Sample Magic

Last updated
Sample Magic
Launch date2006
Website www.samplemagic.com

Sample Magic is a pro-audio company with offices in London and Los Angeles.

Contents

They produce, publish and sell royalty-free musical elements, synthesizer presets, plugins and MIDI content via their online music store and third party distributors such as Beatport. [1] The company works closely with major DAW and software developers including Ableton, [2] Apple, [3] Steinberg [4] and Native Instruments. [5]

The output and consistency of their products led M Magazine to label them “the world’s leading provider of pro-audio loops and samples to music producers across a range of genres” [6] with a “reputation for providing bespoke samples to cater to the needs of a wide variety of music producers” according to Resident Advisor. [7]

Sample Magic have also developed the Magic AB and Stacker plugins, receiving endorsements from a diverse range of music producers including Dave Pensado, Above & Beyond and Bobby Owsinski [8]

In 2016 they announced SM Sounds, the company's new distribution portal aimed at retailing products from the world's leading sound design companies. [9]

History

Sample Magic was founded in 2006 by DJ/producer Sharooz Raoofi. The company was established to retail products designed specifically for electronic music producers across a range of genres. [10]

Their reputation quickly grew following their award for Remix Magazine Technology's Best Sample Collection for 2007. [11]

In 2010 Raoofi sold the Sounds to Sample store to the SFX owned electronic music retailer Beatport. That site was subsequently retired and now trades as Beatport Sounds.

In 2011 Sample Magic founded and funded a number of ventures including Attack Magazine and the London Electronic Music Event.

Since 2014 the company have retailed bespoke packs on leading audio software site Ableton [12]

Sample Magic has also provided sounds, patches and consultation services to a number of hardware synthesizer manufacturers including Korg, Akai and Arturia.

Samples

Their royalty-free sample products are encoded in a variety of formats, including 24-bit Wav, Rex2 loops, Apple Loops, Ableton Rack format, Kontakt, EXS24 and Reason ReFill formats. [13]

Publishing

In 2010, Sample Magic opened its publishing arm with the release of The Secrets of House Music Production, featuring interviews with leading producers such as Wolfgang Gartner and Way Out West. It received the MusicTech Choice Award and a rating of 9/10. [14]

In 2011 Sample Magic released its second book, The Producer’s Manual, written by Sound On Sound Editor-in-Chief Paul White. The book focuses on traditional approaches to studio recording and production and details pro techniques, practical photos, illustrations and step-by-step walkthroughs. It too received critical praise. [15]

Sample Magic published its third book in 2013, Classic Tracks, by New York Times best-selling author Richard Buskin. It details the true stories behind 68 seminal pop recordings from the likes of The Beatles, Nirvana, The xx, The Who and Justice.

Courses

In 2012 Sample Magic began a series of summer music production courses in London, in collaboration with Alchemea audio college. [16] The courses are taught by Sample Magic lecturers and industry professionals including mix engineers, mastering engineers and record label representatives.

Plugins

Sample Magic entered the pro audio plugin market in 2012 with the release of Magic AB, a utility reference plugin allowing music producers to instantly switch between the project they're working on and up to nine user-loaded reference tracks.

Magic AB received many positive reviews, described as “ingenious” by Sound On Sound Magazine, [17] “a simple idea that works perfectly” by Attack Magazine [18] and "A plug-in that everyone could benefit from” by Music Tech Magazine. [19]

In 2016 Sample Magic released Stacker, a drum layering utility aimed at the creation of unique drum sounds. [20]

The product won Computer Music magazine's Innovation Award and was list as one of Music Radar's Drum Plugins of the Year. [21]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital audio workstation</span> Computer system used for editing and creating music and audio

A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations from a single software program on a laptop, to an integrated stand-alone unit, all the way to a highly complex configuration of numerous components controlled by a central computer. Regardless of configuration, modern DAWs have a central interface that allows the user to alter and mix multiple recordings and tracks into a final produced piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ableton Live</span> Digital audio workstation

Ableton Live, also known as simply Ableton, is a digital audio workstation for macOS and Windows developed by the German company Ableton. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Ableton Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for composing, recording, arranging, mixing, and mastering. It is also used by DJs, as it offers a suite of controls for beatmatching, crossfading, and other different effects used by turntablists, and was one of the first music applications to automatically beatmatch songs. Live is available directly from Ableton in three editions: Intro, Standard, and Suite. Ableton also make a fourth version, Lite, with similar limitations to Intro. It is only available bundled with a range of music production hardware, including MIDI controllers and audio interfaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waves Audio</span> Professional audio company

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Avid Audio is an American digital audio technology company. It was founded in 1984 by Peter Gotcher and Evan Brooks. The company began as a project to raise money for the founders' band, selling EPROM chips for drum machines. It is a subsidiary of Avid Technology, and during 2010 the Digidesign brand was phased out. Avid Audio products will continue to be produced and will now carry the Avid brand name.

Ableton AG is a German music software company that produces and distributes the production and performance program Ableton Live and a collection of related instruments and sample libraries, as well as their own hardware controller Ableton Push. Ableton's office is located in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin, Germany, with a second office in Pasadena, California.

Traktor is DJ software developed by Native Instruments. It is also used as a sub-brand for Native Instruments' associated DJ hardware products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logic Pro</span> Digital audio workstation

Logic Pro is a proprietary digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform developed by Apple Inc. It was originally created in the early 1990s as Notator Logic, or Logic, by German software developer C-Lab which later went by Emagic. Apple acquired Emagic in 2002 and renamed Logic to Logic Pro. It is the second most popular DAW – after Ableton Live – according to a survey conducted in 2015.

