Toontrack has announced the release of two new MIDI packs for the EZkeys and EZbass virtual instruments.

The Eighties Ballads EZkeys MIDI pack delivers a broad repertoire of inspiration for rock and pop ballads that hit dead center 1980s-style.

By acting a locomotive for blockbuster films, being a rotation staple on the commercial airwaves and a constant in the then-new phenomenon of music television, the ballad became the indisputable soundtrack of the 1980s. At the heart of these many now-immortal pieces of music was of course the piano, the synth or the keyboard.

While this collection of EZkeys MIDI dives headfirst into the infinite 1980s musical treasure and ticks off all the givens that defined the era, it also steers slightly off the grid to explore the somewhat more synth- and modern pop-oriented facet of the decade. Expect anything from the slightly quirky to the modest, emotional and glaringly majestic.

A foundation to create the perfect complement for EZbass, the Eighties Ballads EZbass MIDI pack offers a wealth of ballad-esque basslines that perfectly capture the spirit of the time but that you can doctor for use in any thinkable style or scenario.

Shimmering in blinding neon pastels, the ’80s was an era when technology forced its way to the forefront and got its first permanent foothold in mainstream music culture. It was a time when acoustic and electronic merged to form all-together new sounds, musical expressions and even genres. In all of this, the bass of course played a tremendous part – not least in the shape of the surging use of the synth filling its traditional role.

Regularly 29 USD/EUR each, the packs are available to purchase at a 20% discount until October 31st, as part of the MIDI Month promotion.

More information: Toontrack