The banks provided here are collections of original presets from both external and in-house sound designers. Some sound designers have delivered a single bank of presets with a wide range of preset types. Others have divided their sounds into several banks, each focusing on a particular class of sound or sonic characteristic.
Denis Goekdag
Denis is best known for his role as co-founder, CEO, lead product and sound designer at cutting-edge audio software manufacturer Zynaptiq. Denis has a background in professional music production and sound design, having produced his first electronic music record at the age of 15. He has designed sounds for instruments such as the Hartmann Neuron, Native Instruments' Absynth, Massive, FM-8, Alchemy, Maschine, Guitar Rig and KORE, as well as all Zynaptiq titles and many more.
"The C15 is a work of art. It has a very clear structure and interface that makes it quick and easy to use - and interestingly - both predictable and extremely surprising and inspiring at the same time. I often find myself just playing it as I would my pianos: it is very productive that way. The C15 effortlessly creates super-organic tones with the kind of fine-grained complexity you would expect from natural sounds, and has a character I would describe as somewhere between cinematic hi-fi and beefy/in-your-face. It complements my analogue synths extremely well.”
This carefully crafted preset bank is the result of Denis Goekdag's extensive experience in sound design. With just over 100 presets, this bank covers a wide range of functional and charismatic sounds, with an emphasis on deep, pad-like sounds.
Eric Mouquet
French composer, producer and musician Eric Mouquet is the co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning band Deep Forest. Fascinated by ethnic music, jazz and electronic dance music, Deep Forest created a new kind of electronic world music, also called ethnic electronica. Their music has been a major influence on many EDM artists including Robert Babicz, Sainte Vie, Fakear, Onuka and many more. As a producer and composer, Eric has worked with the likes of Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Joe Zawinul, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Gaudi, Chitose Hajime, Rahul Sharma, Sa Dingding to name but a few. As a dedicated C15 user, Eric has shared a collection of his very own presets with us, which we have made available to you here.
Eric's diverse preset bank features a curated selection ranging from pads to leads and effects, each echoing the unique sonic signature of Deep Forest.
Manny Fernandez
Dr. Manny Fernandez has been involved in synthesizer programming and development with many manufacturers for over 35 years. Acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost FM synthesists and having extensive experience with physical modeling synthesis as well, the C15 turned out to be a natural fit for his skills and approach to sound design.
Manny enjoys creating unique and dynamic timbres with interesting yet useful real-time controller implementations. His programming of the C15 truly leveraged the design of its synthesis engine and resulted in many new and playable sounds we’d not heard from the C-15 before.
This preset bank is a testament to Manny's expertise in digital synthesis. He's created a wide variety of interesting and playable sounds, many of which have a unique hybrid quality, blending characteristics from different instruments. The attention to detail in the creation process has resulted in presets that are both expressive and complex. When played at high velocities, some sounds exhibit a subtle distortion, and you have the flexibility to make significant changes using the macro controls.
Mike Daliot
Mike Daliot is from Austria where he studied classical drums. With bands he has played a wide range of styles, from African music to Drum & Bass to Metal.
In the last 20 years he has become one of the most prominent developers of software instruments and effects. For Native Instrument, he has been a lead designer on Massive and Monark, among others, and has developed many components for other products. All of his designs are created in Reaktor.
He is also the developer of the C15's world-class reverb. His suggestions have contributed to important improvements in the C15 sound engine.
As a sound designer, he uses his extensive knowledge of how sounds are created in acoustic instruments and synthesizers, and his ears trained over many projects. His presets for the C15 cover a wide range of categories, from extremely realistic recreations to the generation of abstract sounds.
This bank contains a variety of acoustic and synthetic plucked string sounds.
In here you can find presets that resemble the sounds of different idiophones, such as vibraphones and bells.
This selection consists of pitched and unpitched percussion sounds. Compared to MD Mallets, these sounds are a bit more experimental.
These sounds are inspired by classic electronic keyboard instruments. A lot of work has gone into giving these sounds a natural feel when played, making them exceptionally expressiv.
Some of these presets simulate the sounds of classic electric organs while others have their own unique characteristics.
A collection of colourful sounds that are ideal for soloing. Most of the sounds here are monophonic.
MD Orchestral contains sounds that approximate various orchestral instruments or groups of instruments. These sounds tend to have a soft envelope, making them ideal for use as a pad.
In contrast to MD Orchestral, the pad sounds here have a more synthetic quality. Some of them can also be used wonderfully for lead melodies.
Containing some of Mike's more experimental sounds, MD FX/Readymades is the perfect bank for the exploratory user. Many of these sounds use a complex system of modulation and feedback to create rhythmic patterns.
"Fat Bass" is the motto of this particular bank. If you are looking for venomous, enveloping bass sounds for your next neurofunk production, this is the place to find them. The use of macros is absolutely mandatory!
