Sonic Reality

Sonic Reality is an American sound-development and music-software company founded in 1996 by keyboardist and music producer Dave Kerzner. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company developed from Kerzner’s earlier work collecting, recording, and digitally sampling rare musical instruments and vintage keyboards. Its central business has been the creation and licensing of sampled sounds for musicians, electronic-instrument manufacturers, software developers, and recording professionals. The company’s origins predate its formal incorporation. During the early 1990s, Kerzner assembled a collection of instruments associated with the 1960s and 1970s and began recording them as digital sampling technology became sufficiently capable of reproducing their tonal characteristics. In 1991, this work produced a library known as “Vintage Keyboards and Classic Synths,” described as an early vintage-instrument sample library. Sonic Reality later commercialized similar material through CD-ROM sound collections, allowing musicians to access recordings of instruments from Kerzner’s collection. A significant part of Sonic Reality’s early business involved licensing or supplying sounds to established electronic-instrument companies. Its samples were used in sound libraries, expansion boards, keyboards, and drum modules associated with companies including Alesis, Yamaha, and Roland. In 1999, Sonic Reality worked with Ilio Entertainment to distribute sample collections to a wider group of keyboard and music-technology manufacturers, including Akai, Roland, Kurzweil, Digidesign, and E-mu. These relationships positioned the company as a specialist supplier of curated instrumental sounds rather than as a conventional consumer-audio brand. Sonic Reality subsequently expanded from physical sample media into software instruments and plug-in systems. The company developed the Infinite Player for the Native Instruments Kontakt Player engine and produced keyboard-oriented libraries intended to reproduce the character of classic instruments and studio sounds. It also collaborated with musicians and producers, including Neil Peart, Hugh Padgham, and Alan Parsons, in developing sampled or digitally recreated instrumental material. These collaborations connected the company’s technology with recognizable performance and production traditions while broadening the range of sounds available to software-based musicians. In 2001, Sonic Reality began a major collaboration with IK Multimedia. Kerzner and the company contributed substantially to the sound content of SampleTank, described in the reference material as an early comprehensive software rompler virtual instrument. The partnership also produced or supported instruments including Sonik Synth, Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleTron, and SampleMoog. These products combined sampled instruments with computer-based playback, MIDI control, and, in some cases, built-in effects, reflecting the industry’s shift from hardware keyboards and CD-ROM libraries toward software instruments used inside digital audio workstations. The Sonic Reality name is also associated with Sonic Elements, a progressive-rock project and electronic tribute band founded by Kerzner in 2011. Sonic Elements applies Sonic Reality’s sampling and production techniques to recordings that combine performances by known musicians with sampled drums and other instrumentation. In 2014, the project announced work on “IT,” a tribute remake of Genesis’s 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, with a planned early-2015 release and participation from several of Kerzner’s collaborators. This initiative illustrated the company founder’s broader interest in using music technology not only to supply production tools but also to reconstruct and reinterpret historically significant recordings. Sonic Reality’s public profile is therefore rooted in music production technology, sampled-instrument design, and collaborations with hardware and software developers. The available reference material does not establish its current ownership, listing status, executive structure, product availability, or present operating scale. Those details remain unconfirmed.

Sonic Reality emerged from Dave Kerzner’s work with rare instruments, vintage keyboards, and digital sampling. In the early 1990s, Kerzner collected instruments associated with the 1960s and 1970s and recorded their sounds as 16-bit stereo sampling became practical for commercial music technology. His 1991 “Vintage Keyboards and Classic Synths” collection is described as an early vintage-instrument sample library and established the approach that later defined Sonic Reality: preserving the character of distinctive hardware instruments in a form that could be distributed through electronic keyboards, sound modules, computer software, and recording systems. Kerzner founded Sonic Reality in 1996. The company initially made its sounds available through CD-ROM collections intended for musicians and the music-technology industry. Rather than operating primarily as a consumer-facing instrument manufacturer, Sonic Reality supplied curated sound material that could be incorporated into the products of larger keyboard and electronic-instrument companies. Its samples were used by or associated with sound libraries, expansion boards, keyboards, and drum modules from manufacturers such as Alesis, Yamaha, and Roland. Distribution expanded in 1999 when Sonic Reality worked with Ilio Entertainment. That relationship helped place its sample collections with a broader set of manufacturers and music-technology companies, including Akai, Roland, Kurzweil, Digidesign, and E-mu. The company’s work during this period reflected the importance of third-party sound design in the hardware-keyboard market: manufacturers could add distinctive, historically informed instrument voices without creating every sample collection internally. The company later moved more deeply into software-based production. Sonic Reality created the Infinite Player for the Native Instruments Kontakt Player engine and developed keyboard libraries and plug-in systems for playback of its custom sounds. Its collaborations with artists and producers included work connected with Neil Peart, Hugh Padgham, and Alan Parsons. These projects extended Sonic Reality’s sound-design remit from individual instruments to more specialized production palettes shaped by notable performers and recording professionals. In 2001, Sonic Reality began collaborating with IK Multimedia. Kerzner and Sonic Reality supplied a substantial portion of the sound range for SampleTank, an early broad software rompler instrument designed to provide sampled instruments, MIDI playability, and effects in a computer-based environment. The partnership also led to virtual instruments such as Sonik Synth, Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleTron, and SampleMoog. Together, these products represented a transition from physical sample libraries and hardware expansion media to software instruments integrated into modern recording workflows. In 2011, Kerzner founded Sonic Elements, a progressive-rock project and electronic tribute band that used Sonic Reality’s sampling and production methods. The project combined known musicians with sampled drummers and other instrumentation to create a virtual-supergroup format. In November 2014, Sonic Elements announced the development of IT, a tribute remake of Genesis’s 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The planned project was intended to combine classic-rock production aesthetics with orchestral and cinematic elements and was scheduled for release in early 2015. The available source material documents Sonic Reality’s historical development and selected collaborations but does not establish its current management, ownership, product catalog, financial condition, or operational status. These areas require further verification.

