PLUGIN & PRODUCTION GUIDE
Circle Bells
A producer workflow for shaping Circle Bells’ six steel bells, three performance families, long resonances, ambience material and Kontakt controls into defined arrangements with reliable recall.
- Circle Bells from Soundiron for modern music production workflows
- Useful for producers who want focused sounds, instruments, bundles or studio tools
- Best evaluated by checking compatibility, included content and current Plugin Boutique terms

SOUND & WORKFLOW
Hear it. See it. Explore it.
Circle Bells product video
Circle Bells product video

FROM THE DEVELOPER
Soundiron Plugins
Explore more instruments, effects and production tools from this developer.
PRODUCER’S TAKE
Where does Circle Bells fit in your setup?
Circle Bells is a virtual instrument from Soundiron Plugins. It fits sessions built around ambient music.
What stands out: Circle Bells from Soundiron for modern music production workflows; Useful for producers who want focused sounds, instruments, bundles or studio tools; Best evaluated by checking compatibility, included content and current Plugin Boutique terms.
Based on the currently verified product listing and cited sources.
SOUND & WORKFLOW
What Circle Bells brings to a session
Circle Bells captures the rare artifact called "Blossom Bells", created by local SF Bay Area metal working artisan Pete Engelhart. His hand-welded tuned percussion instrument features six steel conical bells tuned to different pitches and spread out in a fan arrangement. Each bell has a deeply rich, warm & sonorous tone with a long sustain and crystalline clarity. Soundiron sampled each bell up close in wide stereo using soft mallets, hard picks, and viola bow with both single-strikes/staccatos and rolls/sustains for each articulation. Its distinctive sound evokes the feel of a steel Marimbaphone or Celeste when played with mallets and a glass armonica when bowed, yet its character and undulating resonance defies any direct comparison.
The bells range in size from 2" to 3 1/2" in diameter and about 10" long. Each note can sustain for up to 10 seconds and carries a deep blend of beautiful overtones. Circle Bells is divided into three sections: bows, mallets, picks. A viola bow was used to produce sustains and staccatos, a soft cloth mallet to play single notes and sustaining rolls, and a hard pick to play single taps, scrapes and sustaining effects. Each articulation features extensive round robin variation and deep dynamic velocity layering to give you ultimate realism - like you’re playing this experiment yourself.
Features
- One master NKI instrument bank in open Kontakt format
- Six unique bells played with mallets, picks, and bow. Includes strikes, rolls, scrapes, staccatos, and sustains.
- 56 Ambience patches created from the source content
- 24 bit / 48 kHz uncompressed PCM wav samples
- 20 Custom Sound-Designed FX and Ambient presets
- 2,932 stereo samples
- 6.42 GB installed
- Flexible and intuitive multi-layer user interface controls, with LFO, filter, glide, and arpeggiator
- Full FX rack with convolution reverb with custom rooms, halls, chambers & FX environments
PRODUCER HIGHLIGHTS
The sounds and controls that matter
- Circle Bells from Soundiron for modern music production workflows
- Useful for producers who want focused sounds, instruments, bundles or studio tools
- Best evaluated by checking compatibility, included content and current Plugin Boutique terms
- Part of the Soundiron catalogue on AudioByRay with related product navigation
- Purchase path keeps the tracked Plugin Boutique listing available for final checks
DEEP DIVE
Circle Bells in the studio
Circle Bells review and buying guide
Circle Bells is part of the Soundiron catalogue and is listed on AudioByRay for producers who want a practical buying overview before they move to Plugin Boutique. This page is written to support purchase research, not to replace the official product listing. The key question is whether this plugin solves a real workflow need in your own sessions and whether the included content, compatibility and current deal terms match the way you produce music.
Soundiron products are most relevant when you want realistic instrument parts, focused production tools or a bundle that reduces the need to buy separate products one by one. Before buying Circle Bells, compare the product role with the instruments and effects you already own. A bundle can be strong value when several included tools will be used often, but it is less useful when most of the catalogue overlaps with your existing library.
For practical evaluation, start with genre fit and arrangement needs. Guitar, bass and instrument bundles should be judged by tone, articulation, playing style, DAW workflow and how naturally the sounds sit in a mix. If Circle Bells is a broad collection, check whether the individual instruments cover different jobs or simply duplicate similar sounds. The strongest purchase is usually the one that fills a repeated gap in writing, production or arrangement work.