Native Instruments is a German company that develops, manufactures, and supplies music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are located in Berlin, with additional offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, London, Paris, and Shenzhen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip hop production</span> Creation of hip hop music in a recording studio

Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.

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In computer music and professional audio creation, a DirectX plugin is a software processing component that can be loaded as a plugin into host applications to allow real-time processing, audio effects, mixing audio or act as virtual synthesizers. DirectX plugins allow the replacement of traditional recording studio hardware and rack units used in professional studios with software-based counterparts that can be connected together in a modular way. This allows host manufacturers to focus on the conviviality and efficiency of their products while specialized manufacturers can focus on the digital signal processing aspect. For example, there are plugins for effects boxes, such as reverbs and delays, effects pedals, like guitar distortion, flange and chorus, and for mixing and mastering processors such as compressors, limiters, exciters, sub bass enhancers, stereo imagers and many more.

Reason Studios is a music software company, based in Stockholm, Sweden, and founded in 1994. It produces the studio emulation Reason.

Sharooz Raoofi is an electronic music artist, producer and entrepreneur. His work has appeared on a variety of record labels such as Modular and Fool's Gold,. Raoofi is the founder of ventures Sample Magic, Audiaire, Attack Magazine and the Principle Pleasure recording studio in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HALion</span>

HALion is a software instrument application, created by German music software company Steinberg for macOS and Windows. It uses a sample-based approach to emulate the acoustic sounds of a full orchestra, such as the strings, brass, woodwind, and percussion sections, with multiple configurations for each instrument, allowing for variations in timbre. It can also use multiple forms of sound synthesis to produce other software synthesizer audio.

Loopmasters is an English sound design record label based in Brighton, England. Loopmasters is mainly known for releasing and publishing sample packs on the pro-audio market and cooperating with software and hardware vendors including Ableton Live and Focusrite. Since 2008 Loopmasters also functions as an online store for music composers, and computer-based DAWs like Steinberg Cubase, Apple Logic, Propellerheads Reason or Ableton Live. The record label is known for releasing samples of performers, producers and DJs such as Deadmau5, Rezone, Coldcut, Full Cycle, Mad Professor, Meat Katie, Histibe, Todd Terry, Ray Keith, DJ Pierre etc.

Splice is a cloud-based music creation and collaboration platform founded by Matt Aimonetti and Steve Martocci which includes a sample library, audio plug-ins on a subscription basis, integrates with several digital audio workstations (DAWs). Splice Studio sports automated online backup with version control, online and offline collaboration and visualization of the creation process. The company also offers Splice, an integrated sample market place. The program is available for MacOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Maschine is a hardware/software digital audio workstation developed by Native Instruments. Maschine consists of a controller that connects to the included sequencing software, which can be installed on any compatible computer or laptop.

LucidSamples is independent English record label based in London, UK. The label has been officially established in 2010 by a group of friends, producers and musicians. LucidSamples releases and publishes DJ sample packs/libraries, construction kits, sound effects, patches and other music production tools. All sample packs provided by LucidSamples are Royalty-Free and downloadable from company website. The company focus is on the development of many popular genres for which they publish sounds collections. Lucidsamples is on the KVR Audio Developers List.

References

  1. ↑ Beatport, LLC. "Sample Magic". beatport.com.
  2. ↑ "Packs by Sample Magic - Ableton". ableton.com.
  3. ↑ "Apple (United Kingdom) - Logic Pro X - In Depth". Apple.
  4. ↑ Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. "VST Sound Loop Sets". steinberg.net/.
  5. ↑ "Browse". propellerheads.se.
  6. ↑ "Review - The Producer's Manual, Paul White". M magazine: PRS for Music online magazine.
  7. ↑ "Sample Magic Sample Libraries". Resident Advisor.
  8. ↑ Samplemagic. "Magic AB - Dance Music Production Plugin | Buy now, Instant download | Sample Magic | Buy Now, Instant Download | Sample Magic". www.samplemagic.com. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  9. ↑ "Introducing SM Sounds! - Sample Magic". 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  10. ↑ "NAMM 2008: Meet The Developer… Sharooz Raoofi". Beatport Buzz. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25.
  11. ↑ "NAMM 2008: Meet The Developer… Sharooz Raoofi". Beatport Buzz. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25.
  12. ↑ "Packs by Sample Magic | Ableton". www.ableton.com. Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  13. ↑ "Product Spotlight: Sample Magic Nu-Rave sample library". Beatport Buzz. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25.
  14. ↑ "Music Tech Magazine - Book Review - The Secrets of House Music Production". thesecretsofhousemusicproduction.co.
  15. ↑ "Review - The Producer's Manual, Paul White". M magazine: PRS for Music online magazine.
  16. ↑ "Attack, Sample Magic & Alchemea Announce 2015 Courses". Attack Magazine.
  17. ↑ "Sample Magic Magic AB". soundonsound.com.
  18. ↑ "Magic A/B - Attack Magazine". Attack Magazine.
  19. ↑ "Sample Magic Magic A/B Review". MusicTech.
  20. ↑ "Build your perfect drum sounds with Sample Magic's Stacker" . Retrieved 2016-08-31.
  21. ↑ "The 10 best new soundware plugins of 2016". MusicRadar. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
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