Zero-G Dark Skies – Cinematic Ambiences
Overview
Dark Skies Cinematic Ambiences by Zero-G is an enormous sample library that contains more than 1000 instruments ranging from huge, luscious, panoramic soundscapes, mysterious, eerie to downright scary. As the title of the library already say, it’s main aim is to offer a wide variety of ambiences, soundscapes, drones and FX sounds. Beside the massive amount of soundscapes, it features also more specific samples that range from washes, harsh blasts, noises and granular FX.
On top, it comes with over 50 construction kits categorised in four different sub-themes (ambient score, dark score, science score and text) that gives you just a short sound to play around. All this is packed in more than 1000 Kontakt, EXS24 and NN-XT instruments. The samples are also provided as wav and AIFF Apple loops files.
Sound Demo
Verdict
Zero-G has developed with Dark Skies an excellent sounding and versatile sample library, which focuses mainly on soundscapes. These play the main role here because musicians can find here all kind of different soundscapes, drones and textures. From classical atmospherical, gloomy horrible to metallic sounding soundscapes, here you will certainly find the right one for your track. Since the sounds are relatively long and good loop-able. it’s easy to create infinite sounding textures. Most of all I like the metallic drones/textures because they are very detailed and you can hear a kind of life in those sounds.
In the additional construction kits, users get a nice insight on how to limit textures or atmosphere sounds in time, but bring them to shine with a lot of character. Dark Skies is certainly not a sample library with which a classical EDM producer can do much with it but more people who produce soundtracks for games, film and TV. Especially good is the library if you want to deepen certain moods in a movie. Also certainly exciting for experimental musicians who often look for suitable textures. Combining a few longer sounds from the Dark Skies library, you can quickly make very unusual sounds worlds.
As in the other libraries, Zero-G has not provided an interesting Kontakt interface for this great library. Here you could tease more potential from this product (layering sounds, adding FX, different key ranges…) Nonetheless, Dark Skies is a sample library with great-sounding soundscapes and developed with great attention to detail.
Zero-G Epic Horizons – Cinematic Atmospheres
Overview
If you don’t find the right soundscapes in Dark Skies, there is another library where the journey continues. Epic Horizons Cinematic Atmospheres by Zero-G can be described as a successor to Dark Skies and includes 5.3 GB of 24bit of sample content. The developer describe Epic Horizons with this summary: “crammed full of textures, ambiences, soundscapes, drones and FX this library is the ideal companion for any professional film, TV or video game producer and sound designer looking to add some scale and intensity of emotion to their musical score”. Inside this collection, musicians get sounds that fits perfectly in adventure, sci-fi, thriller, horror, fantasy… music production.
Same as in the Dark Skies library features Epic Horizon 30 construction kits that present a full sound design piece broken up into constituent parts. This gives musicians a quick way to discover shorter new sounds. Epic Horizons features over 850 audio files (Apple Loops & Acidized wav files) recorded in great 24bit audio quality. All these files are provided also as 850 instruments for EXS24, Kontakt and NN-XT format.
Sound Demo
Verdict
Like with Dark Skies, Zero-G also developed with Epic Horizons a very nice and versatile sample library that is filled with rich and powerful soundscapes. In term of design, Epic Horizons compares very well to Dark Skies and, by and large, has the same richness of soundscapes, drones and textures. Both libraries are at an equivalent sound design level.
There are little sonic differences but you may not notice so quickly in the beginning. Epic Horizons has more dark and creepy sounds that fit perfectly in music production for end of the world, war or horror scenarios. Beside these more specific sounds, you can find also very beautiful atmospheres and textures with a more friendly touch.
Like in the other tested library, Zero-G has not provided a nice Kontakt interface for this great library. Here again, you could tease more potential from this excellent library with layering, adding FX, different key ranges options. Although this feature is missing, Epic Horizons is a powerful sample library that can shine through deep and living soundscapes. Also the available construction kits provide musicians a quick and different way to discover the library. Like the other libraries, Epic Horizon is very well suited for games, film and TV sound production but also for experimental musicians with a preferences for soundscapes and drones. Musicians who are more in the EDM or pop genre, will find here rather difficult or nothing suitable what they can use concrete in their production.
Since I myself am a soundscapes lover, this library was able to satisfy me, especially because of the large amount of rich and diverse sonic palette, but also because of the excellent sound quality that makes it possible to use the library in the amateur as well as the professional field.
Zero-G Maximum Force Imaging Elements
Overview
The last library in this special offer is the Maximum Force by Zero-G and is the smallest library in this bundle with a size of 1.5 GB of sample content. It has been crafted for projects that requires high-impact sound effects (radio station ID, TV promos, bumpers, trailers). It contains 550 audio files that ranges from multi-layered imaging elements, impacts, long and short FX, noise, whooshes, lasers, bleeps, tonal sounds and creative soundscapes as well as various very useful creative loops.
For the creation of these unique sounds, the sound designers manipulate different new recorded field recordings as well as synthesized sources. All these 550 audio files are also available in the library as instrument and provided as 40 Kontakt / EXS24 and NN-XT instruments.
Sound Demo
Verdict
If you are looking for extraordinary sound effects, then you are perfect at Maximum Force. From circuit-bend, glitch, massive to robotic like effects, the library features a very wide selection of different more or less crazy sounds. What stands out clearly here, the library has only a few longer sounds but more focuses on short interesting samples.
In which music genre does Maximum Force find its home? Unlike the other five libraries, this library is very versatile. So many of the sounds can be incorporated into Pop or EDM /IDM music productions to give that tracks something special. The library is a nice tool box of unusual sounds for more radio related music producers. For example, electronic musicians can include new exciting elements into drum sequencing, letting beats stand out. Not only in more normal music productions Maximum Force finds a home but also in sound designers who mainly have to write music for games, TV and movies. Above all, the library is very useful to set small elements in movies to music.
Also here is missing a simple Kontakt interface where musicians can manipulate the sounds further. Nonetheless, Maximum Force by Zero-G is a sample library that can be described as an excellent sound tool box for unusual high-quality samples that can give new character to each track.
Audio Plugin Deals Zero-G Cinematic Solutions Bundle Conclusion
All in all, I like the six sample libraries in this bundle which comes all with an excellent sound quality. You can tell by playing through the samples that his bundle is an interesting deal for all those who like to make cinematic music. In my estimation experimental musicians like it too, because this bundle is full of rich, deep and varied soundscapes, drones and textures. Unfortunately, for me negative is the fact that this libraries doesn’t have any special Kontakt interface/engine to play with. Personally, I recommend users to incorporate these sounds into a Kontakt engine and to discover far more options.
If you’re interested in cinematic soundscapes … look at this limited time deal, a huge amount of very exciting and special sounds awaits you!
The Audio Plugin Deals 6-in-1 Cinematic Solutions Collection Bundle is now available for $99 USD (80% OFF) until Thursday 5:59 a.m (CET).
Available here: 6-in-1 Cinematic Solutions Collection
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