SAMPLE SOUND REVIEW: REVIEW: FABRIK Collection - Transit | Radome

In this Review, we look at all three of Orchestral Tools Fabrik Collection of instruments.

The FABRIK series was created with Cornelius Duerst—a musician, impassioned ‘maker’, sound designer, and former audio engineer for the famed Teldex Scoring Stage in Berlin.

While working at Teldex, Duerst had the opportunity to get acquainted with distinguished film composers and classical conductors., which expanded his artistic horizons beyond electronic music production. His ongoing pursuit of discovering novel sounds and creating new electronic instruments has led him to bring his concepts to life through the FABRIK series.

Let's take a look and Review each of the three libraries in the series.

Transit

Cities in Motion

Take a ride through the darkest edges of an industrial wonderland and bathe in the sounds, mechanical noises, and over-driven textures of a city in motion.

Content

2 Mic positions

Tonal: Bass, Pads, Analog synthesizer

Atonal: 4 Atmospheric noises, 4 Noise impacts

Percussive: 5 Construction kits with variable mapping, 4 Percussive tools

Size 8 GB of samples (2 GB SINEarc compressed)
24 bit / 48 KHz patches

Formats supported: Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX

REVIEW

Fabrik Transit by Orchestral Tools is a powerful and versatile virtual instrument that provides a wide range of unique sounds and textures for composers and music producers. It is a sample-based instrument that combines real-world recordings with cutting-edge sound design to deliver a unique and dynamic sonic palette.

Fabrik Transit works in the Free SINEplayer which is designed to be intuitive and easy to use. The interface allows users to quickly navigate through the library of sounds. The controls are well-organized and provide a high degree of customization, allowing users to shape the sounds to their liking with precision.

The sound quality of Fabrik Transit is exceptional, thanks to the high-quality recordings and meticulous sound design. The instrument covers a wide range of sonic possibilities, from lush and atmospheric pads to gritty and edgy textures, making it suitable for a wide variety of musical genres and styles. The sounds are rich and detailed, with plenty of depth and character, and they can be easily blended with other instruments and effects to create complex and immersive soundscapes.

The package comprises Tonal sounds such as Bass, Pads, and Analog synthesizers, Atonal elements including 4 Atmospheric noises and 4 Noise impacts, and Percussive components featuring 5 Construction kits with adjustable mapping and 4 Percussive tools.

These presets exhibit the potential to enhance your upcoming dystopian score or industrial music track, serving as a launchpad for further experimentation. With Fabrik Transit operating seamlessly, I encountered no issues of machine overload as I stacked instruments.

In conclusion, Fabrik Transit by Orchestral Tools is a versatile and powerful virtual instrument that offers a wide range of unique sounds for composers, music producers, and electronic musicians. It's a worthy addition to any composer's toolkit, and it's sure to inspire creativity and experimentation in music production.

Radome

Experimental Cello

A mind-bending solo cello from a unique player. Unconventional articulations with transformative processing plus electronic sounds and mysterious noises—all captured in an unusual, evocative acoustic space.

Content

19 articulations

5 mic positions

Processed: 6 drones, 4 textures, 6 static and interference sounds, 4 percussive impact, 5 variable multi-layered noise patches

Size 25 GB of samples (10 GB SINEarc compressed)
24 bit / 48 KHz patches

Formats supported: Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX

REVIEW

Fabrik Radome by Orchestral Tools is a truly unique virtual instrument that pushes the boundaries of what's possible with solo cello performances and caught my attention through the use of unconventional methods and imaginative digital manipulation.

What struck me the most was the unusual, evocative acoustic space in which the performance was captured. It added an extra layer of depth and dimension to the already mesmerizing sound. Straight out of a giant, spherical radar station, Radome's combination of the provocative cello with electronic noise, ambient textures, and distorted artifacts resulted in an exquisite range of sound design possibilities.

The library is well-suited for horror and suspense compositions as well as drama, crime, and sophisticated emotional nuances.

Fabrik Radome boasts an impressive array of articulations, featuring 19 distinct techniques. This virtual instrument provides an abundance of expressive options that craft innovative and distinct musical textures.

