Super Audio Cart Complete
The ultimate collection of retro video game instruments and sounds.
$149
Audio Demos
- Future Bounce (Hybrid) Andrew Aversa 0:46
- Super Famitasia (SNES, GB, NES) Protodome 1:26
- Island Zone 2 (NES, GB, C64) Jeff Ball 1:35
- Chip Damage (Multi) Andrew Aversa 1:08
- Trickling Waters (Hybrid) timaeus222 1:15
- Timespinner - Ephermeral Reflections Jeff Ball 1:59
- Sand Delta (Multi) timaeus222 2:02
- The Devil's Mudflap (GEN) Andrew Aversa 2:38
- Tiny Barbarian DX - Climbing the Tower (SNES) Jeff Ball 1:23
- The Desert Rocks (Amiga) Chris Huelsbeck 3:18
- Ingrained from the Origin (Hybrid) Nabeel Ansari 1:51
- Etrian Odyssey III - The First Campaign (SNES) Yuzo Koshiro 2:24
- Tiny Barbarian DX - Climbing the Tower (GEN) Jeff Ball 1:23
- The Past Has Arrived (Hybrid) Andrew Aversa 0:55
- Super Autron (Intro) (C64) Sir_Nuts 1:38
- Neon Lights (SNES) WillRock 2:33
- Famidisco (NES) Andrew Aversa 1:03
- Tropic Temple Takedown (Hybrid) Derek Shunia 2:09
- Etrian Odyssey III - The First Campaign (GB) Yuzo Koshiro 2:24
- Haunted Mansion (Hybrid) timaeus222 1:22
- Etrian Odyssey III - The First Campaign (C64) Yuzo Koshiro 2:24
- Commie's Quest (C64) Nabeel Ansari 1:36
- Kinetic Alteration (Multi) Frank Tedesco 1:14
- Sunshine Jam (Multi) Jackson Mumford 1:09
- Block Invaders (MSX/CSS) Jorito 3:20
- Block Invaders (no FX) Jorito 3:20
Overview
The most complete set of classic video game samples ever produced, now bigger and better than ever. SAC Complete includes Super Audio Cart PC, with 1,000+ additional sounds and seven more sound chips, plus a bonus 128 snapshot ROM Expansion pack!
This incredible instrument features thousands of legendary retro sound sources from 15 classic game systems & home computers from the 70s to early 90s. With unparalleled accuracy, a powerful synth engine, and full mod matrix, you can truly create a limitless variety of classic or modern sounds. Over 2,500 authentic & modern snapshots included!
Product Info
Over 14,000 samples and 1,200 sound sources
Recorded using actual hardware and meticulously edited to preserve authenticity and character.
Over 2,500 authentic and modern snapshots
Basses, leads, arps, gates, FX, splits, pads, polysynths, and plucks, all tagged and categorized.
Legendary video game systems
NES, FC, SNES, GB, 2600, SMS, GEN
Beloved home computers and sound cards
AMGA, Tracker, POKEY, MSX, C64, ADLIB, AEGIS, Wingroove
All-new SNES ROM sample bank
Over 500 instruments in all categories, perfect for capturing the nostalgia of 16-bit sound
Power FX racks
Five independent FX racks with eight modules each for extra processing and sound mangling
Features
Four independent sound source layers
Integrated sound source browser
Per-layer synthesis and playback engine
Power arpeggiator & sequencer
64-slot modulation matrix
Requirements
7GB disk space
7200 RPM hard drive or solid state drive recommended.
4GB of RAM
Higher amounts of memory let you load more instruments.
Apple M1, Intel i5 or equivalent CPU
A faster CPU with more cores will allow you to play more simultaneous voices.
Kontakt Player 5.5.2
This library will run in the FREE Kontakt Player.
Kontakt Requirements - Mac OSX
Intel Macs (i5 or higher): macOS 10.14, 10.15, 11 or 12 (latest update).
Apple Silicon Macs (via Rosetta 2 & natively on ARM in Standalone or in hosts that support it): macOS 11 or 12 (latest update)
Kontakt Requirements - Windows
Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 (latest Service Pack, 32/64-bit). Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU. Graphics hardware support for OpenGL 2.1 or higher. Windows 10 strongly recommended.
Tutorials
V1.2 - What's New
V1.1 - What's New
SAC PC Walkthrough and Demo
Intro and Sound Overview
Advanced Editing, Arpeggiator and Sequencer
Effects Rack and Modulation Matrix
Future Bounce Demo Playthrough
Tangledeep SNES Demo Playthrough
Featured Artists & Composers
Christopher Gordon
Ladies in Black, Mao's Last Dancer, Salem's Lot, Master and Commander
"Impact Soundworks' range of guitars and fretted instruments sound amazing and are crafted and nuanced with expert detail. Intuitively set up to get straight to composing. And I have a real soft spot for the juicy, screaming Shreddage 3 Hydra!"
Lena Raine
Celeste, Chicory, Minecraft, Guild Wars 2, Deltarune
Instruments from ISW are a staple of my soundtrack work for games. Vocalisa has been a mainstay vocal aesthetic of nearly every game I've worked on including Celeste & Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Shreddage 3 has also given me the confidence to write some really fun guitar riffs & solos despite not being able to play a real one. I've started incorporating Tokyo Scoring Strings into the acoustic side of my scoring work, and can't wait to try out more from ISW in the future!
Ben Prunty
FTL: Faster Than Light, Into the Breach, Subnautica: Below Zero
"I've been using ISW since 2015, and their instruments have shown up in Into the Breach and Subnautica Below Zero, and in nearly all of my solo albums. Shreddage helped me fill in the gaps around my own guitar performances. Super Audio Cart provided some great raw synth sounds for parts of Below Zero. Impact Soundworks is often the first place I go to when I'm shopping for a new project. Everything they make works and sounds great."