Arovane
Musician and producer Arovane, real name Uwe Zahn, has been delivering a steady output of idiosyncratic electronica artwork since the late 1990s, with releases on several international labels. Concerts have taken him across Europe and to the USA and Japan. Arovane also creates sounds for several instrument manufacturers and sound providers.
Fascinated by Native Instruments' software synth Kontour - the C15's direct predecessor - he created numerous sounds a few years ago that soon resonated with the developer and eventually led to a collaboration.
Arovane's C15 patches are characterised by a very unique sonic quality and expressiveness. This preset bank skilfully showcases the "synthetic" side of the C15: it contains impressive, sometimes almost bizarre sounds that can be used very well - but not only - in an experimental context. The concept of "non-linearity" finds its sonic realisation here.
Kevin Schröder
Kevin Schroeder is a professional sound designer. As a close collaborator of Hans Zimmer, he mainly produces sounds for elaborate film scores. His sounds appear in Hollywood blockbusters such as James Bond - No Time to Die, Dune, or Wonder Woman 1984.
Kevin also creates factory sounds for manufacturers of hardware and software synthesizers. Kevin was drawn to the C15 by the instrument's unique sound and, in particular, its physical modeling capabilities.
In keeping with Kevin's film background, his preset bank offers numerous sounds with a distinctly cinematic character, including impressive pads, atmos and effect sounds with a high degree of originality. All of his presets are designed to make even the most complex sounds playable and as musically functional as possible. The macro controllers play a crucial role in these patches.
This is an earlier bank programmed by Kevin Schröder on NI's Kontour, which we have ported to the C15. Compared to the bank he created on the C15 itself, these sounds are a little more modest and pure, but still effective. It offers well-crafted bread-and-butter sounds in a wide range of timbres.
Peter M. Mahr
Peter Mahr is a passionate synthesizer connoisseur. In 1982, a Korg MS-20 provided the initial spark and led to his first attempts at sound design. Since then Peter has worked on countless synths of various kinds. The spark always jumps over when an instrument makes him completely forget his current surroundings.
What fascinates him most about the C15 is the extraordinary expressivity of the sounds, made accessible by the numerous controllers and their haptics.
Peter's preset bank in particular shows the "beautiful" side of the C15: here you'll find a multitude of atmospheric pads and atmos that invite you to both play and enjoy. The MC assignments not infrequently deliver subtle sound changes or spice up the sounds with an extra portion of effects.
Ulrich Wappler
For Uli Wappler, the C15 is a musical instrument in the classical sense of the word. It wants to be learned and played as expressively as possible - ideally in context with other musicians and instruments.
The classically trained keyboardist and computer musician also pursued this goal when programming the C15: Uli's presets are organic, often somewhat raw, and at times endowed with a certain life of their own.
Originally created as snapshots of sound research trips, these presets were shaped against the backdrop of hours of live sessions into expressive, dynamic and very lively playable sounds that often only fully reveal their qualities in a band context - sounds for those who love to play keys …
Uli Essentials A is a preset bank with a colourful mix of different sounds. Primarily you will find sounds ideal for melodies, chord stabs and bass lines, but also interesting pad and effect sounds. What makes this bank so special is the fact that each of these presets has its own very special and instantly recognisable sound character. Favourite Presets: Soft R, Era of Cruising, Dichter Poet, Haifischgräte, Clean String, Retrosophy, Warmed to the Teeth.
Essentials B continues the idea of the Essentials A bank. It expands Uli Wappler's preset collection with another 29 presets full of character and expressiveness. Favourite presets: Fat Transistor, Brass Welder, Mud Piece, Akku Bass, Daft Talk, Sense In Tense.
This is a tiny little bank of very powerful and effective sounds. Think of it as a small add-on to the Essentials Banks.
The presets in the Chipmuks bank are reminiscent of 80's computer and video game sounds due to their bitcrusher or downsampling-like distortion.
In this bank you will find a selection of sound effect and ambient sounds for you to experiment with. Be sure to use the macro controls to get the most out of these presets.
If you are looking for some experimental presets that sound like a cross between sound effects and percussion instruments, then this is the right bank for you.
Matthias Fuchs
Matthias Fuchs aka Visophon is a media designer, author, specialist journalist, music producer, and sound designer. Over the past decades, he has worked on numerous sound tools from various manufacturers. While he appreciates the cozy warmth of old analog synths as a musician, he enjoys the countless options and challenges of the digital world regarding sound design. What impresses him about the C15 is the homogeneity and liveliness of its sounds. For Matthias, sounds should sound round and grippy in all registers and harmonize in a mix - and that's precisely what the C15 is able to deliver. This applies to a down-to-earth electric piano sound as well as to the craziest "not-from-this-world" sound effects. Thus, Matthias' preset banks contain a wide range of different sounds for many genres: nuanced playable "acoustic" instruments, classical synths, and bizarre soundscapes - often only one macro controller movement away from each other.
Note on the audio demos: Apart from the drum samples, the C15 is the only sound source, using presets from the respective bank. Only some effect parameters have been adjusted. No external post-processing.
