Soundbox

Name: Soundbox
Author: Audiomodern

by Audiomodern · Sampler · MPE sampler and instrument player

Not rated yet

Soundbox is an MPE sampler and instrument platform: the free player loads Soundbox instruments, and a paid version unlocks the sample and mapping editor.

It has velocity layers, round-robins and time-stretching; the player is free and instruments cost €39 each.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Acoustic Instruments, Sound Design. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: sample-based, MPE support, free, multisampled, cinematic, simple, round-robin, arpeggiator, sequencer, AUv3/iOS, creative, guitar instrument, musical, polyphonic, sound design, strings, textures.

What it does

Soundbox is Audiomodern's MPE sampler and instrument platform, which the developer calls "your all-in-one musical machine." A free player loads its growing library of instruments, and a license unlocks an editor for building your own.

Free player: loads any Soundbox instrument with everything unlocked except the Sample and Mapping editor; free libraries are included.
Editor: a license key, included with any paid Soundbox instrument, unlocks the audio and mapping editor for importing your own sounds and building multisampled instruments.
Layers: up to four sample layers per instrument, each with its own ADSR envelope and four effect slots, plus a noise generator with its own envelope.
Movement: four LFOs with 32-step pattern sequencers, an independent 32-step arpeggiator per layer, and an X/Y vector pad for blending the layers.
Sampling engine: multiple velocity layers, round-robins, a group section and time-stretching.
MPE: MIDI Polyphonic Expression from MPE controllers, plus multi-touch control on iPad.
Browser: sounds tagged by genre and style, with packs from third-party developers as well as Audiomodern's own.

The current version is 1.3.5. The player is free. Audiomodern's own instruments, such as Opacity (cinematic guitars), Kromium (abstract strings) and Cosmo (keys), are sold separately or as a bundle.

Source: Audiomodern product page

When to use it

Soundbox is lighter than Kontakt 8 and HALion 7, deep sampler platforms with huge third-party libraries and scripting, and it is built around its own playable, MPE-ready instruments. Attack Magazine asked whether it could replace Kontakt and concluded it can't yet, mainly for detailed acoustic instrument sampling. Soundbox sits between those platforms and TAL-Sampler, a vintage-style sampler with its own character, or CR8, which is aimed at mangling single samples: it is a layered instrument player with arpeggiators, LFO sequencers and vector blending, and a simple editor for making your own instruments. The free player makes it an easy one to try.

Best for: cinematic and ambient textures, playing its library with MPE controllers, and building simple custom multisampled instruments.
Genres: film and TV scoring, ambient and electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you need a large third-party library ecosystem or deep acoustic instrument scripting; Kontakt 8 has far more.
Tip: Sound On Sound points to the free Mechanica and Spectra packs as good starting material.

What producers say

Reviewers like the sounds, the price and the ease of use; the main reservations are the young library and some missing depth compared with Kontakt.

Sound On Sound (John Walden, November 2025) called it "a pleasure to use" and "a bit of a gem", praising the balance of power and simplicity and the quality of the packs for media work.
Attack Magazine (October 2024) praised the "beautiful sounds", the effects (especially the Zynaptiq reverb) and the four-layer design, calling it an "insta-buy" for cinematic sounds.
Criticisms: Attack found the packs heavily cinematic and, at launch, missed round-robins (now listed on the product page) and working MPE aftertouch; Sound On Sound wanted arpeggiator presets and noted the small expansion ecosystem.

Where to buy

Audiomodern: Free

Tutorials and reviews

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