Hollow Sun has released a new sample library, Radiophonica, that’s inspired by the vintage sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop:

Ian Boddy needs no introduction. As one of the UK’s leading synthesists and owner of the DIN record label, apart from his many successful solo albums, Ian has worked with many of the greats in UK and European electronica with many albums under his belt and he is the darling of many electronica festivals across the world where he performs his music live.

Ian is also a successful sound designer and has released several award and 5-star winning libraries.

Radiophonica is the first title in Ian Boddy’s ‘Waveforms’ series of sample libraries. All the sounds were produced and recorded directly from analogue hardware synthesisers such as the venerable EMS VCS3 and MiniMoog and also the Roland 100M, Doepfer, Analogue Solutions and Analogue Systems modular synths.

No digital processing was used. Any effects you hear such as flanging, phasing, reverb or echo are from the various analogue components of the modular systems used or through the Metasonix valve lowpass filter.

The intention is to provide a comprehensive library of sounds that are synonymous with the name of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop from their early work on such seminal programs as Doctor Who.

As such, the sounds are intended to have that authentic analogue, organic, retro sci-fi character that is so appealing about those early synthesiser soundtracks. Many of the sounds and textures evoke early electronica such as the works of Morton Subotnik and the ‘electronic tonalities’ of the movie ‘Forbidden Planet’ by Louis and Bebe Barron as well as other early pioneers working in their labs towards a new sound of the future in a post-war world.

The library is divided sensibly into logical categories that include ‘Atmospherics’, ‘Drones’, ‘Nasty’, ‘Noise’, ‘OneShots’, ‘Oscillations’, ‘Pulses’ and ‘Weird’. All live up their name!

The Hollow Sun Edition of ‘Radiophonica’ comes with a scripted panel that gives quick and easy control over these wonderfully atmospheric and evocative sounds.

The TONE section allows you to apply several serial filters to the sounds to transform the raw samples while the AMP ENVELOPE allows you to shape the sound to your requirements. The ‘Effects’ tab allows you to apply stereo phasing, chorus, delay and reverb to the raw sounds. The panel has been carefully designed to complement the raw beauty of these exquisite retro sounds.

Radiophonica is $40 at the Hollow Sun site.