About Orchestral ToolsOrchestral Tools makes premium-quality sampled instruments for professional composers. Notable libraries include the Berlin Series, Metropolis Ark, Tallinn, Tom Holkenborg’s Brass and Percussion, created in collaboration with composer Tom Holkenborg, and Phoenix Orchestra, created in collaboration with composers Harry Gregson-Williams and Richard Harvey. Originally founded in 2005 by Hendrik Schwarzer, Orchestral Tools operates internationally from its base in Germany, with offices in Freiburg and Berlin.

Orchestral Tools

About Orchestral ToolsOrchestral Tools makes premium-quality sampled instruments for professional composers. Notable libraries include the Berlin...

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Inspiring combinations of sine waves and acoustic instruments create evocative textures for composers and sound designers

Orchestral Tools Explores the Building Blocks of Sound with Third Fabrik Collection: Sinoid—Mutated Sine Waves

BERLIN, GERMANY, March 16, 2023—Forward-thinking sample library developers Orchestral Tools have just announced the third installment in their experimental Fabrik series: Sinoid. The library is built around evocative combinations of basic sine waves and samples of real instruments through a variety of effects and sonic treatments. The result is a set of dynamically playable sounds and sound design elements that explore the outer limits of experimental textures both beautiful and savage. Sinoid is available now for an introductory price of €39 (regular price €59). For more information and to purchase Sinoid, please click here.

Entrants challenged to design ‘new sounds for the tomorrow orchestra’, winners will receive €2,000 and flagship Berlin Series libraries

Calling All Creators—Orchestral Tools Launches ‘The Sixth Section’ Sound Design Competition

BERLIN, GERMANY, March 1, 2023 — Sample library developers Orchestral Tools have launched ‘The Sixth Section’—a new sound design competition that challenges sonic scientists the world over to create a new sampled instrument to complement and expand the definitions of the orchestra. Entries will be judged on their creativity and ingenuity, as well as on the level of expressiveness available in the finished instrument. The contest is open to all and entries will be accepted until Friday, April 14th, 2023. For more information and to enter, please click here.

Film composer brings dynamics and emotion with ‘deep, powerful’ sample library

Composer Fred Coury Scores SyFy’s ‘The Ark’ with Orchestral Tools Metropolis Ark Series

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 7, 2022 — With a visceral approach that combines years of classical training with an affinity for hard rock and heavy metal from his time as the drummer of Cinderella, film and television composer Fred Coury [The Nightshift, Almost Paradise] has developed a unique, yet versatile style that often finds him pushing the boundaries of what a conventional orchestral can sound like. His latest score for the SyFy channel series The Ark found him looking for ways to get raw, darker sounds without abandoning his core instrumental language. Fittingly, Coury found exactly what he needed in Orchestral Tools’ Metropolis Ark series and has now made the sample library his go-to pallet for scoring.

Leading sample library developers and top music school deepen ongoing collaboration with Virtual Orchestration channel

Orchestral Tools and Berklee College of Music Launch Free Educational Series on Youtube

BERLIN, Germany, January 20, 2023: Orchestral Tools announce the launch of Virtual Orchestration—a new Youtube channel created in collaboration with Berklee College of Music dedicated to learning the art of composing with sampled orchestral instruments. The channel is open to all, with episodes aimed at both aspiring and experienced composers looking to expand their musical capabilities. To celebrate the launch, Orchestral Tools is making their flagship Berlin Orchestra Collection available for a special offer price of €399+ VAT (regular price €849 + VAT) until January 31, 2023. For more information and to subscribe to Virtual Orchestration, please click here.

Orchestral Tools unlock the intricacies of subtle emotions through collaboration with exceptional performers and the Arvo Pärt Centre

Extremely Quiet and Incredibly Close—Orchestral Tools Explores Close-up Soundscapes with Salu

Berlin, Germany, December 14, 2022—Sample library developers Orchestral Tools have announced Salu, a unique collection that explores intimate instrumental and vocal textures. Recorded at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa, Estonia, with an exceptional group of performers including acclaimed vocal ensemble Vox Clamantis, Salu’s sounds are delicate yet dynamic, offering an expressive palette of emotional colors perfect for contemplative scoring, Nordic noir, and evocative sound design. Salu is available now for €279. For more information, please click here.

50% off Metropolis Ark ‘Prototype’, Individual Ark Collections, Ark Bundle, and Creative Soundpack Bundle

Orchestral Tools Announces Launch of Metropolis Ark Ø, Annual Black Friday Sales

BERLIN, GERMANY, November 21, 2022 — Sample library developers Orchestral Tools have kicked off their annual Black Friday sales with a surprise new addition to their celebrated Ark Series — Metropolis Ark Ø. Inspired by Orchestral Tools’ initial concept for Metropolis Ark and designed to epitomize the epic sonic scale of the series, Ark Ø gives composers and sound designers the behemoth power of a large orchestra playing as one to create colossal musical moments effortlessly. Metropolis Ark Ø can be purchased as part of the larger Ark series bundle for €799 (reg €1575), or alone for €75 (reg €150) from now until December 1st. In addition, Orchestral Tools is also offering the individual Metropolis Ark collections for 50% off as well as its full series of Creative Soundpacks, bundled for the first time, for €499 (reg €1075). For more information, please click here.

