PLUGIN & PRODUCTION GUIDE
Phonautograms
Phonautograms rebuilds a 1850s-recorded solo voice, Gamme de la Voix, into a playable Kontakt instrument, adding 31 ambience patches, Phonautodrums, resynthesized textures and a 10-slot FX rack.
- Phonautograms 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.
Phonautograms product video
Phonautograms product video

FROM THE DEVELOPER
Soundiron Plugins
Explore more instruments, effects and production tools from this developer.
PRODUCER’S TAKE
Where does Phonautograms fit in your setup?
Phonautograms is a virtual instrument from Soundiron Plugins. It fits sessions built around sound design, vocal production, drum production and synth production.
What stands out: Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms brings to a session
A Historic Collection of Vocal Samples & FX Library For Kontakt
Phonautograms is a unique vocal instrument with a rather remarkable pedigree: chromatically sampled vocal sustains captured over 160 years ago. This original method of recording, called ‘Phonautography’ was invented in the early 1850s, by French inventor Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville. Sounds were captured by projecting the voice and other sounds into a cylindrical horn attached to a stylus, which transferred the vibration into lines over the surface of oil lamp soot-blackened sheets of paper. These raw archival recordings were preserved by the French Academy of Sciences and finally decoded by First Sounds with the help of laser scanning equipment at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Soundiron chose one of the very earliest human sound recordings - a simple vocal scale sung by Martinville himself in a recording called Gamme de la Voix (or "range of voice"). They then hand-crafted each of these samples by splicing, editing and manipulating raw sound into a fully playable chromatic solo vocal instrument. But that's just where Soundiron started. Next, they took that modified sound and warped it beyond all recognition using a variety of sound design techniques to create a diverse and compelling range of different ambient soundscapes, sonic textures, tonal pads, synths, atmospheres, drones and resynthesized drums.
Special thanks to First Sounds for their help and for allowing us to share this piece of recording history with you. First Sounds was founded in 2007 by David Giovannoni, Patrick Feaster, Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessey. It's an informal collaborative of audio historians, recording engineers, sound archivists, scientists, individuals and organizations who aim to make mankind’s earliest sound recordings available to all people for all time.
Contents
The Kontakt interface includes a suite of automation-ready sound-shaping controls to give you total creative flexibility. You have control over swell, attack, release, offset, vibrato, filter, pitch (coarse & fine), articulation switching, cross-fading and layering, and so much more. Also included are 20 unique sound-designed custom FX presets to give you lots of creative options.
This library comes with an adaptable LFO system, with selectable LFO shape, modulation target parameter, speed, intensity, tempo-syncing and fade-in time. You can also apply your choice of 12 lowpass, high-pass and FX filters, with assignable modulation targets such as velocity, modwheel, expression, after-touch, key position and step-sequencer table control. The customizable arpeggiator offers a velocity table and control over arp direction, timing, swing, randomization and duration. Also included is a key and scale lock system to constrain your notes to common scales and keys for easy melodic composition and live performance.
The interface is rounded-out by a modular FX rack panel, with 18 different DSP effect modules that you can assign in any of 10 available slots, in any order that you wish. You’ll find classic phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, amp and cab simulators, compressors, EQ, rotator and so much more. The Reverb effect includes Soundiron's favorite convolution reverb impulse responses, including 99 different rooms, halls, chambers and outdoor environments, plus another 40 custom FX impulses to radically transform the sound and open up whole new worlds of musical possibility. Soundiron have also added a great bank of FX rack chain factory presets to get you started!
Made for Kontakt Player
This library has been licensed for use in the free Kontakt Player virtual instrument engine. It can be used in Kontakt Player or the full retail version of Kontakt (version 6.1 or later) for VST, AU or AAX instrument plugin formats. You can add this product to the Kontakt “Libraries” browser. It requires online serial number registration through the Native Instruments Native Access system. This library is also fully compatible with Komplete Kontrol and all NKS Standard hardware and software by Native Instruments.
Features
- One master NKI instrument bank in open Kontakt format
- “Gamme de la Voix” sustaining vocal instrument, Phonautodrums
- 31 Ambience patches created from the source content
- 24 bit / 48 kHz uncompressed PCM wav samples
- 20 Custom Sound-Designed FX and Ambient presets
- 147 stereo samples
- 445 MB 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
- Phonautograms 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
CUSTOMER RATING SNAPSHOT
4.4/5Based on 195 ratings at Plugin Boutique.
Checked August 22, 2026PRODUCER FEEDBACK
What producers and users say about Phonautograms
Visible review sample: 5★ × 1 · 2★ × 1. This sample is shown as context and may not represent every rating.
Plugin Boutique supplies the rating. AudiobyRay groups recurring themes from the available review sample and does not republish full reviews.
Read all current reviews at Plugin Boutique ↗DEEP DIVE
Phonautograms in the studio
Phonautograms review and buying guide
Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms, 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 Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms improves your workflow, fills a sound gap or reduces time spent searching for usable parts.
In short, Phonautograms 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, Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms?
Phonautograms 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 Phonautograms 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.
Studio computer requirements
- Mac OSX 10.9 or higher.
- Dual-Core CPU, 2 GB System Ram, SATA or SSD hard drive recommended for this library.
- The FULL retail version of Native Instruments Kontakt version 5.5 (or later) is required to use .nki instrument presets included in this library. The free Kontakt "Player" and "Add Library" import process do not support this standard open-format Kontakt library.
- You will be stuck in DEMO MODE if trying to use this instrument in the FREE Kontakt Player.
Install and activation
- This digital product is delivered as a download via the Amazon S3 cloud network. A broadband internet connection is required.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
Manuals, installers and official support
Important Notes:
PRODUCER FAQ
Common setup and workflow questions
Which operating systems can run Phonautograms?
Windows 7 or higher.
What does Phonautograms need from my studio computer?
Mac OSX 10.9 or higher. Dual-Core CPU, 2 GB System Ram, SATA or SSD hard drive recommended for this library. The FULL retail version of Native Instruments Kontakt version 5.5 (or later) is required to use .nki instrument presets included in this library. The free Kontakt "Player" and "Add Library" import process do not support this standard open-format Kontakt library. You will be stuck in DEMO MODE if trying to use this instrument in the FREE Kontakt Player.
How do I install and activate Phonautograms?
This digital product is delivered as a download via the Amazon S3 cloud network. A broadband internet connection is required.







