Lately we've been covering a whole smorgasbord of options for producers that are looking to incorporate guitar into their music, without actually playing (or buying) a guitar.
There's plenty of quality software-based tools available that offer realistic guitar emulations, but today we're taking a look at some of the more leftfield alternatives suited to crafting lush soundscapes, melodic textures and cinematic atmospheres.
1. Audiomodern Opacity II | £85
Exquisitely performed and curated by Justin Hodges of Terre Grande, Opacity II is a godsend if you want creative guitar textures in your mixes and can’t craft them physically. Highly modifiable, expressive atmospheric licks and sequences.
2. Zero G Impromptu Electric Guitars | £32
Impromptu Electric Guitar features 21 patches and 8GB of samples, though its true potential lies in how you can weave them together to fashion organic soundscapes. All the samples were processed via a range of real-world pedals, while its ‘Impromptu Engine’ allows for random sound generation.
3. Heavyocity Scoring Guitars 2 | £70
A combination of pads, beds, drones, melodic pulses and performance palettes, Scoring Guitars 2 is superb for developing warm and emotive guitar-based soundtracks and soundscapes. The interface provides a wide range of aural morphing abilities, including reliable chorus, reverb and delay effects, with a slew of distortions.
4. Spitfire Audio Ambient Guitars | £220
A collaboration between Spitfire Audio and respected producer/songwriter Leo Abrahams, Ambient Guitars was specifically designed to cater to the soundtracker’s penchant for dark, indie-flavoured cues. Ambient Guitars packs in more than 600 sounds, captured with a heap of vivid pedals and amps, with an emphasis clearly on the organic side of things.
5. Output Sounds Arcade | $10 per month
Output Sounds’ ‘Sample Playground’ is an expansive toolkit full of a wide range of highly modifiable sounds. Chief among them are thousands of studio quality guitar samples, including the authentic sound of Nashville and the breezy Chill Guitars. You’ll have to subscribe, however, but you can download what you want, when you want.
6. IQ Samples Guitar Hooks | £20
If you’re looking for some fresh melodic or top-line ideas then IQ Samples Guitar Hooks provides just that, with 160 loops (69 dry and 98 ready-to-use in three basic tempos). This pack could serve as a great starting point, or it could provide a tasty, melodic accompaniment to an evolving soundscape.
