Best small time sample library developers I should check out?

[PavlovsCat]

1 hour ago, Fleer said:

Frozen Plain, Pettinhouse and Sampletekk, still pretty pretty good indeed. 

I have libraries from all of them and Andrea's a friend of mine, so now I feel like I neglected them. I just figured they're long time devs Christian probably already knows about. For Sampletekk, wait for one of their giant sales where you'll save something like 70% or so. Frozen Plain has a cool string/synth library I have that I really like. One of the bargain reseller sites has Frozen Plain stuff at a significant discount. Andrea (Pettnhouse)  has major discounts around Black Friday and holidays. Download his freebies and subscribe to his email if you want to take advantage of his sales. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Peter Woods

[daveiv]

This thread is going to be a goldmine!

?⚜️⚱️?⚱️????????✨

[Christian Jones]

1 hour ago, Peter Woods said:

. I just figured they're long time devs Christian probably already knows about

There's a lot out there I don't know about, mainly because I try not to collect vsts. Sometimes it's a turn off to me when people say "for the money, it's really good." I want something that's good regardless of the money, so like with Sospiro Strings you seem to get a lot for not much money, but to me those strings sound great (on YouTube anyway) regardless of what it costs. Like, I don't even own Omnisphere and I don't plan to. Nothing against that app but I really try to limit what I own and I also don't like super large libraries that have like 2,000+ presets. That's too many sounds that I'll never really get to the bottom of, and I'm kind of obsessive about being able to audition every preset in a synth. It's why I don't own any of those Arturia nor Akai collections. I like Synth Magic https://synthmagic.co.uk/all-products/ because the dev Steve is super talented at creating presets, and each of his synths has around 70 presets on average and they're almost all killer, plus he's about that same 80's horror/thriller movie soundtrack composer vibe that I am, that John Carpenter vibe. 

I did go through a phase not long ago though where I was collecting just about every Mellotron vst I could find, including the g-force collection. Those are some of my favorite sounds, but I forget who those Mellotron devs were that I found. I think Hollow Sun was one. 

[PavlovsCat]

2 hours ago, Christian Jones said:

There's a lot out there I don't know about, mainly because I try not to collect vsts. Sometimes it's a turn off to me when people say "for the money, it's really good." I want something that's good regardless of the money, so like with Sospiro Strings you seem to get a lot for not much money, but to me those strings sound great (on YouTube anyway) regardless of what it costs. Like, I don't even own Omnisphere and I don't plan to. Nothing against that app but I really try to limit what I own and I also don't like super large libraries that have like 2,000+ presets. That's too many sounds that I'll never really get to the bottom of, and I'm kind of obsessive about being able to audition every preset in a synth. It's why I don't own any of those Arturia nor Akai collections. I like Synth Magic https://synthmagic.co.uk/all-products/ because the dev Steve is super talented at creating presets, and each of his synths has around 70 presets on average and they're almost all killer, plus he's about that same 80's horror/thriller movie soundtrack composer vibe that I am, that John Carpenter vibe. 

I did go through a phase not long ago though where I was collecting just about every Mellotron vst I could find, including the g-force collection. Those are some of my favorite sounds, but I forget who those Mellotron devs were that I found. I think Hollow Sun was one. 

Haha! I went through a stage -- maybe for 30 years where I was obsessed with everything Mellotron.I owned just about every Mellotron out years ago, and I wasn't really playing then, I was just fooling around on the keys, not actually playing/recording any songs. I remember Hollow Sun and the dev -- since passed on -- and I would sometimes chat. A nice guy who had a real passion for sampling. I love seeing devs like that succeed, and I used to throw him and a bunch of other indie devs back then free branding and marketing advice from time to time  and even got to hang out with one, Ben from Camel Audio on a business trip to Scotland back in the 00s. Most of those devs have since gotten a lot bigger since then (or, in Ben's case, sold his company to Apple)! 

But I've learned more balance in recent years. I totally get what your saying and it's a very good point. You and I don't want libraries or VSTs that are merely good for the price, we want something that has real character; not a library that is cut rate or budget because it's priced low. I would say that Ben Osterhouse's libraries have character and that, to me, makes them more than good for the price, they're just good period. I'm no expert, so I would defer to someone who specializes in string libraries, but I have a few of his libraries and they're like character pianos, but, of course, strings. They really work for a certain vibe, but I don't find them something I'd pick up if I was looking for versatility. Like Sospiro. Listen to the demos. It's great for intimate, slow passages. Again, to your point, they have enough character that for me, even if I  had $1 million USD to spend on string libraries, I'd pick them up because Ben's libraries have this sound and vibe to them no other string library has -- if you like the sound you hear in the demos -- and I do -- they're for you. He's one of those dev's that you can just witness tons of musical ability and he knows how to translate that into sample libraries. That's what I saw in Greg at Orange Tree Samples early on and became a huge fan, later a consultant and in time, a friend. Then, I just found out about Majetone and that's another dev that just has something really special about what he does. I mean, I picked up his drum kit library for 15 bucks (USD) and it only has two toms, and a ride/crash cymbal and he mapped that ride/crash to a single note, because he's a drummer and that's how you play that cymbal -- and before I had an injury, I was a drummer too and I totally get that, even though I'd prefer more cymbals and more toms and the cymbal ride and crash on different keys, but the sound of what he did is amazing. He's not just a technician, he's an artist. I find that about the dev behind Sound Dust. That guy is brilliant. If you listen to his demos and like the sound, all of his libraries are well executed. They're quirky. When I first discovered him, maybe a decade ago, I posted -- at KVR -- that his Ship's Piano and his Dulcitone had a very Jon Brion vibe to them and he responded, "very Jon Brion." There's nothing else out there like that. I think the dev that did Death Piano is worth mentioning too. I only own the free version -- and the problem is, the free version is soooo good, I feel like it does everything I need, so I bought a few of his other pianos. All top notch. Add Production Voices to my list. 
https://www.productionvoices.com/product/death-piano/
 

