Vaporwave revolves around the past. So in order to create a Vaporwave beat, you need sounds from old drum machines and analog hardware synthesizers. Unfortunately tools like this are quite expensive and also impractical to use compared to a modern DAW. Luckily there are plenty of plugins available these days and some sound designers set to work for us and created a bunch of really cool Vaporwave sample packs, which are filled with all the sounds we need to produce this genre. Below you’ll find an overview of the best ones we could find online.
Voyage Vaporwave by BVKER
BVKER’s Voyage Vaporwave sample pack is without any doubt one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) packs from this list. It contains 1,315 files adding up to a total of 3,55 GB in size. The content ranges from a huge drum library with one shots, loops and fills to a melodic section, which contains melodic loops, MIDI files and a bunch of tonal one shots. A few effect sounds and 4 construction kits are included as well. Or in other words: this pack literally contains everything you could possibly need to produce Synth- or Vaporwave. You won’t regret a purchase!
Learn more*Aesthetic Vaporwave Drums by BVKER
Aesthetic is the first (and only) free pack included in here. It contains over a hundred drum one shots taken from Voyage Vaporwave and another Synthwave sample pack by BVKER we’ll talk about later on. The drum samples are based on all the old school devices that are responsible for the typical 80s drum sound. However, these samples aren’t just plain recordings. They have further been cleaned up and processed using precise digital audio tools, so you’ll get the best out of both worlds (analog and digital). Grab your free download below!
Learn more*Midnight Ride for Serum by Tunecraft Sounds
In contrast to the previous products this one is primarily a Serum presets pack, which contains over a hundred beautiful patches. However, you’ll also receive some bonus material, including 48 audio loops, 30 MIDIs, 15 drum loops and 103 drum one shot samples. Since all of these sounds are inspired by producers like Kavinsky, Carpenter Brut or Mitch Murder you can be sure that they’re suitable for any kind of 80s music. So if you’re looking for a new Serum extension, this is probably the pack you should check out.
Learn more*Synthwave by BVKER
Well, the Synthwave sample pack made by BVKER is actually the only one in here, which is known to get used by well-known 80s producers. For example Mega Drive, who has tracks with millions of streams on Spotify writes that “the new Synthwave sample pack from BVKER is dope and will be put to good use”. This download is a complete collection of everything you need to cook up this genre - no matter if you’re searching for drums, Serum presets, melody loops or MIDI files.
Learn more*Retro Wave by Production Master
The Retro Wave kit by Production Master is just like the previous one, a combination of samples and presets, but since it’s available via Loopmasters you can buy both separately (if that’s what you want). All-in-all this pack has a great energy and just like most Production Master products it’s from a really high quality. Since the complete download also has a size of more than 1 GB, you can be sure that it comes with a lot of content to play around with.
Learn more*80’s Synths For Serum by Zenhiser
Zenhiser’s 80’s Synths For Serum comes with a wide range of presets. It contains different brass patches, bells, FX, keys, pads and many more sound categories - all inspired by producers, including Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers and Prince. Although Serum is obviously a digital synth, they guys from Zenhiser made a pretty decent job of making those patches sound warm and analog. Just check out the demo track and you’ll know what I mean.
Learn more*Retro Wave by Loopmasters
The Retro Wave pack you can find on Loopmasters is made entirely by Jim Smith aka TEEEL, who’s mainly known for his debut Amulet, which came out in 2011. His synth collection includes collector’s items like the Yamaha DX7, Yamaha DX7 II·FD, Roland HS-60, Yamaha CS1x, Moog Sub Phatty or the Moog Little Phatty. Moreover, Drum Machines like the LinnDrum, Sequential Circuits Drumtraks, Simmons or Roland Rhythm Composers have been used to create this product. With a size of 1.92 GB it also is among the bigger ones.
Learn more*Vaporwave Essentials by Ghosthack
Although the Vaporwave Essentials by Ghosthack aren’t as big as some of the other packs in here it’s still worth a mention. Just like most of the other packs it’s 100% royalty-free and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, which means that there’s no risk of purchasing something you don’t like. If you’re looking for a Vaporwave pack, which is more inspired by the Lo-Fi or jazzy lounge side, this might be something you’re interested in.
Learn moreSimulation by Ghosthack
Simulation is also made by Ghosthack and made for genres like Vaporwave or Synthwave. It’s about the same size as the previous one, but stylistically a bit different, so you’ll find drums from vintage machines, lush pads and funky basslines. At this point I honestly don’t know what to say more. Just click on the button below and take a listen to the demo tune.
Learn moreNostalgia by Soundsmiths
Nostgalgia is Soundsmiths’ take on 80s vibes and retro sounds. It’s filled with 80 drum loops, 82 drum one shots, 50 bass loops & one shots, 90 melodic loops & one shots + 18 sound effects. What’s really cool about it is that you can preview every single sound via the WA Production website, so you can see exactly what’s inside.
Learn more*Conclusion
As you can see, there’s no need to buy expensive hardware units, just to get some analog retro vibes. There are countless Vaporwave sample packs available, which already contain all of these sounds. Just pick a pack of your choice, load it to your hard drive and the fun can begin!
Btw, If you enjoyed this post, you might also like this list of the best Sylenth1 presets or this post covering a bunch of pretty decent & free 808 sample packs.
