BBC Radiophonic Workshop teams with Spitfire Audio for first sample library

The VST instrument is priced at £149.

Photo credit: Spitfire Audio – Website

Spitfire Audio has partnered with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to release the Workshop’s first commercial sample library, bringing its pioneering legacy of sound design and experimental electronic music to modern producers.

Recorded at BBC Maida Vale Studios, this comprehensive virtual instrument blends BBC Symphony Orchestra performances with iconic soundscapes from shows like ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Living Planet’, and ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ – preserving vital broadcasting history.

Workshop veterans Mark Ayres, Kieron Pepper, Roger Limb, and Peter Howell contribute new recordings alongside archival material. The project combines past and present techniques, with Ayres highlighting how their early sampling methods mirror modern practices, crediting pioneers Derbyshire and Baker.

Led by visionaries like Daphne Oram and Delia Derbyshire, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop became an experimental hub that redefined electronic sound manipulation.

The VST instrument is available on Spitfire Audio’s website at £149/€179/$199, with an introductory price of £119/€143/$159 until March 6th. This release aligns with the BBC’s broader effort to make its sound archives more accessible, including its collection of over 33,000 free sound effects.

More information is available here.