[Christian Jones]

58 minutes ago, Peter Woods said:

Haha! I went through a stage -- maybe for 30 years where I was obsessed with everything Mellotron.I owned just about every Mellotron out years ago, and I wasn't really playing then, I was just fooling around on the keys, not actually playing/recording any songs. I remember Hollow Sun and the dev -- since passed on -- and I would sometimes chat. A nice guy who had a real passion for sampling. I love seeing devs like that succeed, and I used to throw him and a bunch of other indie devs back then free branding and marketing advice from time to time  and even got to hang out with one, Ben from Camel Audio on a business trip to Scotland back in the 00s. Most of those devs have since gotten a lot bigger since then (or, in Ben's case, sold his company to Apple)! 

But I've learned more balance in recent years. I totally get what your saying and it's a very good point. You and I don't want libraries or VSTs that are merely good for the price, we want something that has real character; not a library that is cut rate or budget because it's priced low. I would say that Ben Osterhouse's libraries have character and that, to me, makes them more than good for the price, they're just good period. I'm no expert, so I would defer to someone who specializes in string libraries, but I have a few of his libraries and they're like character pianos, but, of course, strings. They really work for a certain vibe, but I don't find them something I'd pick up if I was looking for versatility. Like Sospiro. Listen to the demos. It's great for intimate, slow passages. Again, to your point, they have enough character that for me, even if I  had $1 million USD to spend on string libraries, I'd pick them up because Ben's libraries have this sound and vibe to them no other string library has -- if you like the sound you hear in the demos -- and I do -- they're for you. He's one of those dev's that you can just witness tons of musical ability and he knows how to translate that into sample libraries. That's what I saw in Greg at Orange Tree Samples early on and became a huge fan, later a consultant and in time, a friend. Then, I just found out about Majetone and that's another dev that just has something really special about what he does. I mean, I picked up his drum kit library for 15 bucks (USD) and it only has two toms, and a ride/crash cymbal and he mapped that ride/crash to a single note, because he's a drummer and that's how you play that cymbal -- and before I had an injury, I was a drummer too and I totally get that, even though I'd prefer more cymbals and more toms and the cymbal ride and crash on different keys, but the sound of what he did is amazing. He's not just a technician, he's an artist. I find that about the dev behind Sound Dust. That guy is brilliant. If you listen to his demos and like the sound, all of his libraries are well executed. They're quirky. When I first discovered him, maybe a decade ago, I posted -- at KVR -- that his Ship's Piano and his Dulcitone had a very Jon Brion vibe to them and he responded, "very Jon Brion." There's nothing else out there like that. I think the dev that did Death Piano is worth mentioning too. I only own the free version -- and the problem is, the free version is soooo good, I feel like it does everything I need, so I bought a few of his other pianos. All top notch. Add Production Voices to my list. 
https://www.productionvoices.com/product/death-piano/
 

Yeah thanks for the input there, as those are exactly the kind of devs I wanna know about. So that guy mapped the crash ride to one key.. so you're saying it's not two separate cymbals--a crash and then a ride mapped to one key--but one of those all-in-one crash/rides? Yeah if the latter's the case then that makes sense.. then I guess in the piano roll you get the crash out of it by upping the velocity. I didn't like the sound of that when you posted about that drum kit a few days ago but now it makes sense if it's one of those all in one cymbals. I might check out that kit after all then. I don't mind a stripped down kit with just a couple of toms.. in rock n roll and punk that's what the guy actually has. I'm kind of over those Dream Theater kits anyway lol

II'll definitely check out death piano too as I know I have pain piano from Silence and Other Sounds and character pianos are some of my favorite too. 

 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Christian Jones

[Fleer]

One that I still didn’t buy from Production Voices is The Halfling upright. And I know I should. 

[PavlovsCat]

7 hours ago, Fleer said:

One that I still didn’t buy from Production Voices is The Halfling upright. And I know I should. 

Now I have to check that one out. I don't even recall listening to any upright from Production Voices. Like I really need more pianos -- and I'm sure it's the same for you. But they're so tempting! 

 

UPDATE: Okay, I remember that instrument. Of course, it doesn't sound much like an upright piano and wasn't really my cup of tea. But if it's your cup of tea, that's great. The developer is very talented. 

