Sample Logic is proud to present its latest groundbreaking virtual instrument,
Synergy. Weighing in at over 18 Gigabytes, this epic collection of 1200+ instruments, tempo-synced loops, and multis delivers the next generation of diverse sounds in an intuitive user interface. Powered by Native Instruments Kontakt Player engine, Synergy utilizes extended sample synthesis and effectual techniques to provide you interactive, ready-to-play instruments. With Synergy´s flexible sound sculpting interface, control is in your hands. Simply put, all instruments can be modified, redesigned, and customized to your preference. This makes Synergy perfect for any performance and production environment.
Ambience (295 patches)
Bass (54 patches)
Drums (55 patches)
Impacts (269 patches)
Melody (173 patches)
Pads (57 patches)
Rhythms (270 patches)
Multis (40 instrument Combos)
Synergy will become a permanent addition to your compositional palette. We have gone to great lengths to capture the purist perception of sound from all over the world. This library is jam-packed with: serene spiritual textures, deep rooted basses, Pop & Hip Hop flavored beats, haunting environments, lush emotional pads, mind-blowing explosions, multi-sampled ethnic and tribal instruments, gated angelic voices, electronic arpeggiated synths, bone-chilling sequenced impacts, melodic bells and whistles, adventurous flutes, action and world rhythms, funky leads, gigantic pianos, and mallets from the tropics, just to name a few...
How Is It Useful?
Bringing together the past, present, and future, Synergy not only delivers fundamental loops, soundscapes, and textures, but also transcends the modern virtual instrument, providing timeless ingredients for any performance and music production. Organized in Sample Logic´s tried and true fashion, Synergy will inspire producers, DJs, Electronic musicians, Film/TV and Game composers alike.
It is the quintessential tool for:
- modern compositions and sound design
- interactive live performance
- staying inspired
- meeting deadlines
- finding that sound you have always been craving
Sample Logic´s award-winning team dedicated their heart and soul to bring you the virtual instrument standard of the future. With Synergy, everything truly
comes together!
*Crossgrade from A.I.R. or The Elements
Please enter your Serial number of A.I.R. or The Elements in the Message Field when ordering a crossgrade.
Systemrequirements
NI Kontakt Player 2 is included in this product!
Minimum:
- Windows XP/ Vista, Pentium 4/ Athlon, Single 2,8 GHz, Dual Core CPU above 1.6 GHz per core
- Mac OSX 10.4 or above, G5 1 GHz or Intel Core Duo1,66, 1 GB Ram
Optimal:
- Windows XP/ Vista, Pentium 4/ Athlon, Quad Core CPU above 1.8 GHz per core
- Mac OSX 10.4 or above, any Intel Mac G5, 2GB Ram
Product activation:
An internet connection on any computer is required to authorize / activate the product.
There’s no shortage of multi-gigabyte sample-based instruments on the market today, and for the most part they tend to cover a specific area of music, be it synthesizers, beats, orchestral sounds or similar. Sample Logic’s latest offering is rather more broad in its approach, featuring more than 1,200 instruments spanning beats, sound effects, textures, basses and multi-layered patches, Weighing in at a not inconsiderable 18GB, Synergy is powered by the NI Kontakt player, which comes in all major plug-in formats. There’s also a standalone version.
Up and running
Installation is slow – this isn’t Sample Logic’s fault, but a problem we have encountered before with the Native Instruments installer. Clearly aware of this, the manual warns you that although the installer may appear to have frozen, it is actually copying large files. The content files from the remaining DVDs have to be dragged manually to the hard drive. We understand that NI is reassessing this system and it really does need revising, if only to make it display an accurate progress bar.
Once the files are copied, the NI Service Centre application authorises the library online. Kontakt Player 2’s interface is actually pretty handy, packing lots of features into a well-designed window. Sound generation is based on samples, but it uses advanced sample synthesis and effects as well as looping to greatly expand the scope and flexibility of the samples.
Sounding off
The first category of instrument is ambience, further sub-divided into categories such as distorted, motionscapes and so on, although, in truth, they are all on a broadly similar theme. There’s an abundance of deep, menacing, spaced-out textures, too, perfects for film or game scoring. Some are ominous and brooding, tailing off slowly in a haze of murky half-light, others evolve, pulsing with mystery and shimmering haze. If that sounds overly poetic, it’s simply because the sounds are very evocative of moods and ideal for creating tension, mystery, intrigue and other atmospheres.