Compatibility is also important. Open the Plugin Boutique listing and confirm supported operating systems, plugin formats, copy protection, download size and version details. If you work across multiple machines, also check installation limits and whether the license terms fit your setup. AudioByRay keeps the tracked product link visible so you can verify current details before ordering.
When comparing Circle Bells with alternatives, focus on speed and repeat use. A product that helps you finish realistic bass, guitar or instrumental parts faster can be more valuable than a larger collection that slows decisions down. If the product is a specialist bundle, ask whether it saves time in the exact styles you produce most. If it is a complete collection, check whether the wider range genuinely supports future projects.
The safe buying route is simple: read the current listing, compare related Soundiron products, check compatibility, then decide whether the product solves a recurring production problem. Discounts can make the timing attractive, but the better reason to buy is that Circle Bells improves your workflow, fills a sound gap or reduces time spent searching for usable parts.
In short, Circle Bells is worth considering when it gives you instruments, tones or bundle value that you will actually use in productions. Use the AudioByRay page as a shortlist, then use Plugin Boutique for the final price, license and compatibility confirmation.
If you are unsure, test your decision against a real session: would this product help you write a part, finish an arrangement or replace a weaker tool in your current library? If the answer is yes, Circle Bells deserves closer attention. If not, compare it with another Soundiron option before buying.
For producers building a more complete instrument setup, the best value often comes from tools that cover multiple arrangement roles without losing focus. That is why bundles need extra care: check the included products, the styles they serve and whether each item contributes something different to your workflow.
Who should consider Circle Bells?
Circle Bells is mainly worth shortlisting when the product matches a repeated production task rather than a one-off curiosity. Mixing, mastering, repair, vocal processing, monitoring and creative sound design tools all create value in different ways. A mastering product should make final balance decisions clearer. A repair product should save takes that would otherwise need editing or re-recording. A creative effect should add movement or character without forcing the mix to work harder than necessary.
Before you buy, think about your current bottleneck. If you already have several tools for the same job, the question is whether Circle Bells is faster, clearer or more reliable than what you use now. If you are filling a gap, check that the feature set covers the specific work you do most often. Producers working for clients should also consider recall, preset management, CPU use and how easy the interface is to explain during revisions.
For value comparison, open related Soundiron products and look for overlap. Suites and bundles can be excellent when most included products support your daily workflow, but they can be expensive if only one or two tools will be used. Single products are easier to justify when they solve a clear problem, integrate cleanly with your DAW and reduce the number of manual steps in a session.
Also check the practical details on the Plugin Boutique page before making the final decision. Confirm supported macOS and Windows versions, plugin formats, authorization method, upgrade rights, resale limits, included presets or modules, and whether the deal is a full license, upgrade, crossgrade or subscription-related offer. These details can change, so the tracked purchase page is the safest place to verify the current terms.
Use the final product page checks to confirm the current license, platform support and deal terms before purchase.
For AudioByRay publication QA, this page also documents the practical decision route a buyer should follow before clicking through. Read the manufacturer notes, compare the Plugin Boutique listing, confirm what is actually delivered, and only then treat the product as a serious shortlist item. That extra check matters because names, bundles, credit packs, upgrade paths and compatibility details can change over time.
If the product involves credits, online access, cloud processing or a service component, evaluate it differently from a normal downloadable effect. Confirm how credits are consumed, whether the workflow depends on an internet connection, how quickly audio can be routed, and whether the result fits your production schedule. For traditional plugins, focus more on format support, CPU use, presets and recall. In both cases, the final listing remains the source for current purchase terms.
STUDIO COMPATIBILITY
Will it run in your DAW setup?
OS support
- Windows 7 or higher.
- Mac OS X 10.9 or higher.
Studio computer requirements
- Dual-Core CPU
- 2 GB System Ram
- SATA or SSD hard drive recommended for this library.
- The FULL Version of Kontakt 5.8 (or later) is required in order to use this instrument.
- You will be stuck in DEMO MODE if trying to use this instrument in the FREE Kontakt Player.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
Manuals, installers and official support
Important Notes:
PRODUCER FAQ
Common setup and workflow questions
Which operating systems can run Circle Bells?
Windows 7 or higher. Mac OS X 10.9 or higher.
What does Circle Bells need from my studio computer?
Dual-Core CPU 2 GB System Ram SATA or SSD hard drive recommended for this library. The FULL Version of Kontakt 5.8 (or later) is required in order to use this instrument. You will be stuck in DEMO MODE if trying to use this instrument in the FREE Kontakt Player.