Edited September 2, 2022 by Peter Woods

[PavlovsCat]

I just thought of another indie developer I just love. Xperimenta Project. Everything I have from this dev is wonderful. Download the freebies to get a taste of the quality of his work; it will get your attention. One of the first libraries of his I picked up was the vibraphone Xvibes and it's superb. I fell in love with the metallaphones since playing the glockenspiel in the school band as kid, so I probably have two dozen KONTAKT vibraphone and glockenspiel libraries (as well as an actual glockenspiel down in my basement). It's regular price is $9.99, but it goes on sale every so often. Check out the demos.  

https://www.xperimentaproject.com/

Edited September 2, 2022 by Peter Woods

[Doug Rintoul]

Audiofier (https://www.audiofier.co.uk/catalogue/) is another great developer. Love pretty much everything they have put out.

[chris.r]

Was just going to post about Xperimenta. A few other worth mentioning: Channel Robot, GG Audio, IK Multime... wait wrong thread, Premier Sound Factory, maybe also Audio Ollie, SampleHero and tons of small devs at Loot Audio. Pretty sure there are still many missing!

[Fleer]

Mmmm sweet Audio Ollie. 

[PavlovsCat]

54 minutes ago, chris.r said:

Was just going to post about Xperimenta. A few other worth mentioning: Channel Robot, GG Audio, IK Multime... wait wrong thread, Premier Sound Factory, maybe also Audio Ollie, SampleHero and tons of small devs at Loot Audio. Pretty sure there are still many missing!

Chris, what are your favorite libraries from those devs? I have a freebie Tron library from Premier from years ago but never picked up anything else from them. Anything you'd recommend? Audio Ollie seems superb. I only have their taster, but everything seems top notch and I know the Chicago suburb they're out I'd fairly well. 

[PavlovsCat]

20 hours ago, daveiv said:

This thread is going to be a goldmine!

?⚜️⚱️?⚱️????????✨

Spot on. That's why I'm following it. Plus Christian is just a downright good soul. 

[chris.r]

2 hours ago, Peter Woods said:

Chris, what are your favorite libraries from those devs? I have a freebie Tron library from Premier from years ago but never picked up anything else from them. Anything you'd recommend? Audio Ollie seems superb. I only have their taster, but everything seems top notch and I know the Chicago suburb they're out I'd fairly well. 

It's a difficult question to answer as I'm mostly not familiar with their whole offerings, just some singles. From Xperimenta I have La Fisharmonica and it sounds delicious. GG Audio makes an excellent alternative to IKM Hammond organ that takes almost no CPU but still sounds brilliantly well. I've got nothing from Premier, yet, but his Wind Chime is looong past due on my list, I've compared audio demos to a few other options and it just sounds best to my ears so I'm buying it soon. I also have the KeyTone from Channel Robot, quite unique sound. All of them mentioned are mostly one man businesses and seem very dedicated to their works.

Edited September 3, 2022 by chris.r

[Fleer]

Man, that GG Audio Hammond Blue3 and Spin Leslie. How could we forget. 

[PavlovsCat]

Okay, I vaguely recalled GG Audio. My mother was a musician and music teacher and we grew up with a Wurli, baby grand,  organ and a Leslie. So, I am in love with those sounds and they're incredibly sentimental to me. I just checked out a YouTuber playing GG's B3 using a Leslie and man,  that sounded like Heaven. Dead serious. Beautiful. 

[kitekrazy]

There's no shortage of bad ones either.  I'm not sure what really defines a small developer these days.

For some reason I decided to buy everything from https://hideawaystudio.net/

[PavlovsCat]

Just now, Paul Young said:

There's no shortage of bad ones either.  I'm not sure what really defines a small developer these days.

For some reason I decided to buy everything from https://hideawaystudio.net/

I'd define a small developer on a relative scale to other developers. I consider the developers with one to two employees small or indie developers. Developers with 5 or more employees are still small, of course,  but the ones with only one or two employees are the undeniably small operations. I have an affinity for the indie devs and you find some real gems out there, but sure, there are a good deal of mediocre and not so good ones out there too.  

[abacab]

16 minutes ago, Peter Woods said:

I have an affinity for the indie devs and you find some real gems out there, but sure, there are a good deal of mediocre and not so good ones out there too.  

That's why the discussions here on the "Deals" forum can help us decide what to proceed with or to avoid. Obvious axe grinding rants are to be ignored of course! ?

[PavlovsCat]

22 minutes ago, abacab said:

That's why the discussions here on the "Deals" forum can help us decide what to proceed with or to avoid. Obvious axe grinding rants are to be ignored of course! ?

Yeah,  I really appreciate when people here post about libraries and plugins they love that I don't know about.  I also read -- I guess lurk -- on threads where some of the more knowledgeable folks on mixing talk about gear and check things out they discuss. I tend not to comment on those threads because I know very little about mixing. But I appreciate learning about what others have found valuable, especially in areas like effects. I've learned a bit from those discussions and made purchases that led me to try things I never otherwise would have known about.