Super Audio Cart faithfully reproduces the sound of seven classic video game systems and eight classic computers whose cultural legacy and influence has lasted far beyond their commercial lifespans. When the library was conceived, our goal was superb authenticity by deep-sampling every sound chip. But over time, we expanded our vision to shatter the limitations of the original systems and allow for near-infinite sound design possibilities.
The final, Complete version of Super Audio Cart is the culmination of 2+ years of intense research, development, and sound design. With a massive library of 14,000+ samples meticulously recorded, edited, and looped, we’ve thoroughly captured the raw capabilities of each game system or sound chip. These sounds are loaded into a custom Kontakt Player engine packed with cutting-edge features, along with 2,500+ factory snapshots to inspire both retro music, chiptunes, and modern genres.
To create this instrument, everyone involved needed a passion and deep connection to both video games and their music. That’s why we collaborated with OverClocked ReMix, a website and community dedicated to the appreciation of game music. To us, Super Audio Cart represents the ultimate tribute to that art form, and we know that it will find a place in your music for many years to come!
Originally released as a separate product with the same engine, Super Audio Cart PC is now included for free in this product, Super Audio Cart Complete
Where the original SAC library focused on home video game systems, Super Audio Cart PC perfectly captures the legendary sounds of classic computer sound sets from the 80s and 90s. In these early days of computing, before multi-gigabyte hard drives and CD-quality audio, a plethora of sound generation and playback methods existed allowing for some truly unique and memorable tones.
From the digital FM synthesis of the AdLib soundcard and MSX computer, to the wonderfully lo-fi multisamples of the Amiga, to the grungy pulse-driven synthesis of the Atari’s POKEY, Super Audio Cart PC faithfully reproduces a wide range of tones.
Q: “Is there a legal issue with using these sounds?”
A: No. Impact Soundworks fully and completely owns the copyright to all sounds in Super Audio Cart, and by purchasing the library, you receive a license to use them.
Q: “Aren’t these sounds from video games? How is that legal?”
A: In a nutshell, retro video game consoles have two ways of generating sound. One is by synthesizing waveforms using oscillators such as the NES 2A03 chip, or the Genesis YM2612. The other is by playing back sound recordings (samples).
Oscillators such as those in the 2A03 and YM2612 are not subject to copyright, any more than a piano or guitar is. Only when a sound recording is made does copyright apply, as with any sound recording of any source. We created, and thus own the rights to, all the recordings of these sound chips, which were edited and transformed into samples in Super Audio Cart.
For sample-based playback, like in the SNES or AMIGA, it’s a slightly different situation with the same end result (no legal issues!). It would not be legal to record and sample the sounds of an existing SNES or AMIGA game, so we did not do this.
Instead, we used our own extensive catalog of recordings used in our other sample libraries, edited & trimmed them, then ran them through processing tools before placing them on a real SNES and AMIGA (etc.). We recorded that output, which became samples in Super Audio Cart.
Reviews
Testimonial – Danny Baranowsky (Crypt of the NecroDancer, Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy)
“Super Audio Cart fills a niche in my chiptune arsenal that has been sorely lacking. The SNES-style patches sound so authentic, and the multi-chip patches bring usability and versatility I haven’t seen in a chiptune instrument before.”
Testimonial – Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, ActRaiser, Revenge of Shinobi, Etrian Odyssey)
“It’s extremely convenient to be able to create arrangements with such diverse sounds so quickly, just using MIDI. Of course, Super Audio Cart isn’t just for ‘retro’ sounds – it’s also very useful for modern music as well.”
Testimonial – Grant Kirkhope (Donkey Kong 64, GoldenEye, Banjo-Kazooie, Civilization: Beyond Earth)
“Super Audio Cart is without doubt the best plugin for all your chiptune needs, it’s got the lot and they’re all glorious! Having all these authentic sounds in one place is the best idea since someone said, ‘Let’s put a rap in Donkey Kong’ … oh wait.”
Testimonial – Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears)
“Super Audio Cart is so much fun, and absolutely spot-on for simulating retro game sounds. This is absolutely a fantastic sample library for all game music fans.”
Testimonial – Brennan Anderson (Marvel’s Avengers, Disney Emoji Blitz, Star Wars: Commander)
“Super Audio Cart is the perfect library to get those classic video game sounds, with all of the features to be able to modernize and create unique sounds that aren’t limited by classic hardware. Whether its for pixel art games, or making musical soundscapes reminiscent of arcades, this is my library of choice!”
Super Audio Cart – ANR
“Super Audio Cart is a Kontakt-based virtual instrument that is a tribute to the golden age of video gaming. If your next sound design project requires some 8-bit treatments, now you know where to find a quality source.” (Audio News Room)
Super Audio Cart – Original Sound Version
“If you’re looking for a simple way to incorporate the authentic retro sounds of early game consoles in your music, Super Audio Cart delivers that and much more. It’s a fantastic library that I’d highly recommend to anyone who wants to create music with these iconic sounds.” (Original Sound Version)
Super Audio Cart – Producer Spot
“To me it is absolute heaven, it inspires me, and reminds me of all my favorite games from my youth. It also successfully closes the gap between old-school sound, and modern technology. With “Super Audio Cart” you can go as crossover, or as authentic as you want.” (ProducerSpot.com)
Testimonial – Jimmy ‘Big Giant Circles’ Hinson (Black Ops 4, Borderlands 2, Threes)
“Between Shreddage, Super Audio Cart, Juggernaut, and Mega Brass I don’t remember the last time I haven’t used an Impact Soundworks instrument in a track. The attention to detail is astonishing and it’s all so easy to use out of the box, which is a big deal.”