As well as being a Sound Designer and an Audio Branding gun-for-hire, I have a genuine interest in learning about the music (and the instruments) that have contributed so much to contemporary Western musical culture.
Here you’ll find all kinds of articles – many written from a fairly unique angle. I’m confident you’ll find a few you will enjoy!
1984 AKAI Alesis Fusion ARP2600 Arturia CS-80 DAW diskettes DX1 DX7 E-MU Systems Emulator II Fairlight CMI Film floppy disk Histories Hollow Sun Jupiter 8 KORG libraries Moog New England Digital news Oberheim OMI pet shop boys Plugin Pop music PPG Reverb sample library sample pack sound design Soundtrack Stephen Howell storage Synclavier Synthesiser TAL Technology TR-808 UVI VST Yamaha ZenDaw
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- VST: Anomalies and glitches
Computers are – it’s true, ones and zeros. But they can be idiosyncratic. “Software rot” and an aging computer can throw up all kinds of anomalies. Ever got a new … Continue reading VST: Anomalies and glitches - Instruments as landmarksIn Instruments as our landmarks, samplenerd.com explores the novel idea that popular instruments form a recognisable cultural landscape.
- samplenerd.com now on Telegram!
Download it here: https://telegram.org/dl Get notifications of new articles and releases from samplenerd.com via Telegram! This little but interesting website has managed to garner thousands of visitors from over 50 … Continue reading samplenerd.com now on Telegram! - Since 1984-🫖
To mark the 50th article here at samplenerd.com we have something of a departure. So, have your polished tea spoons at the ready… 2024 marked forty years since the release … Continue reading Since 1984-🫖 - Magic -{ colour
A US. sample collection from a NY 90’s music producer involved in the industry of that era. How cool is this? We have here a very legit disk library. OK … Continue reading Magic -{ colour - The samplenerd.com 2024 awards! 🏆
Firstly, Happy New Year and thank you to the responders to last year’s samplenerd.com 2023 awards! Here we are again, The samplenerd.com awards humbly seeks to reward its winners with … Continue reading The samplenerd.com 2024 awards! 🏆 - The (transferable) storage evolution of the EII [P1]
Even with a website called “samplenerd” I realise this could be the most nerdy article yet… let’s go! In the samplenerd.com article The Art of the Process I went to … Continue reading The (transferable) storage evolution of the EII [P1] - AKIRA ISHIGURU
The ability to appreciate individual sample collections is something samplenerd.com is rather proud of. With that in mind, I humbly present to you the Akira collection featured on the KORG … Continue reading AKIRA ISHIGURU - A Yamaha DX1 in Dire Straits
Any regular readers to the posts at samplenerd.com will know that I’m a fan of preservation. So much history of artists and their music is often attached to their instruments. … Continue reading A Yamaha DX1 in Dire Straits - Day of the Dead – Samplenerd’s soundtrack series!
Year: 2008 Score: Tyler Bates Verdict: The 2008 remake. Action and horror come together for this zombie fare. Using quick scene cuts, and atmospheric music, so far so unoriginal. We … Continue reading Day of the Dead – Samplenerd’s soundtrack series! - Virtual synth [ real complexity ]
I think KORG’s longevity in the space of musical instrument manufacturer has endowed their VST’s with a comprehensiveness. And a quality which is sometimes lacking in makers newer to the … Continue reading Virtual synth [ real complexity ] - The Art Of The Process
In the age of the instant, Samplenerd revisits the practices of yesteryear! In the age of instantaneousness I wanted to revisit the practices of my forebears and create a track … Continue reading The Art Of The Process - Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part VI
Welcome to Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part VI This is the SampleNerd.com catalogue of the best synthesizer soundtracks listed as being amongst the best of the genre. According … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part VI - Finished is better than perfect.
Let’s kick off this article with an old joke: What’s the difference between a composer and a large pizza? A pizza can feed a family. Ah! To finish a work, … Continue reading Finished is better than perfect. - Fast Nerd ⏩ Finds!
