Best of 2023 - Sample Library Review's Virtual Instrument Awards

Realitone is having their Holiday Sale, featuring the lowest price ever on their award winning Nightfall Hybrid Strings.  Just $129, or if you have Sunset Strings, just $99.

Best Ensemble Orchestral Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Sound Design Virtual Instrument of 2023

Viewers Choice Best Virtual instrument of the Year: Gravity 2 by Heavyocity

Best World/Ethnic Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Brass Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Piano / Keyboard Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Woodwinds Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Toolkit / Cue Builder Instrument of 2023

Best Bass/Guitar Instrument of 2023

Best Loop / Phrase Instrument of 2023

Best Solo Orchestral Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Drums & Percussion Virtual Instrument of 2023

Best Vocal/Choir Instrument of 2023

Best Orchestral Strings Virtual Instrument of 2023

Viewers Choice:

Collectively, our contributors and voting industry professionals test out over 200 new virtual instruments each year. Sample Library Review’s “Best of” awards are determined by an advisory board and selection committee that includes music journalists, producers, songwriters, and media composers with Viewers Choice votes open to all viewers.
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Sponsored by Realitone
01:00 Best Orchestral Ensemble
03:46 Best Sound Design
05:42 Viewers Choice Best Virtual instrument
05:54 Best World/Ethnic
07:30 Best Brass
08:15 Best Piano / Keyboard
10:55 Viewers Choice: Alt Piano
11:09 Best Woodwinds
12:00 Best Toolkit / Cue Builder
14:44 Viewers Choice: Novella Origin
14:56 Best Bass/Guitar
17:17 Best Loop / Phrase
18:36 Best Solo Orchestral
19:43 Best Drums & Percussion
23:01 Best Vocal/Choir
25:05 Best Orchestral Strings

[bblas]

I've got so many VST plugins I couldn't hear all the presets in my lifetime, yet I still watch these videos 😅 Love this channel, SLR, keep em coming 😎

[ZeroKami]

I'd love to see a series "Best of All Time" videos like this, updated every few years to include newer libraries dethroning old winners - and old winners reclaiming the throne too of course XD

[SoundYeti]

Thank you for showing some love to Revelation Hybrid Mallets Don!

[fransteeno]

Dan, I look forward to this every year. Thank you for all the energy you put into presenting current sample libraries. I have made decisions based on reviews at SLR.

[DirettoIZM]

Great stuff all year long - Love those ensemble picks! Might be the weekend to pick up Low End Strings by NI... Thanks for all the great info, demos and previews!

[evanseesred]

Watching this is dangerous. (Great list. Thank you!)

[brainrussell]

Coming out of coma, cool to hear what I've missed over the last 10 months... thanks SLR!

[sentimentaltrash]

Aah awesome seeing salu and spectres on here! Have you guys done a full review of spectres? Not many people have and I’m still on the fence about it given there’s no user samples!! Always respect your guys opinion & thoroughness

[joshbarron]

I would love to see you do a review of Petrichor from Fracture Sounds. I looks to be a gorgeous library :)

[StefanMichaels-utjg]

Proceeds to name every library on the market

[TWMWorks]

Big thanks D, another year over nearly. Stay safe and have yourself a peaceful break.

[samburtyboy]

Great year for samples and especially the last 6 months went a bit crazy!

[EdVizenor]

I think you rank among the highest and best youtube channels. THANK YOU for your hard work.

[xianning]

You notice that a lot of developers have started moving away from using the K7 engine.

[IsHeHigh]

Okay but for real... who in the world is still out there buying cinematic libraries like this? There are SO many of them.. so many good ones. Almost 30 years worth of good ones, since Miroslav. What could possibly motivate someone to make another one? Let alone buy another one?

[marieandallanslade]

Umm… Acoustic Samples.. not even mentioned