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Best Free VSTs: Idiophones

Posted October 23, 2021

The internet is a treasure trove of free virtual bells, wine glasses, kalimbas, and tongue drums. Compared to all those other uppity instruments, what with their finicky “legatos” and “articulations,” idiophones have far fewer sampling requirements, and you don’t need a million-dollar luthier to make one.

Ugh… if I never see an idiophone again, it’ll be too soon.

In case of emergency, break glass organ: These libraries offer great generic twinkles to go…
Bright twinkle
pianobook Spring Chimes combines 14 idiophones to create a variety of twinkly patches, including the “Rainfall” and “Blooming” patches with some useful shimmering octave hits. dspresetNKI (account)
Metallic twinkle
8Dio The New Copperphone could serve as a dupe for tuned gongs, bells, or other metallophones in a pinch. NKI (Shopify)
Gentle twinkle
boscomac Snowflake is basically the only reason I’ve kept Reaktor Player around all these years… it’s pure, synthesized magic! 🥺 ENS

Bars hit with sticks

A tuned series of rectangles or tubes you can hit with a stick.

Carillon
Soni Musicae The Ghent Carillon (use the second mirror link that ends in “.SF2” or you’ll get a sfArk-compressed version) SF2
Daniel Militello’s Laura Spelman Rockefeller Chapel Carillon and Sather Tower Carillon SF2 (attribution @ Daniel Militello)
Celesta
Studiologic Numa Player‘s Celesta preset VSTAU
Pierre Caillet’s Confinement Céleste NKIdspreset (account)
Michael Picher’s “Frank’s Celestette” is a 1950s Jenco 3-octave celeste. SFZ
Lullatone Toy Celesta has less mechanical sounds and includes a very nice soft patch in addition to the regular one. NKIALP (Bandcamp)
Dulcitone
Christian Henson’s Warty Dulcitone NKIdspreset (account)
Hand chimes
VCSL‘s Hand Chimes patch (SFZ mapping and samples) SFZ (Github)
Lithophone (stone “xylophone”)
Legatone Lithophone Free Demo is functional with a limited range. NKI (account + Legatone)
Legatone Sanukite – 讃岐岩 Free Demo is a lithophone made from sanukite rocks — uniquely Japanese! It’s functional with a limited range. NKI (account + Legatone)
Kolintang (traditional Minahasan xylophone)
Monster Ethnica‘s Kolintang patch VSTAU (Maize)
Triangle
See Drums: Triangle
Tubular bells
VCSL‘s Tubular Bells patches (SFZ mapping version 1 and version 2, samples version 1 and version 2) SFZ (Github)
Vibraphone
VCSL‘s Vibraphone patch (SFZ mapping and samples) has bowed and mallet articulations. SFZ (Github)
AS Free Collection‘s “Viby” UFS (OpenCart)
EdgeSounds Vibraphone 24-Bit SF2 SF2 (EdgeSounds)
Bowed vibraphone
Riverwood Air RAW Power Metallic Percussion‘s “Bowed Vibraphone + Cymbals” patch. NKI (account)

Glockenspiels

Vibraphone’s high-pitched and twinkly cousin.

Alto glockenspiel
Cinematique Instruments Alto Glockenspiel (with activation key) vstpreset (Steinberg)
Bowed glockenspiel
Hawpri’s Rosinspiel NKI (account)
Keyed glockenspiel
Spitfire LABS Keyed Glock (direct link) NKI
Soprano glockenspiel
VSCO2 Glockenspiel VSTAU
Jonathan’s Glockenspiel offers some nice realism when you turn up the low end, but has a more limited range (C5-G6) than the VSCO2. NKI
Dan Keen’s Frozen Glock is not a purist glock library, but if you need a mysterious, icy sound, this one’s your pal. NKIdspreset (account)
decent|SAMPLES Resonator Glockenspiel has resonators built in that give it a longer release than a traditional glockenspiel. NKISFZdspreset (newsletter)
Tubular glockenspiel
VCSL‘s Tubular Glockenspiel patch (SFZ mapping and samples) SFZ (Github)
Toy glockenspiel
Rob’s Simple Toy Glock dspreset (account)

Marimbas

An idiophone made of wooden bars.

