Review: World of Tape by Sonixinema

Sonixinema’s World of Tape explores the cinematic soundscape of musician Emiliano Melis and captures the experimental side of synth sampling with some truly unique sounds that will undoubtedly spark your creativity and elevate any modern music production.

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Review: World of Tape by Sonixinema

World of Tape is the first release in Sonixinema’s new Artist Series which features a huge variety of ‘heart-pounding rhythms, abstract patterns, distorted loops, mangled textures and curated sounds’ that are as inspiring as they are unique. A fantastic loop library with an amazing, cinematic tone that is a great addition to any modern audio production in need of adding some real ‘magic’.

World of Tape normally sells for £69.00 from Sonixinema

Thoughts

Since debuting in 2016, Sonixinema has been known as an innovative sample developer that aims to create inspiring instruments for the modern composer. In this vein, World of Tape stands out as a fantastic, loop and texture library with many great pre-sets, customizable effects and a vintage sound that is sure to make its way onto your next project. As with many of their collections, World of Tape began as a collaboration with artist Emilano Melis who is an exceptional, experimental music designer based in New York. His signature mix of analog and digital synth sounds gives his music a genuinely special quality which also permeates the library.

Globally, the Kontakt instrument contains over 125 individual tape loops and sounds which are split into 5 separate categories. These consist of beats, melodies, patterns, textures and tones. In addition to the great, curated sounds from Melis, Sonixinema designed more than 100 custom presets that add a whole new layer to the already content filled library.

The wide variety of sound sources make this collection highly adaptable and perfect for any modern audio productions. When delving into the ‘Beats’ section, users can quickly sample a large number of rhythmic loops which were designed to act as the mainstay or cornerstone of which any track can be built. These percussive loops focus on establishing a rhythmic bed for underscore, driving rhythms or laid-back tracks, etc. The ‘Melodies’ section covers a ton of wonderful phrases that should definitely help get the creative juices flowing quickly. Their character and personality are really something that is uncommon in the industry and become a welcome complement to any existing template. The ‘Patterns’ group contains many abstract and eccentric sounds which are ideal for composing horror, drama, trailer or pop music that rely on interesting textures excitement and atmosphere. All to say, there are tons of options for composers which cover a huge range of musical genres or styles.

In terms of sound and as the name would imply, World of Tape features a fantastic vintage tape sound that is dark, gritty and full of charisma. The cinematic tone is likely due to the unique combination of analog and digital synth soundscapes that Melis has become known for and what sets his style apart as a musician. Generally speaking, the included loops and presets share a softer approach which allows them to blend well within any project and perfect for quieter underscore moments, intros, outros or any emotionally-driven tracks in need of some real personality and life. For users who are less enthralled by the inherent tape sound, there are several options to reduce or remove the ‘fuzzy’ hiss which converts World or Tape into a much ‘cleaner’ sounding library. The included effects are also quite helpful adapting the samples to your liking. Undoubtedly, this creative loop pack sounds fantastic, is easy-to-use and features an inspiring set of presets that should jumpstart your creativity.

For those familiar with libraries like Superball and Abstract from Sonixinema, the interface shares many of the same practically-designed elements. It houses numerous useful effects, filters, reverbs and more to tailor any sound to your specific project. The added ‘Gater Engine’ is a nice addition that has the ability to transform standard patches into completely new rhythmic instruments which really help add a pulse to any part. This feature can be controlled via keyswitch and/or remain sustained throughout depending on your specific workflow. The engine also enables users to change the sound envelope such as it’s attack, decay, sustain and release. Additionally, the GUI houses controls to widen or narrow the stereo field, ‘blur’ to create a more round or full sound, and ‘gloss’ for added attack or air. The velocity switch also allows composers to morph between layers for a more subtle or aggressive tone. Utilizing automation on the velocity control to constantly shift can be a really cool way to add some extra motion to an otherwise static track. Needless to say, the interface was expertly crafted to give composers the option to truly reshape and expand the already large collection of sonic possibilities.

Sonixinema’s World of Tape is hallmarked by delivering a modern, cinematic and evocative loop-based library with a wealth of inspiring content. The sample pack is incredibly user-friendly, helps composers spark their creativity, produce captivating tracks or simply experiment with some new, wonderfully textured sounds. Emiliano Melis’ curated samples are an incredible starting point that match his characteristic sound and the developer-designed presets add a whole new level of content to the already large collection. Their innovative effects like ‘velocity control’ and ‘gater engine’ are just two more tools that expand the collection with all new sounds while also putting control back in the hands of composers.

It is worth noting that the library is available as an individual sample pack, sold separately from the Kontakt instrument at a reduced price. This is obviously beneficial for buyers without the Full version of Kontakt and/or for those who want some added control directly in their DAW. Owners of the Kontakt library will also be entitled to the sample pack version which can be downloaded separately. It is highly recommended to take a listen to the great company demos which give a full rundown of the patches and presets to get a good idea of the overall sound. As well, there are several very helpful walkthrough videos to give new users a head-start learning how to use the library and take advantage of the detailed user interface.

In short, Sonixinema brings a captivating collection to composers that is difficult to reproduce with traditional sample libraries and surely something that sets itself apart from anything else in the industry. Above all, the loop library is a flexible toolkit that is the idea choice for developing fast ideas or inspiring new ones. A wonderful addition to any composers ever-expanding palette and one hopes that there are more exciting releases in the artist series to come!

Facts

World Of Tape is a 371 MB download with 5 main NKI patches and contains 125 unique pre-sets. The library requires Native Instruments Kontakt 5.8.1 Full or later; it will NOT work with the free Kontakt Player.

World Of Tape is currently available for £69.00 from Sonixinema

World of Tape normally sells for £69.00 from Sonixinema

Demos of World of Tape by Sonixinema

Videos of World of Tape by Sonixinema

Contributor BenG reviews World of Tape by Sonixinema
“Sonixinema’s World of Tape explores the cinematic soundscape of musician Emiliano Melis and captures the experimental side of synth sampling with some truly unique sounds that will undoubtedly spark your creativity and elevate any modern music production.”