Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars
When it comes to virtual instruments and sample libraries, designing a UI that balances ease of use with a suitable depth of control is quite a skill. If Shift (subtitled ‘Hybrid Scoring Transitions’) is anything to go by, then I think someone at The Very Loud Indeed Co is pretty good at it. As the subtitle suggests, Shift is a ‘transitions’ library and intended to provide modern sound design elements that film composers can blend into their projects to emphasise specific events and/or musical transitions.
In essence, the underlying concept is simple; you get 320 24‑bit/48kHz individual samples (the library runs to about 2GB in total). Each provides a gradually building sound that reaches its peak at two bars (with tempo‑sync’ing to your project) plus a tail/fade. These can all be accessed from a single Kontakt .nki and are arranged within eight banks (each with 40 transitions) across the MIDI keyboard for easy triggering (the blue keys within the UI). You also get real‑time pitch‑shifting (on the purple keys) over a 1.5 octave range (or via the pitch wheel; that also works well), allowing for some interesting additional creative options.
The sounds themselves are excellent and, while there are plenty of ‘transition sound design’ sample libraries that cover similar sorts of sonic ground, media composers working in drama, action, sci‑fi or horror will find plenty here to put to very good use even in the most demanding of commercial contexts. The sounds are ‘hybrid’ in nature so, while some might have traditional and/or orchestral sound sources within them, there is generally a modern feel. The engine enables the sounds to respond to MIDI note velocity so you can control both volume and tonal response depending upon how you play. This is really effective, although you can disable this in the UI if preferred.
...this well‑thought‑out, simple but very effective sound design control set makes Shift an absolute doddle to use.
The super‑cool icing on the cake, however, are the simple — but very useful — sound‑shaping elements of the UI. These are contained within a single window and provide global‑level control over the key elements of the sound. So, for example, you can adjust the attack and decay of the envelope, add reverb and distortion, or apply EQ via low‑ and high‑pass filters and a single sweepable cut/boost band. MIDI Learn lets you easily link any of these controls to a suitable MIDI controller. The combination of having access to all the core sounds (with pitch‑shifting) and this well‑thought‑out, simple but very effective sound design control set makes Shift an absolute doddle to use. With the sounds themselves having plenty to offer, for busy composers, the straightforward workflow will be a big plus point. Simple, sounds great, sensibly priced; Shift can put in a good shift!
$99
$99