Balafon (traditional, buzzy gourd marimba)
Bolder Sounds Toy and African Marimbas “Bass-Tenor African-Marimba” patch paired with their Soprano and Baritone African Marimbas “Soprano Marimba” patch will give you a full range of notes (C2-C6) with a very distinctive “buzzing” sound. NKIEXS (Zen Cart)
Les Studios Palace Roots Balafon NKI (Sendowl)
Gyil (Ghanaian balafon)
African GYL II has a limited range, but it gets the job done, and comes with a few loops. NKIWAV (email)
Quilcom Sym-Gyil is a modeled gyil with buzzing gourd sounds. Win VST
Orchestral marimba
Terkelsen’s Marimba SFZ
Big Winky Media Free Marimba SoundFont is based on the University of Iowa samples. SF2
SampleScience Marimba Renaissance. The “chromatically playable” notes start around C5, but the overtones in the lower octaves are definitely usable for cues outside of typical orchestral use. VSTAUdspresetNKI (email)
David Michael Celia’s Rental Marimba has sustains and crescendoing minor third and octave trills. NKI (account)
Finger-tapped marimba
Samuel Davies’ Tapping Marimba NKI6 (account)
Bowed marimba
Sage Reynolds’ Arco Marimba: Calm/Flux NKI (account)
Toy marimba
Max McGuire’s Mini African Xylophone (MAX) has a decent range but a much shorter, dryer sound than the other marimbas. It includes sustains and some back-and-forth, aleatoric glissandos. NKI6dspreset (account)

Xylophones

An idiophone made of wooden bars… Huh? Wait a minute… You’re just Marimba wearing a mustache! ━Σ(゚Д゚|||)━

Coconut xylophone
Eamon’s Coco Pops NKI (account)
Orchestral xylophone
VCSL‘s Xylophone patch (SFZ mapping and samples) SFZ (Github)
Orchestral xylophone mutes/rolls
MSLP Xylophone for Kontakt and Reason NKIEXS (optional attribution @ MSLP/Erick Kvist)
Toy xylophone
Sam Ecoff’s Orffestra is a deep-sampled collection of Orff Schulwerk xylophones and metallophones. NKI (account)
If you’re thinking of a little rainbow metal “xylophone,” see toy glockenspiel

Round things hit with sticks

A series of tuned objects-that-are-not-bars hit with sticks.

Bianqing (East Asian stone chimes)
CATSNU Gugak PyeonGyeong LE NKIEXSALP (attribution @ Gugak VSTi by CATSNU, see notes)
Bianzhong (East Asian chime bells)
CATSNU Gugak PyeonJong LE NKIEXSALP (attribution @ Gugak VSTi by CATSNU, see notes)
Cồng chiêng (Vietnamese tuned gong)
Bunker Samples Gongster’s Paradise NKI (email)
Crotales
Alan ViSTa’s Crotalinae VSTAU
Hand bells
Spitfire LABS Christmas has a hand bells patch. VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)
Lullatone Bells has handbell hits and rolls. NKIALP (Bandcamp)
Hang
FreePats Hang tuned in D minor is limited to its natural range. SFZSF2H2WAV
Dark Arps Hang Drum ditto. NKIWAV
Sonixinema Hang Drum Freebie has one “tremolo” patch with some short rolls. NICNT (Shopify)
Jaltarang (Indian water bowls)
Crypto Cipher Free Sample Pack comes with wooden stick and spoon versions. NKI (Woocommerce)
Kulintang (Indonesian cradled gong set)
Mark A. Galang’s Philippinian Percussion has a few one shots. NKIWAV (account)
Rin (Japanese standing bell)
Japanese Singing Bowls NKI (account)
Steel tongue drum
Ample Sound Cloudrum VSTAURTAS
Talempong (Indonesian cradled gong set)
Monster Ethnica‘s Talempong patch VSTAU (Maize)

Sticks hit on things

…such as the ground, or other sticks. (I hate idiophones.)

Angklung
ArtSonica Angklung as a Monster Ethnica patch (“Angklung Sunda”) or Kontakt instrument VSTAUNKI (Maize or none)
Boomwhackers®
Loops de la Crème 32 percussive Boomwhackers samples has both tonal and percussive Boomwhacker sounds. WAV (email)
Bolder Sounds Boom Whackers NKIEXSGIG (Zen Cart)
Tongatong (Filipino bamboo stick)
Mark A. Galang’s Philippinian Percussion has 5 tongatong pitches. NKIWAV

Lamellophones

Oh, hey! This one’s a real category!

