Symphobia (project sam)

Symphobia (project sam) is one of the first big sound banks I bought, back in the 2000s, and I still use it today.

If you are looking for a big symphonic sound ready to use, already mixed and mastered, it is the ideal choice.

Unlike the Vienna orchestra (VSL), which was very fashionable at the time, Symphobia didn’t offer individual instrumental desks, but complete sections of strings, brass and woodwinds, spread over the keyboard.

And that makes all the difference.

You can improvise, or play live, section by section, and that saves a lot of time.

You can write a first version of a film score very quickly, with a realistic sound, which allows the director to have a good idea of the final product.

Symphobia also offers special orchestral effects, inspired by the music of Ligeti, Pendrecki or Scelci, which will give you the possibility to write music for horror movies, or simply to add an orchestral texture to a heavy metal piece.

Take the time to listen to some demo videos on Youtube, to fully appreciate the grain of this sound bank, its particular color.

Since its launch, many competitors have appeared, but Symphobia (from project sam) remains a safe bet.

The latest version offers a new interface, even easier to use and handle than the previous one.

Are there any negative points in Symphobia?

Not really.

Of course, one can always want more possibilities in the articulations, but in its current version, Symphobia is a real investment for the future, if you write cinematic orchestral music.

Project Sam has since released choirs, jazzy versions, a second volume of Symphobia with legatos, so you can always evolve if you need more nuances in your sound palette.

(Alain Jamot is a composer/writer living in Berlin: you can listen to his music on Apple Music too.)