Trance is having a proper renaissance right now. After years where techno and progressive house dominated the festival mainstages, the 138 BPM trance sound is back in a big way, and acts like Anyma, Argy, and Massano are dragging trance influences into melodic techno while veterans like Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, and Paul van Dyk continue to draw massive crowds.
The genre branches out in dozens of directions, from uplifting and euphoric to hard, progressive, psy, hypnotic, and the new techno-trance crossover taking over Drumcode shows.
This list rounds up the best trance sample packs covering deep, hard, progressive, uplifting, techno-trance fusion, plus dedicated drum and synth toolkits for serious trance producers. Image credits go to Loopmasters.
1. Beatport Sounds – Deep Trance
Starting deep. Beatport Sounds Deep Trance focuses on the hypnotic, meditative side of the genre rather than chasing big-room euphoria.
Inside you get drum combis that already have multiple sound layers programmed in, deep resonant synth basslines that sit perfectly under a 124 BPM groove, plus synthesizers and arpeggiators designed for that long-form deep trance journey. The whole pack leans into hypnotic deep trance territory, the kind of stuff that builds slowly and rewards patience rather than going straight for the drop.
For me the deep resonant basslines are the standout, that’s the foundation that defines deep trance and getting it right is harder than it looks. I love how Beatport Sounds keep the focus narrow, this isn’t trying to cover every trance subgenre, it knows what it is.
Pros: Deep resonant basslines with hypnotic focus. Cons: Specific subgenre, less useful for uplifting trance.
2. Loopmasters Hard Trance Europe
Things get aggressive here. Hard Trance Europe is the first ever sample pack from the Beatport Top 40 label of the same name, and it’s a proper card from the harder trance scene.
The pack delivers hammer kicks, aggressive perc loops, heavily FX’d acid patterns, inspiring melodies, fat SFX, and raw individual sounds, all at the 138-140 BPM range that defines the harder end of trance. It’s brought to you by HTE mainstays Lab4 (Les Elston) and Nick The Kid, giving first-time access to their personal sound libraries plus bespoke content built specifically for the next generation. Lab4 isn’t a small name either, his name is physically etched into the Roland Hall Of Fame, he was requested by the late John Peel for a special TV studio feature, and he’s racked up over 500 productions as the No 1 Live Global Hard Dance act since ’94. The HTE label itself runs events at Fabric London, Fire London, Captured Festival Ibiza, and the Hard Trance Europe Weekender.
Personally the etched-in-Roland-Hall-of-Fame credential alone tells you the pedigree here. I’d say this is the pack to grab if you produce Hard Trance, NRG, or Freeform and want sounds with proper underground European pedigree.
Pros: Lab4 and Nick The Kid personal library access plus HTE label credibility. Cons: Specifically harder trance, less useful for uplifting/progressive.
3. Producer Loops Trance Progressions Vol 3
For full song starters. Trance Progressions Vol 3 by Producer Loops contains a lively selection of expertly arranged and mixed samples designed specifically for trance music producers.
The pack is filled with pads, arps, drums, chords, melodies, piano, vocals, and bass, basically everything you’d ever need to build out a trance track. You get loops, one-shots, and MIDI files, all key and tempo labelled so they slot straight into your project. The construction kit approach means you can drop a whole arrangement in and start tweaking, or pull it apart and use individual parts in completely different tracks.
I have to say construction kits get a bad rap sometimes for being too prescriptive, but Producer Loops handle them properly. For me the fact that everything ships with MIDI is the killer feature, you can take their progressions and reflip them with your own synth sounds.
Pros: Full construction kits with MIDI for total flexibility. Cons: Construction kit format isn’t for everyone.
4. Samplestate Techno Trance Fusion
This one captures the current zeitgeist perfectly. Techno Trance Fusion by Samplestate fuses modern techno with classic trance, and it’s exactly the sound that’s taking over festival mainstages right now.
The inspiration comes directly from artists like Enrico Sangiuliano, Pleasurekraft, Layton Giordani, Spektre, and UMEK, with labels like Drumcode, Respekt, and Kraftek as the reference points. Drum loops come at 129 and 130 BPM, broken into Full, Kick, Ride, Hat, Perc, and No Kick varieties so you can mix and match endlessly. The music loops folder packs dark rolling bass loops, atmospheric pad loops, and an amazing collection of super saw tooth synth loops that nail that techno-trance crossover sound.
For me the super saw tooth synth loops are the star, they bridge the gap between classic trance euphoria and modern techno energy. Don’t sleep on this if you’re producing for the current Drumcode-style sound where trance influence is everywhere again.
Pros: Super saw synth loops with techno drums for the modern crossover sound. Cons: Less useful for pure classic trance.
5. Zenhiser First Light – Trance
For the harder edge of melodic trance. First Light – Trance by Zenhiser submerses itself in rigid hitting drums, throbbing basslines, and trademark synth loops with that perfect balance between rumbling and ethereal.
