The '80s was a transformative period for music, spawning countless artists and sounds that remain vastly influential in the modern age.
It was also a golden era for synthesizers, bringing us the birth of digital synthesis and giving rise to legendary instruments like the Yamaha DX-7, Fairlight CMI, Prophet V, Synclavier and many more.
These are the inspiration behind our latest free sample pack, as we've sought to bottle the retro tones of classic '80s synths in a collection of leads, basses, pads and arps created with Arturia's V Collection and routed through some authentic '80s outboard gear.
What you need to know
The samples are split into four subfolders, in which you'll find several tempo-labelled folders.
All the samples are supplied as 24-bit WAV files so can be imported directly into your DAW or sampler of choice. Because they're royalty-free, you're welcome to use the samples in your music in any way you like - all we ask is that you don't re-distribute them.
The samples are supplied in a zip file, so you'll need to extract them before you can see them. Enjoy!
Example sounds
'80s synth samples: click to download
For more than 97,000 more samples, head to our SampleRadar hub.
Tutorials
How to imitate an '80s-style studio with modern software
Back to the '80s: how to capture an '80s sound in your home studio
6 ways to recreate the sound of '80s synth-pop
6 ways to recreate the sound of classic '80s live bass
