I have to admit—I have a lot of sample packs. They come in all shapes and sizes: percussions, one shots, cinematic, house, future bass, hip hop, etc. Some range from a few megabytes to well over 20 gigabytes. In total, I have amassed a collection of over 700GB of just sample packs, instrument libraries not included. But is having a massive amount of sample packs a prerequisite to producing good music? In my opinion, I’ve learned the hard way that it isn’t. Here’s why.
Reason #1: Storage
The most obvious reason against having so many sample packs is simple: storage costs money. Not everyone can afford storage or want to buy more storage. It can be complicated as well: adding an internal storage drive in many laptops is impossible, and a decent knowledge of computer building is necessary. There is also a risk of damaging the system. External drives are much easier to set up, but it entails carrying that drive wherever the computer goes. No matter the solution, there are complications involved.
Reason #2: Organization and access (or lack thereof)
Next is organization. Being able to find samples in an efficient timely manner is a key to being productive while producing. Instead of scrolling through a long list of random samples matching specific keywords, knowing where samples are is incredibly valuable. Having a smaller number of good sample packs means being able to quickly and precisely access the right samples for the job. With too many sample packs, indecisiveness takes over. Think of it like this: if an ice cream shop only has two flavors of ice cream to pick from, you’re less likely to regret the choice you make versus if the shop had, let’s say, 20 flavors.
Reason #3: Quality over quantity
Finally, a key principle in music production is quality over quantity. Some of the best sounding songs are simple and to the point. Overproducing can tend to ruin a music’s potential. The same idea applies to sample packs. Selecting from a smaller list of high quality samples will make the music sound better than selecting from a huge list of untested samples. Don’t be afraid of reusing samples in multiple productions! It can actually help to develop your signature sound.
Sample pack recommendations
With that being said, here are some sample pack makers I have used and would recommend in the genres that I produce (I am not sponsored and do not earn any affiliate money from these links):
EDM:
• Singular Sounds (now Grey)
• Echo Sound Works
• KRANE
• KSHMR
• Decap
Cinematic/Orchestral:
• BOOM Library
• Pro Sound Effects
• AVA Music Group
• Keepforest
• Triune Digital
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to me!
Telegram: @galactiv
Discord: tryhqrd#0744
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