This is the beginning of a new series to recapitulate each month’s SFX library releases. If you have a release occurring soon and you would like it to be included on our list, send us the details through our SFX Independence Submission form.
September brought us several SFX libraries with an overarching theme of darkness. Deep-water beasts, mysterious sci-fi ambiences, rumbling howitzers and stormy nights can be found on this list, so let’s take a look back at last month’s releases and explore the sounds you may now purchase for your future projects.
The Battlefield Howitzers by Airborne Sound
Every once in a while a sound effects library comes out and you know very well you have nothing like it in your audio arsenal. For some, The Battlefield Howitzers is that library. These authentic recordings of World War II-era ordnances contain the grace and ferocity of the M101 C1 and C3 howitzers and the British 25-pounder, along with 169 bonus clips of designed artillery shots and battlefield montage soundscapes.
(239 sounds, 4.89 GB)
Connection for Sylenth by Audiomodern
Connection for Sylenth is a collection of 60 presets for Sylenth 1, a virtual analog VSTi synthesizer. It contains mysterious sci-fi atmospheres and soothing EDM ambiences which give you an unsettling sense that an inexplicable “other” is lurking just outside your porthole. This patch library is royalty free and ready for you to tweak the presets and create your own journey.
(60 presets, Sylenth version 2.2 or higher required)
The Plunger by Antisample
When “water” and “plunger” are used in the same sentence, most of us don’t think of sea monsters, unless a cryptic vulgarity is intended. However, The Plunger shows us how effective this combination can be outside the porcelain throne. Sea monsters inhabiting murky lakes, tossing seas or inner-city sewers emerge from this library’s designed sea monsters sounds. Bubbles and body hits are included to help thicken the scenario.
(300+ sounds, 589+ MB)
Stormy Rain in the City by Debsound
Rainstorms have a peacefully interruptive way of creating narrative during the night. They can soothe us to sleep their ‘white noise’-like consistency or pull us out of slumber into confused consciousness with rolling thunder and gusts of wind. Stormy Rain in the City captures many of these sounds – including rushing drains and looming thunder – from both indoor and outdoor perspectives.
(40 files, 2 GB)
Tokyo – Outdoor Ambiances by Hzandbits
If you are like me, and you enjoy visiting residential areas when you travel, then you may also appreciate this slice-of-life SFX library. Tokyo – Outdoor Ambiances captures the collective personality of the Sakura neighborhood in suburban Tokyo through its residents, wildlife and structural makeup. This library contains ambiences of transportation – bicycles, scooters, pedestrians, and traffic – along with ambiences of cicadas and the distinctive sound of Sotoba boards clacking in a light breeze passing through a Buddhist cemetery.
(33 sounds, 3.5 GB)
Port of Call by Rabbit Ears Audio
Have you ever heard the mating call of two tankers? I haven’t, but I believe this library has the closest examples you will ever find. Port of Call is a collection of sounds from St. John’s harbor. It includes industrial ambiences, dockside container movements, and – of course – the playful call-and-response of the Sound Symposium Harbor Symphony. Over a hundred takes of this performance are included for all your compressor horn needs.
(171 sounds, 8.46 GB)
Silencers by Boom Library
The sound of a silenced gunshot is nearly inseparable from its cinematic flair. Silencers conjure thoughts of secret missions with assassins dressed to attend the most prominent of dinner parties to meet their targets. Boom Library has teamed up with SilencerCo to help you determine just how bloody the mission will be with this extensive library featuring the Glock 23, AK47, Sig 55, HK MP5, Benelli M and others. The construction kit and designed edition can be purchased in a bundle for maximum cost efficiency.
(Designed Ed. – 400+ sounds, Construction Kit – 650+ files, 10 GB)
3rd Floor | Room Tones by Luftrausch
For those of us who have worked after hours in a typical office building, we understand how the building’s personality changes once our co-workers have left. The innards of the building growl with flowing water pipes and air ducts which are no longer covered by employee voices and clicking keyboards. 3rd Floor | Room Tones captures these ambiences, and it includes pitched and decelerated versions with transitions so haunting they create a new perspective of the building’s atmosphere.
(28 ambiences, 36 GB)
Digital Sounds by SoniK Sound Library/Sonotrigger
Digital Sounds focuses on sounds for interactive design types known for their user experience, such as Heads-Up Displays, User Interfaces, electronic devices, and others. Understanding the needs of tech and game developers, this library is delivered with a video game ready version designed to meet loudness standards and be implemented quickly into video game engines such as Unity or Unreal.
(466 files, 500 MB)