DAWWW-CORE / SOUND CATALOG

51 built-in instruments. Choose by role, not by name.

Every instrument below is part of the current built-in palette: 50 dedicated synthesis engines plus the sampler. The “Adjust first” column is a listening priority, not a promise that every editor uses identical control labels.

51 instruments8 families50 dedicated synth engines + sampler

Orchestra · 12

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Violin	Lead string, countermelody, high sustained lines	Bright, expressive, focused	Attack, brightness, vibrato feel, release	EQ · Reverb
Viola	Mid-string harmony, inner voices	Warm, woody, restrained	Attack, body, brightness, release	EQ · Reverb
Cello	Low-mid melody, sustained support	Full, lyrical, rounded	Attack, body, sustain, release	EQ · Reverb · Compressor
Contrabass	Acoustic low foundation	Deep, woody, slow-moving	Attack, low body, note length, release	EQ · Compressor
Trumpet	Brass lead, stabs, accents	Bright, direct, assertive	Attack, edge, sustain, release	EQ · Compressor · Reverb
French Horn	Brass harmony, cinematic support	Rounded, broad, mellow	Attack, body, brightness, space	EQ · Reverb
Trombone	Mid-low brass lines and stabs	Wide, weighty, brassy	Attack, body, edge, release	EQ · Compressor · Reverb
Tuba	Low brass foundation and punctuation	Heavy, rounded, dark	Low body, attack, note length, release	EQ · Compressor
Flute	High melody, airy ornament	Light, breathy, clear	Attack, air/brightness, sustain, release	EQ · Reverb · Delay
Oboe	Focused melody and contrast	Nasal, penetrating, organic	Attack, tone, body, release	EQ · Reverb
Clarinet	Smooth melody, warm midrange	Woody, fluid, rounded	Attack, body, brightness, release	EQ · Reverb · Delay
Bassoon	Low-mid melodic support	Woody, dry, characterful	Attack, body, darkness, release	EQ · Reverb

Drums · 12

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Kick Drum	Pulse and low-end anchor	Punchy, weighty, short to deep	Pitch, body, click, decay	EQ · Saturator · Compressor
Snare Drum	Backbeat and transient accent	Crack, body, noise	Pitch, snap, body, decay	EQ · Compressor · Reverb
Hand Clap	Backbeat layer and width	Dry to wide, noisy, bright	Spread, brightness, decay, level	EQ · Reverb · Chorus
Closed Hi-Hat	Pulse detail and subdivision	Tight, crisp, controlled	Decay, brightness, level, accent	Filter · EQ · Bitcrusher
Open Hi-Hat	Open pulse, lift and transitions	Airy, sustained, bright	Decay, brightness, level, timing	Filter · Reverb
Low Tom	Low fill and rhythmic weight	Deep, resonant, rounded	Pitch, decay, body, attack	EQ · Reverb
Mid Tom	Mid fill and movement	Punchy, resonant, balanced	Pitch, decay, body, attack	EQ · Reverb
High Tom	High fill and rhythmic punctuation	Tight, resonant, bright	Pitch, decay, attack, brightness	EQ · Reverb
Cowbell	Metallic rhythmic accent	Hard, metallic, cutting	Pitch, decay, brightness, level	Filter · Bitcrusher · Reverb
Rimshot	Sharp accent and syncopation	Dry, clicky, immediate	Pitch, decay, snap, level	EQ · Delay · Reverb
Claves	Woody rhythmic punctuation	Short, wooden, focused	Pitch, decay, brightness, level	EQ · Delay · Reverb
Maracas	Continuous groove texture	Noisy, bright, loose	Brightness, decay, density feel, level	Filter · Reverb

Bass · 3

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Sub Bass	Clean sub foundation	Deep, smooth, minimal harmonics	Note length, attack, release, level	EQ · Compressor · Limiter
Acid Bass	Resonant bass sequence and movement	Biting, elastic, resonant	Filter movement, resonance, decay, drive	Distortion · Delay · Compressor
Reese Bass	Wide bass layer and heavy low-mid motion	Dark, detuned, dense	Detune/width feel, filter, body, release	EQ · Saturator · Chorus

