Review: TRAILER XPRESSIONS by Sample Logic

Heads up to the game and cinematic producers out there, here’s a new Kontakt instrument from Sample Logic. It’s called Trailer Xpressions and it’s a library of atmospheric hits, impacts, zaps, sweeps, drones, whooshes, and all that good stuff.

Overview

The library offers 2 different categories „Ambience“ and „Percussive“. Each of these folders offers different instruments for example in Ambience we have Drones and stingers and in Percussive we have Hits, and Booms to name a few. What I really appreciate about this library straight off is, that each sample tells a story in itself. There are so many layers and so much evolution over the length of each sample.

The samples are a mixture of what sounds like processed field recordings and synthesis. There are freaky reversed voices, driven by sweeping sawteeth while something bumps in the background. Each one is about 20 to 30 seconds long. You can use the whole length of the sample or, Sample Logic has provided a cursor with which you can set where you would like the sample to start.

In that sense, each sample offers different material in itself. You can also mix samples from the same folder together. Seeing that there are around a thousand samples that amount to an endless amount of material to design with.

The interface is sleek with just one layer. You can adjust attack and release and there’s a Lo and Hi-cut filter. We can also change the pitch of each sample which is really handy for mixing with music.

The Energizer parameter pushes the sample slightly back or slightly more upfront. This is great for allowing you to place the sound 3-dimensionally. Making it sound close or far away. The effect is difficult to register though. We also have a Polisher which doesn´t seem to do very much.

As effects, we have a Delay and a Convolution reverb. There are no standard parameters for them but there are some nice presets that sound great and can add a lot of character. The Convolution sounds very analog and wet. The presets aren’t just settings either, they are also sequenced to expand throughout the entire sample and adding movement and depth.

Conclusion

Another great piece of work from Sample Logic. The intricate sound design and movement over time are gripping. The sounds are very, powerful, or scraping and haunting. There are some simple uncomplicated parameters with which you can individualize the sounds and you can incorporate them tonally into music.

There’s almost any sound you can imagine, it’s well organized and easy to find the sound you’re looking for. It would take hours, tons of equipment, in-depth know-how, and months of fieldwork to create samples like these yourself.

Trailer Xpression is an excellent tool for your arsenal and well worth the 199€ price tag.

Download Link: Trailer Xpressions