Fuxi A is one of four banks with a colorful mix of sounds. In here you will find very useful Wind, Lead, Bass, Atmo, and FX sounds. Many of these presets have a familiar sound aesthetic that is reminiscent of pop music and film soundtracks of the 80s. At the same time, the sounds have a character all of their own, making them feel completely fresh and authentic. Favorite Presets: Magic Bells, Year 4328 a.d., Everybodies Darling, Sonic Youth, The Castle, Engines On!
Similar in style and content but consisting of fewer presets than its predecessor, Fuxi B can be seen as an extension to Fuxi A. Favorite Preset: Piano Digitalo.
Fuxi C is another collection of sounds that showcase the exceptional character of the C15. Here we find lead, bass, percussion and FX sounds, often with a hybrid sound quality. Although most of the presets are quite synthetic in sound, it is usually possible to detect sonic characteristics within them that are very much reminiscent of acoustic instruments. Favorite Preset: Plastic Age.
This bank follows on seamlessly from the previous one and focuses even more on hybrid timbres. In addition, Fuxi D contains a relatively large number of pad sounds compared to the previous banks. However, there are still plenty of expressive leads, pads and fantastic SFX to be found here too.
Matthias Fuchs created the Swarms presets at the special request of an L.A. film composer. They are inspired by a rare piece of hardware called “Swarmatron”. It is mainly a bank of oscillators which are detuned to produce the sound of a swarm of insects or maybe airplanes. On the C15 this is realized by a group of voices in Unison mode using the variable detune parameter.
Fuxi Choirs is a bank of mostly soft lead and pad sounds that have a vocal quality to them. This is reflected either in the basic timbre of the sounds, in the change in timbre that can be produced by the macros, or even both.
If you're looking for raw sounds that lie somewhere between screaming guitars and distorted synths, this is the bank for you
With this bank, Matthias Fuchs demonstrates another great feature of the C15: multitimbrality. The sounds presented here boast extraordinary depth and complexity, created by tastefully combining different timbres and textures. Due to their intricacy, these sounds may not be suitable for every situation, but they hold the potential to add plenty of character to your work.
This is an entertaining selection of otherworldly percussion sounds. Their bizarre sonic characteristics are an invitation to deep exploration and experimentation. Be sure to use the macro controls to unlock their full potential.
Monstas is a collection of a wide variety of sounds. Similar to the Fuxi Layers Bank, these presets are extremely rich in character and complexity. They come with a large number of macro assignments which are useful for in-depth manipulation of the sound during play.
Fuxi Cinematic is a selection of powerful atmospheric and effect sounds. The massive and enveloping feel of these presets is achieved through the skilful use of effects and a high number of unison voices. Using the macro controls is a must for unlocking the special character of these sounds!
Thomas Jaufmann
Born in southwest Germany, Thomas Jaufmann's love for electronic music led him to Berlin, where he studied audio engineering and sound design. It was while working in the school's facilities that he discovered the locally available C15 and quickly fell in love with its unorthodox sound engine and almost acoustic feel. By a stroke of luck, Thomas landed a job as sound designer at Nonlinear Labs, where he has been responsible for maintaining, improving and expanding the C15 sound library ever since.
When creating presets, Thomas aims to exploit the unique features of the C15. The development of his sounds always starts with a concept or a specific design idea, from which he extrapolates the remaining sonic characteristics, always aiming to create the most expressive and useful sound possible. In terms of timbre, his sounds are heavily inspired by all areas of electronic dance music.
Work is Thomas' first collection of presets and includes mallets, leads, bass, pads, ambience and FX sounds. The timbres of these presets are more synthetic than acoustic and can often be drastically altered using the macro controls.
Field Kit is a collection of sounds that Thomas has created for various projects and productions. Most of these presets were born out of a need for a very specific sound. In here you will find mallet, lead/bass, pad, percussion and experimental FX sounds, similar to Thomas' work.
David J. Meyer
David's interest in developing innovative methods of synthesis and sound creation led him to the Technical University of Berlin, where he completed an M.A. in Audio Technology. While working as an intern for Mouse on Mars, he was introduced to the C15. He was fascinated by the countless possibilities offered by its seemingly simple two-oscillator engine and the non-linear component introduced by the feedback mixer. Today David applies his knowledge and product design skills as part of the Nonlinear Labs development team.
This bank was created during David's time as an intern at Nonlinear Labs. It reflects his initial phase of working with the instrument. His focus was mainly, but not exclusively, on creating more modern sounds. The bank is a potpourri of different sounds, covering the whole spectrum from straightforward e-pianos to experimental FX sounds.
The C15 is often perceived as a synthesizer that is predestined to produce sounds like electric pianos, stringed instruments or mallets.With this bank, David wants to show that it is also capable of producing classic subtractive sounds that you might not expect at first glance.
This bank was created to explore the possibilities of the new features in the Spring 2023 software update. The main goal in creating this bank was to create unusual, novel and sometimes extreme sounds.
