The BBC’s library of classic sci-fi sounds is now available to sample

The original BBC Radiophonic Workshop put itself on the map by crafting the music for radio adaptations of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the original Doctor Who theme song before shuttering in the late ‘90s. The Workshop’s experimental approach to audio engineering in pursuit of unique sound effects made them early pioneers of the electronic music genre. Even though a new Workshop opened in 2012, things were never quite the same, but the BBC has been working on a plan to give a new generation of musicians access to the original Workshop’s massive archive.

Today, BBC Studios and Spitfire Audio announced the launch of a new downloadable library containing multiple decades’ worth of archival music and sound effects created by the Radiophonic Workshop during its initial run. Access to the library can be purchased for £119/€143/$159 until March 17th, after which the price will jump to £149/€179/$199.

In addition to sounds from original tapes, the new Radiophonic Workshop library contains a number of fresh recordings from various Workshop members like Paddy Kingsland, Roger Limb, and Mark Ayres. The new library also includes a wide selection of microphones, turntables, loudspeakers, reverb machines, synths, tape machines, and vocoders.

In a statement about the project, Ayres noted how similar modern day sampling techniques are to the workflows used by original members of the Workshop. He also described the new digital library as a unique instrument embodying all of “the work, processes and equipment that the Workshop created and used.”

“I’m the youngest member of the core Radiophonic Workshop – and I’m 64,” Ayres said. “We’re not going to be around forever. It was really important to leave a creative tool, inspired by our work, for other people to use going forward.”