As with the other instruments, each of the patches has its own control panel, divided into two sections. The main part controls parameters such as MIDI channel and audio output, patch selection, solo, mute, pan and volume as well as tuning. The second part comprises sound-shaping controls, simply laid-out and clearly labelled. There’s a stereo widener, filter, phase, reverb, delay and pulser, plus a programmable arpeggiator section. The control panel makes it quick and easy to modify a sound or its effects settings and is simple enough that even beginners should get to grips with it fairly quickly.
The next section is Bass, replete with a fine selection of sounds from arpeggiated loops to crunchy synths. Mostly electronic, there’s plenty here for anyone making any kind of dance music.
Next up is drums, and alongside some electro kits you’ll find some rather interesting collections of hits comprising a mixture of cinematic and punchy electronic percussion and drum noises – again, ideal for film or game scoring. The Deep Ensemble collection is particularly thunderous, evoking images of horror, thriller or disaster movies. You’ll also find World percussions sets, which, far from being an afterthought as is sometimes the case, are actually very good.
The Impacts instrument section comes next: a large collection of themed hits and one-sot sounds ranging from peaceful to terrifying. Pick any of these at random and there’s a good chance that it will sit very happily in any motion picture soundtrack.
Melody maker
The Melody section has a good selection of slightly leftfield takes on traditional instruments, synths, loops and organs, containing patches that will be as appropriate to those making music tracks as soundtracks. There’s a liberal dose of delay on some of the patches that may not be to everyone’s taste, although it can be turned down or off for any patch.
The Pads section is also good, mostly avoiding the cheesy or generic sounds that you sometimes encounter and instead providing some really usable, warm textures. Finally, the Rhythm section has a large number of involving and interesting beats, mixing the electronic and acoustic in a very cinematic way. Thanks to the Kontakt Player, the sounds all follow the master tempo. There’s a bit too much delay applied by default, although again, you can turn it off.
Any instrument can be layered in Kontakt Player and there are a selection of multis provided with Synergy. As you might expect these are big, rich and complex-sounding, and you can edit any of the constituent patches by opening their control panel. Despite some multis using a great many samples, loading times are respectable and CPU strain seems very reasonable.
Coming together
Synergy is touted as a compositional and sound-design tool – and that’s a fair description. There is much here for those making regular music tracks, but a quick wade through the many presets revels an instrument clearly focused on textures, soundscapes, atmospheres, beats and all things filmic. Crucially, thanks to its simple design, sample-based synthesis, sound-shaping controls and effects, Synergy offers a great deal of flexibility when modifying or working with patches, so you can generally tailor sounds to suit your needs. This isn’t a traditional, orchestral kind of instrument, it’s much more modern and synth-heavy, but it’s also excellent and could be all you need to create a very professional score.
Verdict: An excellent collection of instruments, especially for scoring. Futuristic, atmospheric and rich-sounding – and at a reasonable price.
Rating: 9/10 Review: Synergy Music Tech Magazine, December 2008 There’s no shortage of multi-gigabyte sample-based instruments on the market today, and for the most part they tend to cover a specific area of music, be it synthesizers, beats, orchestral sounds or similar. Sample Logic’s latest offering is rather more broad in its approach, featuring more than 1,200 instruments spanning beats, sound effects, textures, basses and multi-layered patches, Weighing in at a not inconsiderable 18GB, Synergy is powered by the NI Kontakt player, which comes in all major plug-in formats. There’s also a standalone version.
Up and running
Installation is slow – this isn’t Sample Logic’s fault, but a problem we have encountered before with the Native Instruments installer. Clearly aware of this, the manual warns you that although the installer may appear to have frozen, it is actually copying large files. The content files from the remaining DVDs have to be dragged manually to the hard drive. We understand that NI is reassessing this system and it really does need revising, if only to make it display an accurate progress bar.
Once the files are copied, the NI Service Centre application authorises the library online. Kontakt Player 2’s interface is actually pretty handy, packing lots of features into a well-designed window. Sound generation is based on samples, but it uses advanced sample synthesis and effects as well as looping to greatly expand the scope and flexibility of the samples.
