Audiolatry offers the RetroVibes virtual instrument as a FREE download for a limited time.
RetroVibes from Audiolatry is precisely what its name suggests. It is a retro-themed sample-based instrument. It features sounds sampled from various hardware and software audio sources.
The included sounds span across various types and cover all the common groups that one has come to expect – keys, pads, bass, pads – along with some brass and percussion sounds thrown in for good measure.
This instrument was designed to emulate the 80s sound, and it does a very good job of that. Since this is a sample-based instrument, you cannot create your own sounds from scratch. Instead, you can use the built-in filters, envelopes, and FX to tweak the samples to your liking.
It has a dedicated ADSR envelope, modulation options, effects options like reverb, and more. So there is definitely some scope for sound design. Beyond that, there is always the option of rendering the audio out and using other plugins to modify it further. Using retro sounds to create new, contemporary compositions is always fun. It plays on the nostalgia of these sounds and yet caters to the modern sensibilities of electronic music lovers.
The quality of the samples is high enough to be of use to professional producers. The temporary price tag of free really just makes the decision to try it out a very easy one.
RetroVibes is definitely not a very versatile or wide-ranging instrument. Still, it is good at what it was designed to do. Audiolatry has recently released its successor, RetroVibes 2, so this is more of a promotional move to attract some attention to this line of instruments.
RetroVibes comes with a 2 GB sample library along with 71 presets to play with. There is a velocity curve selector which will please most producers who like playing their instruments expressively. There is an option for tuning, which is useful for changing the overall pitch of the instrument while working on a project. There are options for voice mode and glide, making it a more expressive instrument to play with.
This is a VST/VST3 instrument that needs a 64-bit machine for Windows and also runs as AU on MacOS. It doesn’t seem to have native support for the new M1 and M2 processors on Mac.
It is free for a limited time, and it seems it might be discontinued because the new version is out already. So grab it while you can and take it for a spin. Download it at the official website.
Do you like retro instruments? Check out our free BPB 64 plugin, sampled from the Commodore 64 home computer.
Download: RetroVibes
More:
