It's finally that time of year for firing up your favorite John Carpenter VHS, googling recipes for last-minute fake blood, and tapping into the spirit of Halloween by crafting some truly ghoulish tracks in your DAW.
This year, we're going to make it as easy as ever by offering some of our favorite horror sounds for free via a few sample packs and Ableton Live sessions.
Here's what we have on tap this year.
The Synth Sounds of Halloween Ableton Live Session
This Ableton Live session recreates the theme from the John Carpenter classic Halloween. As you may know, Carpenter wrote the music for the film himself, and with this session, you get a quick study of the sound design, composition, and production techniques behind the terrifying cinematic mainstay. Tweak the presets to your taste or just toy with the various samples and sounds to make something totally new.
The Synth Sounds of Horror Ableton Live Session
Our second haunted Ableton session features and array of ominous and spooky synth sounds, all with a dramatic subtext worthy of a late-night double feature. From white noise to bells, the Synth Sounds of Horror Ableton Live Session delivers a plethora of presets for creating sinister sounds to be used in a variety of productions. Classic synths have been a part of horror movies for decades now, and that doesn't seem to be a relationship destined to end anytime soon.
The Synth Sounds of Horror Sample Pack
This free Reverb sample pack features a collection of .wav files that you can use to score a low-budget horror flick, soundtrack your neighborhood's haunted house, or maybe just compose that abrasive industrial album you've been thinking about. Just download the files, import into any DAW, and unleash the terror within.
In addition to the above free downloads, our pals at Soundtrack Loops are also offering some choice discounts of their own seasonal sounds. Take a look at their Scary Voices and Digital Nightmare packs for even more hair-raising samples, loops, and effects to play with.
We're curious to see what you can do with any of the above sounds. Try making something new, posting it to social media with us tagged, and if we're truly horrified (in a good way) by what we hear, we'll send you some more free Reverb treats and maybe even a couple of tricks for good measure.