Sounding off
The first category of instrument is ambience, further sub-divided into categories such as distorted, motionscapes and so on, although, in truth, they are all on a broadly similar theme. There’s an abundance of deep, menacing, spaced-out textures, too, perfects for film or game scoring. Some are ominous and brooding, tailing off slowly in a haze of murky half-light, others evolve, pulsing with mystery and shimmering haze. If that sounds overly poetic, it’s simply because the sounds are very evocative of moods and ideal for creating tension, mystery, intrigue and other atmospheres.
As with the other instruments, each of the patches has its own control panel, divided into two sections. The main part controls parameters such as MIDI channel and audio output, patch selection, solo, mute, pan and volume as well as tuning. The second part comprises sound-shaping controls, simply laid-out and clearly labelled. There’s a stereo widener, filter, phase, reverb, delay and pulser, plus a programmable arpeggiator section. The control panel makes it quick and easy to modify a sound or its effects settings and is simple enough that even beginners should get to grips with it fairly quickly.
The next section is Bass, replete with a fine selection of sounds from arpeggiated loops to crunchy synths. Mostly electronic, there’s plenty here for anyone making any kind of dance music.
Next up is drums, and alongside some electro kits you’ll find some rather interesting collections of hits comprising a mixture of cinematic and punchy electronic percussion and drum noises – again, ideal for film or game scoring. The Deep Ensemble collection is particularly thunderous, evoking images of horror, thriller or disaster movies. You’ll also find World percussions sets, which, far from being an afterthought as is sometimes the case, are actually very good.
The Impacts instrument section comes next: a large collection of themed hits and one-sot sounds ranging from peaceful to terrifying. Pick any of these at random and there’s a good chance that it will sit very happily in any motion picture soundtrack.
Melody maker
The Melody section has a good selection of slightly leftfield takes on traditional instruments, synths, loops and organs, containing patches that will be as appropriate to those making music tracks as soundtracks. There’s a liberal dose of delay on some of the patches that may not be to everyone’s taste, although it can be turned down or off for any patch.
The Pads section is also good, mostly avoiding the cheesy or generic sounds that you sometimes encounter and instead providing some really usable, warm textures. Finally, the Rhythm section has a large number of involving and interesting beats, mixing the electronic and acoustic in a very cinematic way. Thanks to the Kontakt Player, the sounds all follow the master tempo. There’s a bit too much delay applied by default, although again, you can turn it off.
Any instrument can be layered in Kontakt Player and there are a selection of multis provided with Synergy. As you might expect these are big, rich and complex-sounding, and you can edit any of the constituent patches by opening their control panel. Despite some multis using a great many samples, loading times are respectable and CPU strain seems very reasonable.
Coming together
Synergy is touted as a compositional and sound-design tool – and that’s a fair description. There is much here for those making regular music tracks, but a quick wade through the many presets revels an instrument clearly focused on textures, soundscapes, atmospheres, beats and all things filmic. Crucially, thanks to its simple design, sample-based synthesis, sound-shaping controls and effects, Synergy offers a great deal of flexibility when modifying or working with patches, so you can generally tailor sounds to suit your needs. This isn’t a traditional, orchestral kind of instrument, it’s much more modern and synth-heavy, but it’s also excellent and could be all you need to create a very professional score.
Verdict: An excellent collection of instruments, especially for scoring. Futuristic, atmospheric and rich-sounding – and at a reasonable price.
Rating: 9/10
Keyboard 12/2008
Synergy offers high bang for buck, but even if it cost hundreds more, it would still be a go-to collection for any serious working composer.
The instruments are divided into eight categories: Ambience (295 patches), Bass, Drums (54 patches), Impacts (269 patches), Melody (173 patches), Pads (57 patches), Rhythms (270 patches), and Multis (40 patches). Sonically, every loop, effect, texture and multisample is expertly produced, and it’s no understatement to say Synergy perfectly captures the “vibe” of modern electronic-styled film and TV music. You’d only need to add a well-stocked orchestral library to the mix, and all your bases would be covered. There’s no shortage of impacts and ambient beds that conjure aural images of tension, fear, mystery, and suspense. In other words, exactly what you’d want underneath your fingertips when time is ticking down and you have to deliver a batch of cues. The sound design that went into this material is impressive, and in many cases I found myself asking, “How’d they make that sound?” Yes, the inspiration factor is off the charts.
