Output Arcade vs. Splice: Which One Should You Use in 2024?
In 2024, you don’t need samples to produce music, but let’s be honest—why wouldn’t you use them? Sampling has become a game-changer, and the royalty-free loop scene is hotter than ever. Of course, it’s still incredibly valuable to know how to design sounds and play actual instruments, but tinkering with all sorts of sounds can unlock your creativity and help you make better music. So, what’s the best place to find samples nowadays? I’d say there are two main players out there—Splice and Output’s Arcade—and while they both offer something similar, they have some key differences that can influence the way you make music. In this post, I’ll give you my honest opinion of both products, since I’ve used them extensively in my music-making process. I’ll also help you decide which one is right for you.
What’s Output Arcade?
The best way to describe Arcade would be to say it’s an instrument. You can load it in your DAW or use it as a standalone, but where a synth VST would let you cycle through a library of presets, Arcade offers access to a wide-ranging collection of sound collections organized mainly by instrument and genre.
One of its most popular line of collections is the Hooked suite, which lets you choose from hundreds of soulful vocal hooks and ad-libs that can be triggered with a keyboard (or laptop keys if, like me, you’re too lazy to plug in a MIDI controller).
But Arcade’s library goes far beyond vocal hooks. Everything from drum stems to guitar arpeggios can be found in there. There are dozens of lines, each focusing on a suggested genre, although they can be used creatively in any style of production.
Once you choose a sampler, it opens in an instrument interface that can be played easily. If you’re using it in a DAW, Arcade syncs automatically to the tempo of your session; then all you have to do is select the key you’re working in, and you can start jamming. It might take you a minute to figure it out the first time you use it, but it’s ultimately as simple as it sounds.
Each sampler comes pre-loaded with four effects, which can be changed. There are many parameters and possibilities for tweakability under the hood if you’re into that kind of stuff. You can also play many sounds like instruments, which makes it a pretty complete plugin.
What I Like (And Dislike) About Arcade
Arcade’s appeal is first and foremost its immediacy. As soon as you open it, you’re just a few clicks away from playing with cool musical ideas. I’ll often open it when I’m working on a track and I feel like something is still missing. It’s a great way to explore new directions quickly.
It’s obvious that Output put a lot of work into this VST, and every aspect has been made with the beatmaker in mind. The samples are top-notch, the effects sound great, and even the visual aspect is impressive. When you’re in the midst of creative flow, it doesn’t slow you down one bit. Arcade is designed to help you make great music fast.
Another big plus is the fact that the library is updated constantly. So you don’t have to use the same sound twice if you don’t feel like it. That’s big—that means that Arcade keeps getting cooler with time, which justifies its subscription model.
While Arcade shines in many areas, it’s not without its quirks. For instance, it can be annoying to go through samplers in order to find the sound you want. Sure, you can refine your search with different parameters, but in the end, you do have to listen to each sampler’s demo (which you can’t skip through) and then download the sampler you choose, which can take a little while.
It’s not a big deal, but that’s the only place where I find a bit of friction when I’m composing with it. Since the library is getting pretty big, I think a feature where you get suggested similar packs to the ones you’re using could be an interesting addition.
But yeah, I’m basically nitpicking here. Overall, Arcade is pretty much flawless.
So, you might think, what’s the point of talking about Splice at this point? Output Arcade is the clear winner, it’s the best ROMpler ever!
What could Splice offer that would be better than what this has to offer?
Well… it’s not that simple.
What is Splice?
Splice is a vast library of samples. It’s not an instrument; it’s not a VST. It’s not especially user-friendly either.
To use Splice, you’ll have to subscribe (there is a free trial available, which you should tale advantage of!). You’ll then receive a monthly allotment of credits, which can be exchanged for loops and one-shots. Each one of those costs a credit, which is actually a pretty good bargain.
You can search Splice’s library by genre, instrument type, and all the other parameters you might expect. You can then listen to each sample and pick the ones that speak to you, depending on what genre of music you’re making.