Latest expressive sound design library explores primal textures created with legendary experimental musician

The Sound of Infinity - Orchestral Tools Announces Drones by Alexander Hacke

Berlin, Germany, November 10, 2022 — Sample library developers Orchestral Tools have announced the release of their latest innovative sample collection — Drones by Alexander Hacke. Created alongside the renowned experimental musician [Einstürzende Neubauten, hackedepicciotto, Crime and the City Solution] and designed by Sascha Knorr and Timo Loosli, Drones explores the titular musical effect through a series of instruments chosen specifically for their atmospheric and evocative qualities, providing lengthy sonic textures ideal for sound design, avant-garde composition, and film and game scoring. Drones is available for SINEplayer now for an introductory price of €129, regular price is €189. For more information, please click here.

New virtual instruments explore dark and abstract textures designed to inspire

Into the Unknown—Orchestral Tools Launches FABRIK Series with Transit and Radome

Berlin, Germany, October 26, 2022—For the past 3 years, sample library developers Orchestral Tools have expanded the definitions of the virtual orchestra through their Creative Soundpack series, which has presented inspiring combinations of preexisting organic and synthetic instruments to meet a variety of compositional and sound design purposes. Looking to step beyond the familiar and into the realm of pure sonic exploration, Orchestral Tools have announced FABRIK, a series of new virtual instruments designed to inspire the rapidly growing world of audio creators with dark, experimental musical textures that can’t be found anywhere else. Orchestral Tools is launching the series with Transit and Radome, which are available now for SINEplayer. For more information on the FABRIK series, please click here.

‘A-la-carte’ access to individual instruments allows for seamless creativity and musical expression

Orchestral Tools SINEplayer Streamlines Musical Inspiration with SINEsingles

Berlin, Germany, September 27, 2022 — Sample library developers Orchestral Tools have built a comprehensive array of offerings designed to serve the needs of composers and sound designers in every avenue of recorded music. From their best-in-class Berlin Series orchestras to genre and use-case specific explorations such as Metropolis Ark, Andea, Habitat, and Modus, they’ve dedicated themselves to the mission of creating inspiring sonic elements that can open the door to fresh musical creativity. Earlier this year, Orchestral Tools launched SINEsingles, a series of 48-hour specials on their innovative SINEplayer platform that offered single elements from their larger orchestras and creative sound pack collections for a reduced price. Not only was the program designed to highlight the availability of these unique instruments, it was also the latest in Orchestral Tools’ ongoing efforts to streamline and demystify the usage of sample libraries by responding to an industry need that they say favors a more ‘a-la-carte’ approach.

Star Trek: Discovery and Fargo composer on the art of sonic identity and using Modus to make ‘impossible’ music

Jeff Russo Creates Dynamic Sonic Palettes for Film and Television with Orchestral Tools

Los Angeles, CA, September 7, 2022— Composer Jeff Russo has built his career as a versatile stylist, able to internalize the emotional core of a story and its characters, and manifest it as moving, memorable music. Working in film and TV, his music has graced everything from major franchise works like Star Trek: Discovery and Picard, Fargo, and Umbrella Academy to films like Lucy in the Sky, Lizzie, and Mile 22. Developing unique sonic and melodic palettes for each new project, Russo’s workflow leans heavily on sample libraries, which are often more than just a precursor to live recordings of musicians and orchestras. Alongside the flagship libraries from Orchestral Tools, Russo’s writing template employs perhaps most significantly Modus—a bespoke library created by Orchestral Tools specifically for Russo’s work on Star Trek.

Residency exchange program explores electronic music in the Middle East and the democratization of music production

Berlin x Beirut Fosters International Musical Exchange with Orchestral Tools

BERLIN, GERMANY, JULY 19, 2022 — Multi-disciplinary platform and event curating organization Your Mom’s Agency (YMA) has been staging musical residency exchange programs between international hotspots of the electronic music community for the better part of a decade. With Berlin x Beirut, the organization sought to nurture the connections between the artistic communities of the two seemingly disparate cultural hubs for the purpose of mutual creative exchange and education through a series of workshops, presentations, and performances that brought composers, DJs, and educators from both cities together. In order to maximize the educational opportunity of this event for the next generation of electronic composers, YMA turned to several industry partners including Berlin-based sample library developers Orchestral Tools (OT) to furnish its attendees with an inspiring creative palette of sonic pigments to realize their compositional aspirations.

Leading sample library designers announce expanded string offerings, SINE upgrades via YouTube premiere

WATCH NOW: Orchestral Tools Unveils Berlin Con Sordino Strings, Discounted Berlin Strings Bundle at Keynote 2022

Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2022 — Orchestral Tools have announced Berlin Con Sordino Strings, the latest in their industry-leading Berlin series sample libraries. The announcement comes as part of a larger initiative from the sample library designers focused on their string offerings, which also includes a new bundle that compiles all the Berlin Strings collections, important content updates to Berlin Symphonic Strings, and the availability of Berlin Strings SFX on SINE. In addition to these, Orchestral Tools has also unveiled a major upgrade to SINEplayer that ensures a smoother, more responsive user experience than ever before. The brand will be discussing all of these announcements and more at their Berlin Premiere event, which is live on YouTube now.