OK, it’s been awhile since the last Fast Nerd ⏩ Finds! But here we are! Released in 1984 E-MU’s Drumulator was a predecessor to its more famous stablemate the SP1200. EVEN … Continue reading Fast Nerd ⏩ Finds! - SAMPLE SWAG
Acoustic instruments are just presets. Random Internet person I really like that. But whether you’re using acoustic “presets” or are bolting VST’s into your DAW for your next creation – … Continue reading SAMPLE SWAG - MONSTER SYNTHS
The immersive world of Monster Synths brought to you by Samplenerd com! - Obviously?
SampleNerd.com asks the fundamental question: are KORG given enough credit for being the very reason the Pet Shop Boys partnership even got going? - Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part V
Welcome to Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part V. This is the SampleNerd.com catalogue of the best synthesizer soundtracks listed as being amongst the best of the genre. According … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part V - Hollow Sun: Legacy
Here we are – the final part of the series! There is so much more that could have been written about the luminary Stephen Howell. One of the things that drew … Continue reading Hollow Sun: Legacy - Hollow Sun: Nightfall
So far in this six part series, we have covered Stephens earlier years: growing up in Wales and achieving a scholarship. Singing for composer Benjamin Britten in one of his … Continue reading Hollow Sun: Nightfall - Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part IV
Welcome to Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part IV. This is the SampleNerd.com catalogue of the best synthesizer soundtracks listed as being amongst the best of the genre. According … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part IV - SampleNerd.com is one year old today!
A personal note from me, SampleNerd! Hello, SampleNerd.com began out of a desire to have something that was completely different, and that I hoped would grow over time. But, it’s … Continue reading SampleNerd.com is one year old today! - Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part IIIWelcome Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part III! We are half way through this catalogue of the greatest synth soundtracks as cited by Movieweb.com; MusicRadar.com and Red Bull.com. … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part III
- Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part IIWelcome to Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part II. This is the SampleNerd.com catalogue of the best synthesizer soundtracks listed as being amongst the best of the genre. According … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown: part II
- If Mercedes Benz made a synthesizer
This could be an article on the legendary Yamaha DX1. Or it could just be an excuse to show off these wonderful photos, which if it weren’t for SampleNerd.com could … Continue reading If Mercedes Benz made a synthesizer - Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdownWelcome to PART ONE of the official SampleNerd lowdown on the synthesizer soundtracks! These are listed as being among the best in the genre. At the close of each part … Continue reading Synth soundtracks – the OFFICIAL SampleNerd lowdown
- The Last Masterpiece
Will this VST prove as ground breaking as the original hardware? SampleNerd.com takes a look at the KORG Triton / Triton Extreme – TWO virtual synths rendered from the hardware classics! - The SampleNerd.com 2023 awards! 🏆
In a December 2023 report published by researchandmarkets.com the global Music Production Software market is expected to reach $1.7B by 2030. This figure includes DAW and VST products, with the … Continue reading The SampleNerd.com 2023 awards! 🏆 - Frames of Reference
Learn how to create a library of sonic events that can be used for any genre with the Samplenerd method! - Hollow Sun: Eventide
Put on your white coat and don’t forget your pen for Part 4 of this exclusive retrospective of Stephen Howell. SampleNerd.com takes a look at Music Laboratory Machines! - The Future of Storage
From fiction to reality and new tech integration. Will Project Silica from Microsoft make the final cut?! - Mellotron: A Tale of Two Countries
Mellotron: a cool tape keyboard that sounds like a mini orchestra! Born from a Chamberlin, loved by rock stars, and now available as a Force-ful plugin. - Hollow sun: High Noon
Stephen Howell, after exploring his love of synthesis during his teens, worked on classic releases like the AKAI Headrush and Alesis Fusion in his early twenties due to a fortunate encounter with an AKAI executive. However, exhausted from business dealings and frequent travel, he chose to strike out independently. - Reverb? Choose!
