SAMPLE SOUND REVIEW: REVIEW: SONESPHERES 3 "CURRENT" by SOUNDIRON

Sonespheres 3 Current is the third in the series of uniquely sound-designed Kontakt instruments created by film and tv composer Blake Ewing and Soundiron.

OVERVIEW

MAIN GUI /INTERFACE

(Showing all Bank Categories)
Crossfade/X-Fade, ARP, and Glide located in the Center.

Source 1 Bank and Presets

(Shows the Variety of Piano Presets)

SOURCE 2

LFO

D S P E F F E C T S R A C K

(The FX Rack tab gives you direct access to 18 of Kontakt’s built-in special effects and dynamic processors.)

REVIEW

Sonespheres is a very interesting series created by composer/sound designer Blake Ewing and Soundiron. Current is the third installment in the series, and this is the first time I've played Sonespheres. I was very excited about digging into this instrument, however before I begin, let me give you a little background into the creator of this library. Blake Ewing is an American Composer and Sound Designer, who's work, has been featured on all the major networks, including A&E, AMC, History Channel, Netflix, and so much more. The chances of you hearing is work in a television show or commercial is very likely. Blake teamed up with Soundiron and began releasing this series to the world in 2017 with the first in the series called Distance, and then Origins followed in December of that same year. I remember when this series was released, and I was planning on checking it out, but as life goes, I got busy and went on to something else. Fast forward to 2019, and Current is here, and I'm finally able to hear how Blake's bespoke hand designed samples work in Soundiron's Sonespheres engine.

When you load up Sonespheres in Kontakt, you'll be greeted with a straightforward, intuitive GUI (interface) all on one page except for the DSP FX Rack. Having the controls, filters, LFO, Arpeggiator on one page is great for faster workflow. There are two source bank menus and two preset menus that can be cross-faded with the x-fade slider located right above the Arp in the center of the interface.

There are 274 samples, and 21 .nki instrument presets designed by Blake Ewing. The preset categories include pianos, harps, seabeds (textures), depths (pads), tides (rhythmic textures), shallows, impacts, and synth bass. Soundiron has provided all the samples unlocked that can be dragged & dropped in your DAW and other sound design possibilities.

The only nit-pick I found within the library, whether intentional, or non-intentional is with one of the wav samples called Crest_013.1_8t. C3 within the Tides (Rhythms) category inside the samples folder. It sounds like there may be a little clipping at the beginning of the sample when I raise the volume. This may have been how it was intended to sound, I just don't know. This is just a small issue I found, and it doesn't affect my overall review of the product. Remember, these are my opinions only, and I'm just giving my honest assessment.

Sonespheres Current does strike a chord with me. It's melodic, dark, emotive, and contains lots of atmospheric ambiances. It's perfect for underscoring and hits that deep emotional nerve. Blake recorded and processed some unconventional piano samples and strings with original textures that provide a perfect backdrop in telling a story. There are five different types of specially designed pianos included in this library called Mariana Piano, Northern Oceans Piano, Oceanic Piano, Southern Oceans Piano, and Transatlantic Piano. The pads and soundscapes paired with the piano are wonderful, and the ability to create an evolving canvas with little effort is extremely satisfying.

As far as the complete package of Current, it's truly an artistic window into the mind of Blake Ewing's amazing work and a brilliant third chapter in the Sonespheres library series. It weighs in at 2.40 GB installed and does require the full version of Kontakt. Having not owned the first two releases and with a fair price point, does persuade me to pick up the other two ASAP.

Soundiron Sonespheres 3 Current is a strong addition for composers wanting something unparalleled, creative, and expressive.

4 Out of 5 Stars