatic
onI’m not sure what you mean – everyone can see the product page and an email is required to download. It’s such a small “price” to pay for such a well-made tool.
Michael M
onI think I know what his problem is, I have the same problem. I cannot see the product page. I get this message instead:
You’ve viewed this product a few times already.
Once you enter the email address used, you’ll be able to access it again.
Neither of my email addresses work, including the one that is already signed up for SampleScience’s mailing list and the one that I am already logged into Gumroad with. . So something is wrong with that link, I believe.
Update: I clicked on the link in my email from SampleScience and was able to download this. The link from BPB doesn’t work though.
Tomislav Zlatic
onThanks for your comment! Indeed, I have now substituted the Gumroad link with the SampleScience link and it should work well.
Luke
onSame problem here
Borlock
onI just went to the site for the first time, and it said “I have already been there a few times”, so now I’m supposed to give them my e-mail address to see the site and product (which I have not even seen yet). The problem is, I just went there for the first time just now. I have not been there before, WTF. And as I said, I can’t even see the product. This has made me lose interest in their product since I can’t even get to their webpage without giving them my e-mail. I have never seen a software company do this before. This seems like “hard sell”, so I’m not interested in their product anymore and will not try again.
Tomislav Zlatic
onPlease try the updated link.
Griam Hoskins
onThis is surely a good package of sounds; yet it has No Midi Control of any kind, neither Automation, which kind of takes a bit away of this surely great sounding Rompler.
SampleScience
onAutomations is planned. For the moment, only CC# automation is possible, but it’s limited.
Freejay
onI’ve downloaded and installed (and donated :-) the new sample player and it looks to be 99% cool, but with one major problem. I’m finding the Release control in the ADSR envelope may have an algorithm issue or such. At zero setting, there is the expected noise from samples cutting off, but adding even the smallest possible Release value adds a very long reverb-like release tail (2+ seconds?) instead of a realistic short release. This of course makes most instruments completely unusable, which is sad as they’ve clearly put a lot of work into the software, an amazing free offering. I made certain the internal Reverb is off and no other plugins are in the signal flow, running in Reaper current version, Mac OSv10.12.6. Hope Samplescience will fix this.
Freejay
on*UPDATE*
I’ve received a thoughtful email reply from Pierre at Samplescience saying he is aware of the bug I describe above, that it is a MAC OS-specific issue, and that he plans to fix it in an upcoming release.
Also…
Thank you as always, Tomislav for the awesomeness that is BPB :-)
Tomislav Zlatic
onHi Freejay, thanks for reading! :)
Raven
onSample Science = Love
BTW how do i get a job in audio? I can mix and master and make decent house/hip-hop/pop. Sorry to ask here but is there a better place to get this kind of info?
Tomislav Zlatic
onI’m actually working on an article on this topic, stay tuned. In short, you can compose and sell stock music, do voiceover work, sell samples/loops, offer mastering services… There are plenty of ways to monetize your skills.
ratty
onHot Tip! If any site asks for your email before allowing you to view/download content, just use mailinator.com, just enter @mailinator.com then go to mailinator.com, enter the ” and it will show you the email with the access link or whatever. It’s a completely free tool.
Suresh Kumar
onJust a doubt, after a 3 night try. Does it work in audition 3? (Audition includes it in the unsupported list !)
Thanks in advance!
Bob
onI think this isn’t available anymore
Marc Croxx
onUnfortunately the link appears to be dead. Is there a place where it is still available to download?