Once you’ve picked your samples, they’re downloaded directly to your computer, and they’re ready to be dropped seamlessly into your session. Each loop has the tempo and the key in the title of the file, so it’s pretty easy to insert them into your projects.
It’s as simple as that. Splice might not have the flashy interface or visual flair of Arcade, but don’t let that fool you—what it lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for in substance. Like, big time!
What I Like (And Dislike) About Splice
Splice has a few big advantages over Arcade. First of all, its library is much, much bigger. So big, in fact, that it would be moot to compare it to Arcade’s. They’re not even remotely in the same league in that aspect.
Whatever genre you’re interested in, Splice probably has dozens of packs in that style, and chances are, a lot of them sound fantastic and would make a great starting point for your next banger.
Another thing I like is that once you download a sample, it’s yours (as much as a royalty-free sample can be yours anyway), and you get to keep it in your arsenal for as long as you want. Having the right drum samples, the right chord progressions organized the way you want on your computer can make a big difference, and it can really help you flesh out your aesthetic or your sound.
Lately, more and more big tracks have made heavy use of Splice samples. Look no further than the song of the summer, Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso, which was made using a few phrases from a popular Oliver pack.
For a professional producer, it is simply invaluable to have a curated collection of samples at your fingertips that you can pull up anytime you’re in a session with an artist. Sometimes, the artist your working it is inspired and and you need to come up with something quick. In those scenarios, every second counts, and wasting time on finding the right sound, making the right beat could cost you your next big placement.
There are, of course, downsides with Splice as well. As you can guess, finding inspiration is not as fun and creative as with Arcade. You can always throw a Splice loop in a sampler and slice it, but it might be more hit or miss than with Arcade, which always sound fantastic and musical from the get go.
Also, to really get the most out of Splice, you’ll have to spend a lot of time digging through samples. That’s the downside of having access to such a gargantuan collection. There’s almost too much good stuff, and you’ll need to invest a certain amount of time as well as money before you can feel like you’ve truly taken advantage of everything it has to offer.
There’s also definitely a “kid in a candy shop” factor at play here. It’s hard to reconcile the fact that there are so many good files hidden in the pile somewhere. Once you start buying Splice samples, you want to collect them all, and you’ll want to spend more and more hours stockpiling files you may or may not use in the end.
It’s definitively addictive. But hey, I can stop when I want…
So… who wins? Splice or Arcade?!
In the immortal words of Erlend Øye, every party has a winner and a loser. So, which one is the best? Splice or Arcade?
Well, both Splice and Arcade are good… at what they do.
As you might have gathered by now, Splice is amazing for sparking ideas. It’s so cool to be able to slap a drum loop or a chord progression into an empty session and instantly have a couple of awesome building blocks to jam upon.
Splice gives you all the raw material necessary to innovate, but Arcade is a wonderful tool to take your ideas to the next level and to let you experiment with different ideas, making it easy to get out of your comfort zone without pulling you out of your creative flow.
Personally, I find myself reaching for Splice when laying down the foundation of a track. Once those building blocks are in place, Arcade becomes my secret weapon for adding that final layer of creativity. But I could see how someone could do the exact opposite and still get great results. It all depends on your workflow and your preferences.
They work great on their own, but they can also complement each other very well.
Fresh Blood And Old Dogs
So, depending on your level of experience, I’d do this.
For beginners: If you’re just starting out with music production, Arcade is super user-friendly, so I’d recommend that one for now. Once you’re more comfortable with your DAW and the production process, you’ll probably enjoy being more hands-on and having more options with Splice files.
For experienced producers: If you’re an experienced producer, I think you might find Arcade limited for your sampling needs. In that case, I’d suggest starting with Splice, experimenting with a bunch of ideas, and then branching out with Arcade to help you finish those tracks and push your sound design a few nudges further.
Whatever you do, both Arcade and Splice have free trials available, so why not take both for a spin? You can explore their unique strengths and decide which one deserves a spot in your creative arsenal. After all, the best tool is the one that sparks your imagination and helps you make cool music.
The rest is technicalities.
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