Choose between a 600lb decommissioned bomb turned drinks cabinet and the first plate reverb unit, EMT140: a German-made, vintage, sonic wonder. Your call: impress guests or mesmerize audiences? - de-complex
Experience a musical revolution with the de-complex sample pack, featuring 24 modal nonlinear sounds with spatial components. Available in December 2023 for only £18.99! - SampleNerd.com is 6 months old today!
SampleNerd.com, dedicated to specialist articles on sounds, celebrates six months of sharing insightful content on philosophy, psychology, history, technology, and culture. - Hollow Sun: AKAI Years
This is part two of a series on Stephen Howell, founder of Hollow Sun. A chance meeting with an AKAI executive, led to a long-term collaboration and the development of an innovative sound library! - SAMPLE PACK!
SampleNerd.com introduces its first Sample Pack, creatively using VST Triggering for interesting sonic experiences. It includes 100 different sounds designed for creative sound layering, priced at £12.99. - Hollow Sun: The Dawn
The life and career of sample maestro Stephen Howell, who transitioned from singing for the Royal family to becoming a luminary in music sampling, is being chronicled in a six-part series on SampleNerd.com. - Library remasters
SampleNerd.com announces the first release of library remasters in early 2024, upholding the rich tradition of remastered albums that enhance audio quality and musical experience. - The Art of Discovery
Purchasing the complete Emulator II Factory library today would cost $8,638.21, a massive investment considering the average US income in 1984 was $15,215.03. The extensive time and cost required made sound libraries valuable and treasured possessions back then, unlike quickly obtained and often overlooked sounds of today. - Just sound different.
SampleNerd.com reviews ZenDaw’s “Blue Swells” sound pack, largely praising its exceptional quality and realism. ZenDaw, a French sound pack producer, has extended their specialization to UI software for music production, steadily enhancing their market presence. - Fast Nerd ↗️ Facts
The Doctor Who theme: a synth masterpiece made with tape and oscillators. Inspired a hit song and many others. Timeless, like the Doctor himself! - Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer explains why computers are musical instruments, and the value of original work. Also, working with samples and the difference between samples and stems! - Fast Nerd ⏩Facts
Sampler system libraries are a fascinating area of research, especially the early releases like Fairlight CMI or PPG Wave. Check out Fast Nerd ⏩Facts for more! - The printer with a $2397 price tag! (fyi: its dot matrix)
Synclavier: a super pricey sampler with a super pricey accessory. Only for big studios and rich musicians. The Louis Vuitton of the workstation world - The digital dark side
SampleNerd.com highlights the importance of good archiving practices, based on works by the University of the Arts London. Tips include annual archiving, avoiding duplicates, categorization, assessing future needs, creating backups, and using reliable storage formats. - Conserving our history
From the quickly scribbled description on a coffee-stained disk label to the carefully manicured collections lovingly maintained over many years. Physical media has been king for nearly half a century. - Allen Adkins pioneer
The Universe of Sounds from OMI was the world’s first sample library to be released on Compact Disk. Going on to achieve legendary status in the field of sampling. Learn all about the origins of this success story! - Original tape storage from Trevor Horn’s London studio!
Trevor Horn, bassist turned producer, used these data tapes for the Fairlight CMI Series III. From hits with Pet Shop Boys to The Buggles. Horn is a studio don. - Fairlight CMI diskettes
SampleNerd.com wanted to take this opportunity to show you these rare photos of Fairlight CMI sample library diskettes. On the wonderfully large 8″ floppy disks! O R I G I … Continue reading Fairlight CMI diskettes - A SUPER-CUSTOM-Emu-Emulator-II-Rack!!
The Emulator II is a legendary sampler that has been used in countless albums and songs, including New Order’s “Elegia” and Depeche Mode’s “Somebody.” It’s a classic!
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