Spitfire goes bigger than ever before with Aperture: The Stack

Ever wondered what 56 amps and four subs would sound like if you stacked them all together and ran guitars, basses, drum machines and modular synths through them? Spitfire Audio has done all that, and more, in its new beast of a library, Aperture: The Stack. Touring musician and composer, Daniel Pereira, finds out just how powerful and inspiring this quirky VI can be...

Since the pandemic started, it seems to me that more musicians are turning towards instrument sample libraries. When it comes to composing, I have always struggled to filtrate which libraries I really need, although when it comes to Spitfire Audio, they always seem to hit the nail on the head. Aperture: The Stack, Spitfire's latest offering, was recorded at London's iconic AIR Studios, and is arguably the manufacturer's most inspirational yet.

Anyone who knows Spitfire will be aware of their prestigious orchestral sample libraries. However, Aperture: The Stack was a surprise, and is unlike any other thus far. Guitars and basses are at the core, along with many a drum machine and modular synth, all of which have been played through a whopping wall of 56 amplifiers. As a guitarist for the band Fuzz Skyler, and a composer with a fascination in modular synths, it's essentially all my Christmases come at once.

My first thought when opening the product is how user friendly it is. It is organised in a way that everything you need is on display and therefore easy to find, enabling creativity to quickly flow. As I’m sure any composer will agree, this makes the process of creating way more enjoyable.

Aperture: The Stack has four different elements: Dave (which mainly consists of pad-like sounds); The Synths; The Guitars; and The Machines (drum machines). Each of these has a depth to it worthy of full score creation in itself, though it's The Synths category that really blows my mind. If you have used modular synths, you will know that those machines are spectacular, and breathe life, and Spitfire has managed to grab that exact same feel and essence across the board. These sounds will start to communicate with you in a way that no other sound library has done the minute you start to explore them.

Being a guitarist, The Guitars element is also a natural draw. Spitfire’s approach is somewhat unique, and sonically these sounds are nothing short of jaw-dropping. It's important to get across that these are not regular guitar emulations – far from it. They're guitar sounds that would be extremely difficult to replicate in any conventional studio, and that, I find really special – no doubt heightened by the acoustic of the magical room they were recorded in.

They all boast immense detail and their own unique character with varying levels of punch and depth, and although the presets are epic, these sounds are so easy to manipulate – dramatically, should you choose to. The Guitars sound great on their own, but they would also work perfectly as an extra colour or flair element to a band production. Versatile is the word, basically. Furthermore, I was also impressed with The Machines, which for me is the cherry on top, because I get an 808 drum machine with a very welcome twist!

The most challenging part of this process was trying to pick my top three favourite sounds… But here goes: 'Synth Pulses' is simply beautiful; 'The Failed Ascent' is awe-inspiring – try to imagine a huge ensemble of horns performing a crescendo with a bend up kind of sound and you're getting close; and '15,000 Watts', which is what it says on the tin: wonderful guitar tone at the core, recorded through a wall of 56 amps, which needs no further explanation, really!

Having made a score composition using only Aperture: The Stack – and in no time at all - I can honestly say that the sounds themselves are truly inspiring, and the ideas started to flow immediately and beautifully, without much effort. Using the Aperture control with the modulation wheel, you can make the sounds go from tame to wild, making them jump out of your speakers to give you that smack in the face, thump on the chest, or fall off your chair type feeling.

So to summarise, I believe any musician looking to further their sonic palette, or to add colour or pizzazz to existing projects, will get a lot out of this library. It's fun, it's exciting, and it can massively enhance your productions regardless of genre.