Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which sampler to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Output Arcade is a subscription-based playable sampler and instruments plugin with a continuously updated, royalty-free sound library.
Bloom Ensemble Mallets is Excite Audio's sampled tuned-percussion instrument: piano, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel and bells, with a step sequencer, 250 presets and sample import. $59, intro $39.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arcade | Excite Audio Bloom Ensemble Mallets |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | $59 |
| Dubspot Score | 7.8 | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX, VST (macOS) | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone, macOS, Windows |
| Pricing model | Subscription, from $12.99/mo USD; royalty-free, cancel anytime | — |
| Library size | 60+ product lines, 4,400+ samplers, 1,300+ chromatic instruments, 64,000+ samples (per Output) | — |
| Plugin formats | 64-bit AAX, AU, VST3 (plus VST on macOS) | — |
| Operating systems | macOS 12+; Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | — |
| RAM | 8GB required, 16GB recommended | — |
| Processor | Intel i5/AMD equivalent (i7 recommended); Apple Silicon M-series supported | — |
| Developer | — | Excite Audio |
| Type | — | Sample-based virtual instrument (tuned percussion) |
| Sound sources | — | Piano, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, bells |
| Presets | — | 250, in seven categories |
| Samples | — | 112 across 8 banks, 14 per bank over two octaves, synced to host BPM |
| Sequencer | — | Per-track velocity, probability, timing; step rate, sync, swing, steps, latch, retrigger; modulates FX, pitch, volume |
| Macros | — | Age, Lo-Fi, Bounce, Smudge |
| Effects | — | Reverb, Delay, Modulation, Lo-Cut, Hi-Cut, plus three rearrangeable edit-page slots |
| Formats | — | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, standalone |
| Systems | — | macOS 10.15 or higher (Intel or Apple Silicon), Windows 7 or higher, 64-bit |
| Price | — | $59 full, $39 intro until 30 November 2026, $19 Lite |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.