Goldbaby: Why the Quality Still Holds Up

There are a lot of sample packs around now. Too many, really.

Most of them are perfectly usable – but not many of them stick.

Goldbaby is one of the few names I’ve kept coming back to over the years, largely because the quality doesn’t date and the sounds don’t fight you.

A practical background, not a marketing one

Goldbaby is run by Hugo Tichborne, based in Auckland, New Zealand. He’s worked professionally in audio for over 30 years, including more than a decade in film and TV location sound.

Goldbaby started in 2006 after an injury stopped him doing location work. With a studio full of synths, drum machines, samplers, tape and vinyl – and a long history of using samplers since the early 90s – he began sampling his own gear.

Not because he saw a gap in the market, but because he was underwhelmed by what was already available.

That difference matters.

Sounds that feel finished

What stands out with Goldbaby packs isn’t the amount of content – it’s the decisions that have already been made.

Levels are sensible. Tonality is consistent. Transients behave.

You’re not constantly fixing things before you can start working.

A kick from a Goldbaby pack usually sits where you expect it to. Same with snares, hats, and percussion. You still shape them – but you’re shaping something solid, not rescuing it.

That alone saves time.

Character without exaggeration

There’s a clear love of vintage gear running through everything Goldbaby releases – drum machines, samplers, tape, vinyl, older converters – but it’s never pushed too far.

The character is there, but it isn’t forced.

That means the sounds work across genres and tempos without locking you into a specific aesthetic. You can take them clean, or push them hard if you want. They respond well either way.

Trusted beyond the sample world

Goldbaby has also created content for companies who build the tools many of us use every day, including:

• Native Instruments

• Elektron

• Ableton

• ISLA Instruments

• iZotope

• XLN Audio

That sort of work doesn’t happen by accident. It’s usually a sign that someone is dependable and understands what producers actually need.

Why I still use them

I’ve collected a lot of Goldbaby packs over the years, and they’ve aged well. That’s probably the main thing.

They don’t sound dated.

They don’t feel like trends.

They just work.

If you’re building a sample library you’ll keep reaching into – rather than scrolling past – Goldbaby is well worth your time.

Not flashy.

Not bloated.

Just solid, well-recorded sounds made by someone who knows why they matter.

Goldbaby has a handful of free packs as well. If you’ve never used them before, it’s worth trying those first and seeing what you think