Many of the ambience and evolving mood patches are based on single, long-looped samples mapped across a range of keys. As a result, when you play in the lower registers, sounds often become darker and more sinister. This is a cool by-product of keymapping a single sample, but you’ll find that in many cases it limits the useable range; go outside it, and the patches either sound mushy and indistinct at extreme low registers or chimpmunk-like in the high ones.
A wealth of multisampled pads ranges from what Blade Runner might sound like if made today to angelic and otherworldly hybrids of choirs, synths, and acoustic instruments. It’s all very tasteful and “now” sounding, and provides an emotionally lighter side to Synergy’s otherwise intense character.
The rhythm and drum categories are chock full of filtered, delayed, pulsing, and otherwise tweazed-out loops that run the gamut from high-octane action sequences to mysterious criminal investigations. A good complement of “ethnic” percussion and hi-hat patterns is included, along with a small selection of over-the-top “StormDrum-like” hits. This is perhaps Synergy’s only weak spot, so if you need taiko on steroids, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Synergy exploits Kontakt’s scripting features to give all the instruments on-screen controls for adding effects, tweaking envelopes and filters, and engaging the arpeggiator. Similarly, Kontakt’s beat-syncing features have been applied to all the rhythmic and tonal loops for instant tempo matching in whatever host sequencer you choose. Across the board, the thoughtful programming provides a high level of musical interaction with the samples. This is exactly the kind of functionality that makes a library more than just a bunch of sounds, but a true instrument.
Review: Synergy Keyboard Magazine 12/2008 Synergy offers high bang for buck, but even if it cost hundreds more, it would still be a go-to collection for any serious working composer.
The instruments are divided into eight categories: Ambience (295 patches), Bass, Drums (54 patches), Impacts (269 patches), Melody (173 patches), Pads (57 patches), Rhythms (270 patches), and Multis (40 patches). Sonically, every loop, effect, texture and multisample is expertly produced, and it’s no understatement to say Synergy perfectly captures the “vibe” of modern electronic-styled film and TV music. You’d only need to add a well-stocked orchestral library to the mix, and all your bases would be covered. There’s no shortage of impacts and ambient beds that conjure aural images of tension, fear, mystery, and suspense. In other words, exactly what you’d want underneath your fingertips when time is ticking down and you have to deliver a batch of cues. The sound design that went into this material is impressive, and in many cases I found myself asking, “How’d they make that sound?” Yes, the inspiration factor is off the charts.
Many of the ambience and evolving mood patches are based on single, long-looped samples mapped across a range of keys. As a result, when you play in the lower registers, sounds often become darker and more sinister. This is a cool by-product of keymapping a single sample, but you’ll find that in many cases it limits the useable range; go outside it, and the patches either sound mushy and indistinct at extreme low registers or chimpmunk-like in the high ones.
A wealth of multisampled pads ranges from what Blade Runner might sound like if made today to angelic and otherworldly hybrids of choirs, synths, and acoustic instruments. It’s all very tasteful and “now” sounding, and provides an emotionally lighter side to Synergy’s otherwise intense character.
The rhythm and drum categories are chock full of filtered, delayed, pulsing, and otherwise tweazed-out loops that run the gamut from high-octane action sequences to mysterious criminal investigations. A good complement of “ethnic” percussion and hi-hat patterns is included, along with a small selection of over-the-top “StormDrum-like” hits. This is perhaps Synergy’s only weak spot, so if you need taiko on steroids, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Synergy exploits Kontakt’s scripting features to give all the instruments on-screen controls for adding effects, tweaking envelopes and filters, and engaging the arpeggiator. Similarly, Kontakt’s beat-syncing features have been applied to all the rhythmic and tonal loops for instant tempo matching in whatever host sequencer you choose. Across the board, the thoughtful programming provides a high level of musical interaction with the samples. This is exactly the kind of functionality that makes a library more than just a bunch of sounds, but a true instrument.
