For over four decades, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop was where the impossible became audible. It was a playground of bleeps, loops, and eerie atmospherics, pioneering electronic music long before synths were commonplace.
If you’ve ever shivered at the whirring engines of the TARDIS, recoiled at a Dalek’s raspy command, or been transported by the surreal sounds of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you’ve already been under its spell.
Now, for the first time, those sounds are up for grabs.
In collaboration with Spitfire Audio and BBC Studios, a vast sample library drawn from the Workshop’s archive is being made available to musicians and producers. The package offers exclusive access to the same sonic alchemy that fueled Doctor Who, Blake’s 7, Tomorrow’s World, and more.
‘The BBC department for making bonkers noises’
Back when electronic music was more soldering iron than software, the Radiophonic Workshop was at the cutting edge. From looping tapes with milk bottles to hitting lampshades for percussion, its experimental approach laid the foundation for modern sound design. Brian Eno, Orbital, and Hans Zimmer have all cited the Workshop as an influence, and its legacy continues to echo through contemporary music.
“This was a department at the BBC that was purely for making bonkers noises,” says Mark Ayres, composer, sound designer, and Radiophonic Workshop archivist. “It blew my mind!”
Ayres, one of the last core members of the Workshop, has helped curate this collection, ensuring its creative spirit lives on. “I’m the youngest member, and I’m 64!” he laughs. “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.”
A legacy reanimated
The Spitfire Audio sample library doesn’t just unearth the past, it reimagines it. Alongside original archive material, the package includes new recordings and experiments by Workshop veterans, including Kieron Pepper, Bob Earland, Dick Mills, Paddy Kingsland, Roger Limb, Glynis Jones, and Peter Howell.
And this isn’t just about nostalgia. Harry Wilson, Head of Recording at Spitfire Audio, explains: “We’re not just looking back at what the members were doing way back when. We’re projecting a strand of their work into the future and asking: if the Workshop was engaged with a similar process now, what would it sound like?”
Musicians and producers will get access to the tools that made the Workshop legendary, from modular synthesizers and tape machines to the BBC’s bespoke microphones and reverbs. The collection is divided into Archive Content, Found Sounds, Junk Percussion, Tape Loops, Synths, and a Miscellany, a fittingly weird and wonderful grab bag of sonic oddities.
Available now
Spitfire Audio’s BBC Radiophonic Workshop VST launches on 19th February 2025, priced at £149/€179/$199, with an introductory discount of £119/€143/$159 until 17th March 2025.
For a generation raised on YouTube tutorials and digital presets, this is a rare opportunity to tap into a library forged by true sonic pioneers. Whether you’re crafting a sci-fi score or just want to add some vintage weirdness to your tracks, the Workshop’s legacy is now yours to explore.
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- BBC Radiophonic Workshop
- Doctor Who
- electronic music
- Music Production
- Sci-Fi
- Sound Design
- Spitfire Audio