• 2014

  Genesis tribute project announced

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Sonic Elements announced IT, a planned tribute remake of Genesis’s The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.

• 2011

  Sonic Elements founded

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Dave Kerzner founded Sonic Elements, a progressive-rock and electronic tribute project using Sonic Reality sampling technology.

• 2001

  Collaboration with IK Multimedia

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Sonic Reality and IK Multimedia collaborated on software instruments and sound content, including work associated with SampleTank and later instruments.

• 1999

  Distribution collaboration with Ilio Entertainment

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Sonic Reality worked with Ilio Entertainment to distribute its sample collections to a range of keyboard and music-technology manufacturers.

• 1996

  Sonic Reality founded

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Dave Kerzner founded Sonic Reality to distribute and develop sampled sounds based on his collection of musical instruments.

• 1991

  Vintage instrument sample library developed

  [1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Dave Kerzner created the “Vintage Keyboards and Classic Synths” collection, described as an early library of sampled vintage instruments.

A specialist developer and supplier of sampled-instrument content and music-production software, with an emphasis on vintage keyboards, classic synthesizers, studio instruments, and collaborations with professional musicians and producers.

• Sample libraries · 1991

  Sonic Reality sample libraries

  Collections of digitally recorded instrument sounds developed from Dave Kerzner’s archive of rare instruments and vintage keyboards. Early releases were distributed on CD-ROM and were intended for musicians, keyboard manufacturers, and music-production systems. The libraries emphasized the character of classic keyboards, synthesizers, drums, and other studio instruments and could be incorporated into hardware products or software playback environments.

• Sample-library playback software

  Infinite Player

  A playback platform developed for the Native Instruments Kontakt Player engine. It was designed to host Sonic Reality’s custom sound libraries and keyboard-oriented collections, allowing sampled instruments to be used within a computer-based music-production setup rather than only through physical sample media.

• Virtual instrument sound content · 2001

  SampleTank sound content

  Sonic Reality contributed substantially to the sampled sound range of IK Multimedia’s SampleTank. The software instrument combined a broad set of sampled instruments with MIDI control and built-in effects, giving musicians access to keyboard, orchestral, rhythm, and other instrumental sounds in a computer-based production environment.

• Virtual instrument

  Sonik Synth

  A virtual-instrument collaboration associated with Sonic Reality and IK Multimedia. It drew on Sonic Reality’s sampled-instrument expertise to provide software-based synthesizer and keyboard sounds for MIDI performance and recording workflows.

• Orchestral virtual instrument

  Miroslav Philharmonik

  A virtual-instrument collaboration associated with Sonic Reality and IK Multimedia, focused on orchestral sounds delivered through computer software. The available source identifies it as one of the instruments developed through the partnership but does not provide further product specifications or current availability.

• Sample-based virtual instrument

  SampleTron

  A software instrument developed in the Sonic Reality and IK Multimedia collaboration. It belongs to the company’s line of sample-based production tools and reflects its focus on recreating distinctive keyboard, tape, and studio-oriented sounds in a plug-in format.

• Synthesizer virtual instrument

  SampleMoog

  A software instrument associated with Sonic Reality and IK Multimedia that uses sampled synthesizer sounds in a computer-based playback environment. The source material identifies the collaboration but does not establish detailed release, ownership, or current-support information.

• 2011

  Creation of Sonic ElementsStrategy

  Background

  Sonic Reality’s sampling technology could also be used as a creative production method for finished music rather than solely as a commercial sound library.

  Action taken

  Dave Kerzner founded Sonic Elements as a progressive-rock project and electronic tribute band using Sonic Reality samples alongside contributions from known musicians.

  Aftermath

  The project extended the company founder’s work into artist-led recordings and tribute productions. No further business outcome is documented in the available material.

  Source

• 2001

  Shift toward comprehensive software instrumentsProduct launch

  Background

  Sonic Reality’s earlier work centered on physical sample collections and sound content for hardware instruments. The expanding use of computer recording systems created an opportunity to make those sounds available through software instruments.

  Action taken

  Sonic Reality collaborated with IK Multimedia on SampleTank and related virtual instruments, contributing sampled sound content and developing software-based music tools.

  Aftermath

  The collaboration broadened Sonic Reality’s role from sample-library supplier to participant in the development of computer-based virtual instruments, although the available source does not provide commercial-performance data.

  Source

• 2014

  Sonic Reality and Sonic Elements announce Genesis tribute project[1]Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign · Product launch

  Sonic Elements, the progressive-rock project associated with Sonic Reality founder Dave Kerzner, announced development of a tribute remake of Genesis's The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The project was titled IT and was planned to include several of Kerzner's musical collaborators.

1. 1Sonic Realityen.wikipedia.org