Freeware Darbuka Virtual Instrument Released By Volko Audio (VST/AU/RTAS)

darbuka-nut is a free percussion sound module developed by Volko Audio, featuring the sounds of a nut darbuka (aka goblet drum). The instrument is released as a free VST/AU/RTAS plugin for Windows and Mac OS X based plugin hosts.

The instrument is based on a 300 MB collection of goblet drum samples, with several round robins for each sampled articulation. There are eleven articulations in total, ranging from C1 to F2 notes on the keyboard (white keys only).

The samples can be triggered manually if you want to create your own rhythms, however the users who don’t like programming percussion sequences will definitely regard the fact that the plugin also includes a bank of 27 percussion grooves. These grooves can be played inside the instrument itself (by clicking the START button), but you can also use simple drag & drop controls to copy the desired MIDI file to your host application’s sequencer. The MIDI files can also be exported to desktop (using drag & drop), which is pretty neat.

The included samples sound very good and building your own custom rhythms is surprisingly easy. The raw sound of the recorded hits can be enhanced using the built-in reverb module (which sounds surprisingly nice) and the limiter which is paired up with a handy gain make-up knob.

You definitely shouldn’t pass this one if you need some world percussion sounds for your home studio. It is a fantastic freeware instrument, offering a neat combo of high quality darbuka samples and ultimate ease of use.

The plugin is completely free to download and use, even in commercial projects. Please note that you’ll need to register and activate your free copy of the plugin. You can still use the plugin before activation, but a nag screen will pop up from time to time asking you to register. The registration process is completely free, of course.

To register your free copy of darbuka-nut, sign up for a free user account at the Volko Audio website, log in to your user account and then click the BUY NOW button on the product page linked below. The product will be added to your user account. Now, click the MY ACCOUNT button, go to MY PRODUCTS and click the “Send my license information” link. Check your email, download the key file and load it with darbuka-nut. Done!

Audio Demo

Check out the darbuka-nut audio demo:

Download

darbuka-nut is available for free download via Volko Audio (151 MB download size, EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU/RTAS plugin formats for Windows & Mac OS X).