Rating: ***** 5/5 Stars
Fallout Music Group focus on sound effects and sound‑design instruments aimed at media composers, and the subject of this review — Trailer Braams II — falls very much into their home territory. The library is built from approximately 2.3GB of samples and comprises 180 individual sound sources — brass, synths, organic (guitar, cello, vocal, etc) and transients — all sampled across a full octave and many with post‑processing applied. The instrument has a bespoke UI within Kontakt (v.6.6.1 or later), uses NI’s Native Access for install/authorisation and will work with the free version of Kontakt Player.
All of the controls are available via a single, very stylish screen. You can blend up to three of the individual sound sources to create the final braam sound. The instrument ships with a good selection of Snapshot presets. These make an excellent starting point, but the UI makes it easy to design. Each sound layer features its own sample browser, envelope, pitch and time‑stretching controls. You can also opt for random sample selection for an individual slot, or all three, and see what kind of result luck might generate.
As well as a mixer plus reverb and delay effects, you also get some neat additional sound‑design options. These include an LFO (with four different waveform shapes) that can be used to modulate the volume and create some pulse‑like effects that are superimposed upon the envelope/decay of the sound. The Master Sound section feature low‑pass, high‑pass and tonal options. It’s simple but provides very effective means to control the frequency range of your sound, letting you make it just as big, or as subtle, as you need it to be. However, click the Power button and you get a further, macro‑style knob that also lets you control just how impactful your braam will be. This is particularly effective and, as a means of adding sonic variety from a single instance of Trailer Braams II, this makes a very good automation target.
If you are on the look‑out for some fresh ways to add larger‑than‑life impact to your cues, then Trailer Braams II is certainly well worth checking out.
And the sounds themselves? Well, they can be impressively big. Indeed, so big that it’s a good idea to keep an eye on Kontakt’s master output level; some of these sounds can get seriously loud. There is plenty of variety amongst the underlying samples to keep things interesting and the quality is excellent; I can easily imagine these sounds being right at home in your typical Marvel movie trailer. While the underlying sample library is fairly modest compared to some impact/hit VIs, the front end is intuitive and flexible, providing plenty of options to sculpt the underlying samples to suit your needs. The library is also sensibly priced and accessible even to those without a Hollywood budget. If you are on the lookout for some fresh ways to add larger‑than‑life impact to your cues, then Trailer Braams II is certainly well worth checking out.
$79
$79