Electronic · 7

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Mono Lead	Focused lead line and hook	Direct, monophonic, expressive	Attack, brightness, glide feel, release	Delay · Reverb · Saturator
Poly Synth	Chords, stabs and general synth work	Broad, flexible, analog-leaning	Envelope, brightness, detune feel, release	Chorus · EQ · Reverb
Electronic Pluck	Short melodic motif and rhythmic chord	Fast, clean, percussive	Attack, decay, brightness, body	Delay · Reverb · Filter
Arpeggio Synth	Rhythmic tonal movement	Pulsing, precise, animated	Gate feel, brightness, note length, motion	Delay · Filter · Reverb
Chiptune	Retro melody, bass or game-like texture	Digital, square, intentionally raw	Waveform character, pitch, decay, brightness	Bitcrusher · Delay · Filter
FM Keys	Digital keys, bells and metallic chords	Glassy, metallic, articulate	Harmonic color, attack, decay, brightness	Chorus · Reverb · EQ
Noise FX	Risers, drops, sweeps and transitions	Noisy, moving, transitional	Sweep direction, density, brightness, length	Filter · Reverb · Delay

Pads · 5

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Warm Pad	Background harmony and sustained bed	Soft, warm, stable	Attack, release, brightness, width feel	Chorus · Reverb · EQ
Glass Pad	Bright atmospheric harmony	Translucent, shiny, spacious	Attack, release, shimmer/brightness, level	Reverb · Chorus · Delay
Choir Pad	Vocal-like harmonic bed	Human-like, smooth, cinematic	Attack, body, vowel-like color, release	Reverb · EQ · Chorus
Evolving Pad	Long movement and scene changes	Animated, slow, changing	Movement depth, rate feel, brightness, release	Reverb · Filter · Chorus
Ambient Pad	Diffuse atmosphere and negative-space fill	Wide, soft, distant	Attack, release, brightness, density	Reverb · Delay · EQ

Keys & Bells · 7

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Acoustic Piano	Main harmony, melody and sketching	Natural, balanced, percussive	Attack, body, brightness, release	EQ · Compressor · Reverb
Electric Piano	Warm chords, neo-soul style parts, soft lead	Warm, bell-like, rounded	Tone, bell character, decay, tremolo feel	Chorus · Tremolo · Reverb
Clavinet	Funk rhythm and percussive chord work	Dry, bright, percussive	Attack, brightness, decay, body	Filter · Compressor · Saturator
Tonewheel Organ	Sustained harmony and rhythmic organ parts	Harmonic, sustained, full	Harmonic balance, drive, brightness, modulation feel	Saturator · Tremolo · Reverb
Celesta	Delicate high-register motifs	Bell-like, clean, light	Attack, decay, brightness, release	Reverb · Delay
Music Box	Fragile motif and decorative melody	Tiny, bright, intimate	Attack, decay, brightness, level	Reverb · Delay · Filter
Tubular Bell	Large resonant punctuation	Metallic, long, ceremonial	Pitch, body, decay, brightness	Reverb · EQ

Guitars · 4

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Nylon Guitar	Warm plucked harmony and melody	Soft, rounded, intimate	Attack, body, brightness, release	EQ · Reverb · Compressor
Steel Guitar	Bright acoustic rhythm and picking	Crisp, open, articulate	Attack, brightness, body, release	EQ · Compressor · Reverb
Clean Electric Guitar	Clean rhythm, arpeggios and melodic parts	Crisp, controlled, electric	Attack, body, brightness, sustain	Chorus · Delay · Compressor
Driven Electric Guitar	Rock-like rhythm and lead layers	Driven, dense, aggressive	Drive feel, body, brightness, sustain	EQ · Compressor · Delay

Sampler · 1

Instrument	Best role	Character	Adjust first	Useful processing
Sampler	Custom sample-based instrument and mapped material	Depends on source material	Sample choice, mapping, tuning, envelope, level	EQ · Filter · Compressor · Reverb

Suggested production path: choose the instrument here → shape the source → choose processing → balance in the mixer → prepare export.

Practice with Shape a sound, Write a bassline, Build a chord bed and the other music tutorials.