The pack is painstakingly modelled on key producers including Project8, Allen Watts, Bryan Kearney, Aly & Fila, Stonface & Terminal, Mark Sherry, Paul van Dyk, Sneijder, and Standerwick, which is basically a who’s who of the 138 BPM uplifting trance scene. Inside you get song starters for instant track ideas, full mix loops broken into individual parts, punchy drum loops, pounding basslines, fundamental synth lines, drum hits, twisted one-shots, plus MIDI to supercharge your programming. The targeting goes deeper too, this pack is built to challenge tracks on labels like Who’s Afraid Of 138?, Vandit Records, Damaged Records, ASOT, FSOE Clandestine, and Kearnage Recordings.
Personally the artist reference list reads like my Spotify trance playlist, and that’s exactly the vibe the pack delivers. I love how Zenhiser model their packs on real producers rather than vague genre descriptions, you know exactly what you’re getting.
Pros: Modelled on top 138 BPM trance producers with song starters and MIDI. Cons: Specifically uplifting trance, less flexible for progressive.
6. Industrial Strength Trance Evolution – Dune 3
Synth presets time. Trance Evolution by Industrial Strength is a Dune 3 preset pack from sound designer FZ2, and it’s stacked with everything you need for trance synth design from the ground up.
You get leads, bass, arps, strings, and even kick drums, all built ground-up inside Dune 3. There are also wavetables included to really beef up your possibilities when using the synth. The pack basically hands you the entire trance synth palette ready to use, with all sounds twistable for your own signature touch.
For me preset packs save you countless hours of synth design, and trance especially relies on big polished synth sounds where most producers struggle. I’d say if you already own Dune 3, this is one of the most practical trance investments you can make. Don’t skip this if you produce trance and want serious synth firepower without the sound design grind. Just remember you must own a licensed copy of Dune 3 to use the pack.
Pros: Full Dune 3 trance preset palette including wavetables. Cons: Requires licensed Dune 3 to use.
7. Rewind Samples Ecstasy: Trance
A modern Serum preset pack with serious credentials. Ecstasy: Trance by Rewind Samples is a euphoric collection of Xfer Serum presets designed to immerse your productions in the emotional intensity of modern trance.
The pack was created in collaboration with renowned UK sound design label Elevation Sounds, channelling the golden-era energy of trance through a cutting-edge lens. You get soaring leads, acid-laced sequences, pulse-driving basses, spine-tingling supersaws, cinematic pads, hypnotic acid riffs, and thunderous subs. Whether you’re aiming for big-stage anthems, 2000s revival, or underground progressive journeys, the pack flexes across the spectrum. There are also lush plucks, mid-bass patches, and expertly crafted sequences built for trance’s signature blend of tension and release.
I have to say “crafted by trance purists for trance producers” is a tag that gets thrown around a lot, but Elevation Sounds actually back it up. For me the acid-laced sequences are what make this pack special, that’s the sound that bridges classic trance and modern revival.
Pros: Serum presets co-developed with Elevation Sounds for both classic and modern trance. Cons: Requires Xfer Serum.
8. Samplestar Euphoric Progressive Trance
For the lush mainstage anthem sound. Euphoric Progressive Trance by Samplestar combines the lush melodic elements of mainstage trance with anthemic progressive house, perfect for that next dance floor smash with trance edges.
The pack delivers infectious club and radio-friendly hooks and progressions, with each loop supplied as both WAV and MIDI for total sound design flexibility. Inside you’ll find epic radio/club inspired synth hooks and chord progressions, driving peaktime basslines for pure dancefloor devastation, plus precision-programmed drum loops broken into A (full loop), B (kick-free variants), and C (kick only) versions. Every melodic loop has matching MIDI, so you can pull out the progressions and re-trigger them with your own synths.
Personally the A/B/C drum loop split is the smartest part of this pack, you can layer kicks freely and arrange transitions without fighting the source material. I love how Samplestar handle the progressive trance/progressive house crossover, that overlap is where a lot of modern hits live.
Pros: A/B/C drum loop variants with full MIDI for the progressive trance/house crossover sound. Cons: More commercial/radio-leaning than underground.
9. Zenhiser Vital: Trance Hi Hats
Closing with a focused drum tool. Vital: Trance Hi Hats by Zenhiser is exactly what it says on the tin, a dedicated sample pack of inspiring hi hat sounds for Trance, Progressive House, Progressive Trance, and EDM.
The Vital series philosophy is clear: rather than jamming a pack full of sounds, loops, presets, and the kitchen sink, Zenhiser took a step back to offer producers a single pack that covers one sound exceptionally well. Inside you get one-shot hi hat sounds including open hats, closed hats, rides, and crashes, plus hi hat loops at both 128 BPM and 138 BPM to cover both current trance trends and classic harder trance speeds. Every hi hat loop is mastered to perfection and looped right.
For me focused packs like this are underrated, getting hi hats right in trance is one of those small details that separates pro tracks from amateur ones. I’d say if your trance drums sound flat or generic, this pack will fix it faster than anything else.
Pros: Dedicated focused hi hat library at both 128 and 138 BPM. Cons: Hi hats only, not a full drum solution.
Hello, I’m Viliam, I started this audio plugin focused blog to keep you updated on the latest trends, news and everything plugin related. I’ll put the most emphasis on the topics covering best VST, AU and AAX plugins. If you find some great plugin suggestions for us to include on our site, feel free to let me know, so I can take a look!