The Commodore 64 has an iconic, gritty sound that stands out from other 8-bit consoles. And for owners of Kontakt, you can get that sound for free thanks to the Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe instrument.
A free Kontakt chiptune instrument with over 30 patches. Everything was sampled from a real Commodore 64 computer. Plus, it comes with other filters and envelope controls to help customize your sound.
What Is Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe?
Commodore 64 Synthesizer Sessions Deluxe is a free Kontakt instrument for making chiptune and synth music. It was made in a collaboration between Rhythmic Robot Audio and Bedroom Producers Blog.
C64 Sessions comes with 30 patches — all of them were sampled from a vintage Commodore 64 computer.
If you have Kontakt and you’re a fan of chiptune music, then it should be an easy decision to pick up this instrument.
Listen to a Demo
Getting Started With C64 Sessions
C64 Sessions requires the full version of Kontakt to play. It won’t work with the free Player version.
You can download C64 Sessions for free from Rhythmic Robot. From there, you can install the folders where you can easily access them in Kontakt.
If you’re not sure what to do, you can follow these steps to install 3rd-party Kontakt libraries.
Kontakt is an essential plugin every composer and producer needs in their collection. It's the hub for countless virtual instruments. Plus, you can use it as a powerful sampler and wave editor.
C64 Sessions Features
On the surface, it’s a very simple instrument. But there’s a surprising amount of depth here thanks to its features. Here’s a view of the main GUI to help illustrate what it can do:
Amplitude Envelope Controls
These are the standard ADSR controls you’d expect to find on any synth. No surprises here.
Filter Controls & Envelope
Sessions Deluxe comes with basic filter settings that let you do some cool and creative sound design.
For starters, you can toggle between low-pass and hi-pass filter settings. From there, you can also control the frequency cutoff, resonance, and the LFO speed & depth.
There’s also a separate set of Envelope controls dedicated to the filter.
Glide & Vibrato
These are common effects used in retro chiptune music. So it’s nice to see these here.
Polyphony & Stereo Settings
You can toggle between polyphonic and mono voice settings. Plus, you can widen or narrow the stereo field.
The “Rear Panel” of C64 Sessions. It doesn’t have any functional purpose. Just lists some credits and has cute ’80s robot stickers.
Commodore 64 Deluxe Sessions Pros & Cons
As a free instrument, there’s a lot to love about C64 Sessions. But I also have some minor gripes with it. So let’s go over the pros and cons.
Pros
- Authentic sounds
- Great variety of patches
- Filter controls
All the sounds come from an actual Commodore 64 computer and are among the best C64 samples I’ve encountered.
There’s a great variety of samples and patches here too. Sure, you have your standard basses and leads. But you also get some bubbly-sounding arpeggios and those classic video game blips & bloops. The drum kit is also nice and video game-y too.
On top of all that, the filter controls make for some compelling sound design options as well.
Cons
- Strange keyboard mapping on one patch
- More drum samples would have been nice
My one big criticism is that the “Brass 64” patch has some keyboard mapping issues. If you play through the entire keyboard, you’ll notice that it jumps between octaves.
You can potentially fix this by going into Kontakt’s editor and re-mapping samples in the correct order. But it’s kind of a hassle.
And if you don’t know what you’re doing, you could accidentally make some permanent changes and have to reinstall the instrument again.
The only other con (that’s not really a con) is I wish there were more drum samples. But what you get for free is actually great.
Alternatives to Commodore 64 Sessions
If you’re looking for other Commodore 64 VSTs and sample instruments, you have a few options. Some of these are free. Others come at a premium price.
For an expanded list, check out my top recommendations for chiptune software.
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Free Download Read Our ReviewVSTSID mimics the Commodore 64's SID chip, delivering gritty-sounding pulse waves in all their lo-fi glory. It lets you easily perform the bubbly chiptune arps, and comes complete with envelope controls and other filter settings.
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$149Buy Now Read Our Review
Super Audio Cart includes sounds from 15 classic game consoles and computers spanning several decades. It's the most comprehensive library of retro game samples ever assembled.
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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$64Buy Now
A boutique synthesizer that runs in the Reaktor engine. It recreates the iconic gritty sound of the Commodore 64's SID sound chip. Make sounds from scratch, or use one of the 300+ presets.
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
Should You Download Commodore 64 Sessions Deluxe?
If you own the full version of Kontakt, getting this plugin is a no-brainer. It’s easily one of the best chiptune instruments for Kontakt, and stands toe-to-toe with other libraries in its class.
That said, it’s restricted to the full version of Kontakt. So unless you’re willing to spend a good chunk of money for this one instrument, you can give this a pass.
A free Kontakt chiptune instrument with over 30 patches. Everything was sampled from a real Commodore 64 computer. Plus, it comes with other filters and envelope controls to help customize your sound.
Learn More About Making Commodore 64 Music
If you’re interested in this sample library, there’s a good chance you’re also interested in Commodore 64 music in general. We’ve put together a guide on how to write Commodore 64 music. Check it out for more tips and tricks for writing in the 8-bit style.
