Mention the maestro Vangelis and the Yamaha CS-80 will surely be referenced sooner rather than later. This week we check out a library that manages to evade that connection.
Vangelis for Omnisphere by Luftrum
Vangelis/CS-80. CS-80/Vangelis. Inextricably linked since 1976 and for the rest of all time! No single synthesizer is so synonymous with a single artist as the Yamaha CS-80 is with the Greek legend. He made the sound his own and his work with it is often a benchmark, not just of CS-80 clones, but of synthesizer music in general.
Buying a real CS-80 is not cheap. Nor is it easy, weighing in at 82kg/181lbs! But there are numerous clones available, both hardware and software. These are far more practical (and affordable) ways of getting the CS-80 sound.
One such way is this expansion for Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2 by Luftrum. Featuring sounds inspired from a broad range of Vangelis’ work, this 52MB expansion delivers a real essence of what the maestro was all about, with sounds inspired from more than just the usual Blade Runner stuff
The pack contains 115 presets, 90 of them being patches, the other 25 being multis. Citing Vangelis as a lifelong inspiration, this pack sees Luftrum really exploring his oeuvre and making use of Omnisphere’s capabilities.
Buy Vangelis for Omnisphere 2 now direct from Luftrum for just $39.
Wavestate Vol.12 by Marc Barnes Sounds
Wavestate, now at Mk.II has been a storming success for KORG, along with its modwave and opsix siblings. Regular readers of this column will know that I’ve featured numerous sound banks for it over the last year or so.
One particular sound designer I have featured is Marc Barnes. Marc is a superb sound designer who makes sounds and patches for a number of popular hardware synths but I get the impression he really loves the wavestate as this is Volume 12 of his ongoing series of custom wavestate patches!
Each volume is a compact yet meticulously curated collection of sounds. Volume 12 contains 12 custom performances and 76 custom programs that all use KORG’s factory sample data. This means that the pack is lightweight and requires no messy extra installs!
Each performance has at least six dedicated performance controls to it and the whole package is easily installed via KORG’s wavestate librarian.
You can buy Volume 12 for just £6.99, down from £8.99 for a limited time, right here.
Iron Mask – 50 Voices for the Kodamo Mask1
Quite bizarrely, Kodamo’s brilliant Mask1 synthesizer is still a lesser known secret sonic weapon. Whenever I play mine to anyone, they are always blown away, not only by its sound which uses a unique bitmasking system, but mostly by its ingenious articulation capabilities.
The Kodamo team, headed up by the brilliant Stephane, came up with a brilliant way to add a new form of keyboard expression by applying automatic note slurring between closely played keys. Sounds can have distinctly different characters in just a single patch. You really need to play one to get it.
Pulsophonic are big fans of Kodamo’s work and have produced libraries for the Mask1 as well as their EssenceFM instrument. Iron Mask is their second foray into the world of the Mask1 and it’s a great one at that. Fifty patches that include pads, textures and effects.
Best of all, it is free! Grab it here! And while you’re there, grab their other free Mask1 bank too!
Analog Essential 1 – Free Sounds for the Xils-Lab PolyKB III
Not long ago, I featured some paid-for packs for Xils-Labs excellent PolyKB III. These sounds work on both the full synth and the ‘Player’ version, which is free! Well now there are some free sounds that you can use on both the paid-for and free versions! Winner!
Designed by Alessandro Cardinale, who has done some excellent work for Xils-Lab as well as countless other manufacturers, this packed, entitled Analog Essential 1, contains sixteen presets that cover the essential sound groups of bass, lead, pad, string, keys and synth!
To get this pack, simply log into your Xils-Lab account and you will find them in your download section! And if you don’t own PolyKB III, it’s on sale right now for a mere €59! Go fill your boots!!
*Note: This article contains promotional links that help us fund our site. Don’t worry: the price for you always stays the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission.