Jew’s harp
Les Productions Zvon Out There includes a jaw harp in “Mystery Jaw Harp” for Kontakt/SFZ, in “Mystery kit” for Battery and NanoStudio 2, as a SoundFont called “Zvon_Mystery,” and for sEGments by Elliott Garage. (direct download) (direct NanoStudio 2 download) (direct sEGments download) SFZNKISF2WAVSLTKITegkit
Mike Heimburger’s Time Warp Mouth Harp‘s “Amateur Mouth Harp Player” patch NKI (account)
Kalimba
Michael Picher’s Kalimbascope SFZ
Subaqueous Kalimba – Thumb Piano ALPWAV (email)
SzcZ’s Alimchord lets you select from various sound layers to shape your kalimba sound. NKI
Celeste Kalimba
Sam Ecoff’s Celeste Kalimba NKI (account)
Mbira
VCSL‘s “Mbira Mavembe (Gandanga), Zimbabwe, Low G” patch as a Kontakt instrument (“Plucked Idiophones”) or SFZ (get the samples here) uses Mavembe/Gadanga tuning. NKISFZ (none or Github)
Array mbira (multi-octave sound box mbira)
Sam Ecoff’s Array M’bira NKIEXSdspreset (account)
Mbira dzavadzimu (Shona mbira with soundboard hole)
VCSL‘s “Mbira dzaVadzimu Nyamaropa, Zimbabwe, Low B” as a Kontakt instrument (“Plucked Idiophones”) or SFZ (with samples) uses Nyamaropa tuning. NKISFZ (none or Github)
Mbira nyunga nyunga (Mozambican mbira without soundboard hole)
VCSL‘s “Nyunga Nyunga, Mozambique, Low F” patch as a Kontakt instrument (“Plucked Idiophones”) or SFZ (with samples) NKISFZ (none or Github)
Music box
Anne Obel’s Breitler Switzerland Music Box also includes windup sounds. NKIALP (account)
Splash Sound Music Box has windup sounds and built-in doubletracking. The higher notes weaker, so you might want to layer it. NKI (FastSpring)
Spitfire LABS Music Box VSTAUAAX (Spitfire)

Gamelan sets

Some individual Gamelan instruments can be found throughout this page, but in terms of free virtual Gamelan ensembles, there are three main contenders:

  • Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan (SFZ mapping also available) NKIALPSFZ
  • bigcat Instruments The Gamelan NKI
  • ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa NKI

Rather than list the instruments of all three separately, here is a list of Gamelan instruments found in at least one of the above sets and the libraries they are available in:

Gambang (Balinese gamelan xylophone)
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan
Gangsa (Balinese gamelan metallophone)
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan has “Hi Gangsa” (likely a gangsa kantilan) and “Premade Gangsa,” a gangsa pemadé.
Gènder (gamelan metallophone)
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan has a gendèr barung, gendèr panerus, and a gendèr panembung/slenthem.
ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa has a gendèr panembung/slenthem.
Jegogan (Balinese gamelan metallophone)
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan’s “Jegogan – Calung” patch
Saron (bronze gamelan metallophone)
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan has a saron barung, saron demung, and saron panerus/peking.
ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa has a saron barung, saron demung, and saron panerus/peking.
A screenshot in which Grammarly suggests replacing the word "kethuk" with "ketchup" Bonang (cradled kettle gong set)
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan has a bonang barung, bonang panerus, kempul, kempyang, and kethuk.
ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa
Gong
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan has a gong ageng and gong suwukan.
ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa has a gong ageng and gong suwukan.
Kempli (hanging kettle gong)
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan
Kempur (medium-sized gong)
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan
Kenong (large cradled gong)
Casa da Música Javanese Gamelan
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan
ArtSonica Gamelan Jawa
Reyong (row of kettle gongs)
bigcat Instruments The Gamelan

Friction idiophones

Glass harmonica
Rossignol-Studio Orguever NKI
Arman Bohn’s Glass Armanica VSTi (direct download) Win VST (http)
Musical saw (Russian folk instrument)
CMusic Small Saw sounds like a theremin. You will need to rename the “.au” file to have an “.nki” extension to use it in Kontakt. NKIAU (Woocommercet1)
Tibetan singing bowls
Robert Gutschow’s Tibetan Singing Bowl dspreset (account)
Bolder Sounds Tibetan Singing Bowls Demo NKIEXS (Zen Cart)
Wine glasses
FreePats Glasses of water SFZSF2WAV
Fabian Siethoff’s Niue NKI (account)

Found object idiophones

Household objects suffering musical abuse.

Bicycle bell
Lullatone Bells has two bike bell patches. NKIALPWAV (Bandcamp)
Candlestick
Atom Hub Candlestick NKI
Church bell
Lullatone Bells has the incredibly ominous “Outside Bell – Campground” patch. NKIALPWAV (Bandcamp)
SzcZ’s The Wrench is a decent soundalike. NKISFZWAV
Desk bell
Soundiron Desk Bell NKIWAV (Shopify)
Elephant bells
Crypto Cipher Terry & Bells NKI (Woocommerce)
Flower pots
zombie fights shark Three Planters NKIALPSXTWAV (email)
Glass bowl
Matthew’s Pie Dish dspreset (account)
Metal bowl
Christian Henson’s Mixing Bowl dspresetEXS (account)
Steel frothing mug
Kyle Reddies’ Frothenspiel dspreset (account)
Teapot
JiKay Hira’s Kettle NKI (account)
Tuning forks
Colin’s Forks NKIdspreset (account)
Wind chimes
Michael Picher’s Indian Bells has a few one-shots as well as some looping wind chime “sparkles.” SFZ
Bolder Sounds Wind Chimes Demo NKIEXS (Zen Cart)
Koshi® chimes
Wiesental’s Bamboo Chimes Piano dspreset (account)

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Last updated on November 27, 2022

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