Budding audio wizards will be able to make use of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop archive in their own music and sounds, with the launch of a library of material created by the legendary department.
Created by the BBC in 1957 to provide music and audio for radio and television, the Radiophonic Workshop played a key role in Doctor Who‘s success, creating most of the special sounds used in the original series and a large portion of the incidental music. Delia Derbyshire created the original theme music at the Workshop in 1963, working from a score by Ron Grainer.
In collaboration with Spitfire Audio and BBC Studios, a package of samples has now been released for purchase from the Radiophonic Workshop. The library features sounds from the original tapes, as well as new recordings and experiments by Workshop members and associates, including Mark Ayres, Dick Mills, Paddy Kingsland, Roger Limb, Glynis Jones, and Peter Howell.
Composer, sound designer and Radiophonic Workshop archivist Mark Ayres said:
“I’m the youngest member of the core Radiophonic Workshop – and I’m 64! We’re not going to be around forever. It was really important to leave a creative tool, inspired by our work, for other people to use going forward. I hope we’ve made an instrument that will inspire future generations.
“This instrument is all formed from the work, processes, and equipment that the Workshop created and used. You know, sampling now really looks like sampling then, but with a few more twiddles. I’ve been saying for years that Workshop composers such as Delia Derbyshire and John Baker were really samplists.”
Dominic Walker, Global Business Director for BBC Studios said:
“We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with Spitfire Audio in bringing the legendary sounds of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to a new generation of musicians and composers with this valuable online library.”
Key Features include:
- Authentic sounds from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop archives.
- Deeply sampled one-shots, loops, and multi-samples.
- New recordings and experiments by Workshop members and associates.
- Spitfire Audio’s powerful SOLAR engine with gate sequencer and vast effects suite.
- Wide range of sounds, including archival content, found sounds, junk percussion, tape loops, and vintage synthesisers.
- 13 different signal chains used for sound capture.
The Spitfire Audio BBC Radiophonic Workshop VST gives musicians and producers a collection of samples that they can use when making their own music. It includes vintage synthesisers, tape loops, found sounds, iconic archives and new performances from Workshop members.
The collection is now available for £149/€179/$199 at Spitfire Audio.