The mic positions in Fabrik Radome are also noteworthy. With 5 different mic positions, including close, main, far, hall, and surround, users have full control over the spatial placement and balance of the cello sound. This allows for precise customization of the sound and enables users to create their own unique mix, adding to the versatility and creative potential of Fabrik Radome.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the library is its transformative processing capabilities. With 6 drones, 4 textures, 6 static and interference sounds, 4 percussive impact, and 5 variable multi-layered noise patches, this virtual instrument provides a wealth of electronic and experimental sounds that can be blended with other instruments. With this, users can unleash their boundless creativity and fashion singular and surreal sonic landscapes that are unparalleled.

Fabrik Radome operates smoothly within the Free SINEplayer, facilitating an uninterrupted workflow, thanks to its efficient performance and ability to function without any spikes in system requirements. The included articulations and transformative processing patches are meticulously crafted and provide a high level of sonic quality, making it a powerful tool for composers, producers, and sound designers looking to push the boundaries of traditional cello performances.

To sum up, Orchestral Tools' Fabrik Radome is a trailblazing and audacious virtual instrument that presents a singular and non-traditional take on solo cello playing. It's a truly exceptional tool for musical experimentation and provides a wealth of tools for composers, producers, and electronic musicians looking to create truly unique and otherworldly music. Highly recommended for those seeking to explore the outer edges of cello soundscapes.

Sinoid

Mutated Sine Waves

Explore the foundation of sound through a technological lens with layered, distorted, morphed, pitched, stretched, and otherwise mutated sine waves.

Content

9 ‘Origin’ instruments with multiple articulations
23 ‘Mutation’ sound design patches in 3 categories
2 layers for sound design patches

Size 55 GB of samples (21 GB SINEarc compressed)
24 bit / 48 KHz patches

Formats supported: Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX

System requirements SINEplayer Mac: macOS 10.13 or higher, Intel Core i5 or similar, Apple M1 chipsets supported, at least 8 GB RAM (16 GB+ recommended)
Windows: Windows 10 64 bit, Intel Core i5 or similar, at least 8 GB RAM

REVIEW

Fabrik Sinoid by Orchestral Tools is a groundbreaking virtual instrument that takes a bold and daring approach in contemporary sound design, using mutated sine waves.

With its collection of mutated sine waves, Fabrik Sinoid offers a fresh and unique sound palette that challenges traditional notions of sound manipulation. Fabrik Sinoid offers composers, producers, and electronic musicians an abundance of creative opportunities through its vast assortment of sine waves that have been altered.

One of the standout features of Fabrik Sinoid is its Mutation folder, which contains 23 instrument patches. These patches offer a diverse range of ambient to complex distorted morphed variations.

Sinoid goes beyond an analog sine wave generator and incorporates a variety of instruments such as bass clarinet, bass flute, alto flute, bass ocarina, tenor ocarina, vibraphone, glockenspiel, and singing bowls. These instruments were carefully selected for their pure tones and played with lively articulations, creating a human-like contrast to the sine wave generator. The recordings were captured using multiple close microphones and blended into a single, intimate, yet soniclly-rich microphone position within the SINEplayer.

The size of the sample library in Fabrik Sinoid is also noteworthy, with 55 GB of samples (21 GB SINEarc compressed) in 24-bit/48 kHz patches. The high-quality samples provide a rich and detailed sonic palette to work with, ensuring professional-grade sound quality in any production.

In terms of performance and system requirements, Fabrik Sinoid loads quickly and runs smoothly, providing a seamless workflow. The included articulations and patches are meticulously crafted and offer a high level of sonic quality and inspiration.

To summarize, Orchestral Tools' Fabrik Sinoid is a state-of-the-art virtual instrument that provides a technological insight into the essence of sound by using mutated sine waves. With its 'Origin' instruments, 'Mutation' sound design patches, layered capabilities, and extensive sample library, Fabrik Sinoid provides a wealth of innovative options for those seeking to explore new frontiers in sound design and create truly unique and experimental sonic environments.

Orchestral Tools' THREE instrument collection of FABRIK instruments receive a perfect rating of

5 OUT OF 5 stars.