Decomposer releases v1.0 of Sitala, a freeware drum sampler instrument in VST, AU, and AAX plugin formats for digital audio workstations on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The early alpha version of Sitala was first announced in 2018 (here’s our news article about Sitala alpha). It immediately drew our attention as an uncommonly streamlined drum sampler plugin.
See also: Free Sampler VST PluginsWhereas most flagship drum samplers have so many features that you simply need to read the user manual to fully grasp their workflow, Sitala does exactly the opposite. This freeware drum sampler is simple, intuitive, and easy to grasp.
Sitala Overview
If you’re unfamiliar with the early versions of Sitala, here’s a quick overview.
Sitala features sixteen drum pads, each capable of loading one sample. The user can adjust the volume, pan, tuning, compression, envelope, and tone for every sample. Each drum pad can be mapped to a separate audio output for further processing in the DAW.
Easily load the samples via drag and drop or with the built-in file browser. Rearrange the loaded drums and save custom kits for later use. It’s also worth noting that Sitala comes with a default 808 drum kit, which sounds quite decent.
However, once you start using Sitala, you will discover that its biggest (and most important) feature is the workflow. It also packs a few hidden workflow enhancements, such as the frequency spectrum preview when adjusting a sample’s pitch. Easily tune the bass drum to your project’s key without having to use a spectrum analyzer (or even your ears, lol).
Sitala 1.0
So, what’s new in Sitala 1.0?
The plugin now features auto sample trimming (to remove silent parts), auto beat-slicing, and automatic output routing in Reaper. Also, Sitala now comes in the AAX plugin format.
Here’s a more detailed feature overview, courtesy of Decomposer:
- Sample trimming: Everybody asked for this one, so it’s available now. The main thing people wanted it for was to clean up poorly cut samples, which Sitala now does automatically: if you drop in samples with leading silence, it automatically sets the play start to the correct position.
- Beat slicing: We automatically detect and snap to transients within samples to make it possible to grab individual sounds out of a sample. It’s also possible to slice each chunk out to a separate pad.
- Automatic Multi-Out in Reaper: Sitala automatically detects if you’ve set Reaper up in stereo or multi-out mode and configures itself accordingly. It automatically renames the tracks to correspond to Sitala’s pad names.
- AAX Plugin: We’ve had lots of Pro Tools users asking for Sitala, and this release also includes an AAX version.
If you’re looking for a blazing-fast drum sampler plugin, don’t waste any more time and download Sitala right away. The only similar plugin out there is Speedrum Lite by Apisonic Labs, but Sitala is more polished at the moment.
More info: Sitala (32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU/AAX plugin format for Windows, macOS, Linux)
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38 Comments
Febbie D.
onI’ve been using saitala as my drumrack/drum sampler for a month now and its actually really good!
Tomislav Zlatic
onI love it! Grace is still my main sampler for drums, but Sitala works great as an alternative for building simple drum kits.
mx
onnice one!
Tomislav Zlatic
on💯
Greg
onOne important feature that would make it usable for me is the multilayer sample stacking. Hope it will be added someday.
Tomislav Zlatic
onYeah that would rock, but I believe the developer is trying to keep it as simple as possible.
PureFire
onThanks Tomislav & BPB.
I seen this a while ago but i’ve held off from downloading it so far, but i will try it out after reading your review of it, it sounds awesome now with all of those new functions, and it will most likely get even better with future updates too 👍
I am wondering if it has any swing ?
Thanks 😊
PureeFire
onA very good demonstration video here using Logic Pro X DAW 👍
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JmdS0kf5N88
Tomislav Zlatic
onCheers! :) No swing, just a straight-up drum sampler. But I’m loving the simplicity.
Ike
onWhy would a drum sample VST need swing parameter? Use your DAWs swing settings like any normal human being!
Jon B
onYes! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for to use in Reaper! It’s so time consuming to use the built-in ReaSamplomatic5000. I love Reaper, but it’s not very good for producing electronic music when compared to Ableton, Bitwig and Logic.
Tomislav Zlatic
onOh, this one will speed up your workflow a lot! Great plugin for drums.
Michal Ochedowski
on8 seconds of the video was enough for me. Finally sample trimming is available. I wonder if sample playback has been changed. When I made a test in October, Sitala clearly didn’t retain characteristics of the samples. There was mid-range boost and high frequency roll-off. fxpansion GeistLite and Cwitec Music Software TX16Wx could not be beaten in this regard. They played back everything just like original files.
Scott Wheeler
onThe actual truth — we had this reported to us and we were curious, so we sat down and analyzed the output: the only difference is how loud they are. Some samplers have things configured such that center panned is 100% volume in both channels. Sitala uses a different common algorithm which puts things below 100% on both channels when panned center so that you get a smoother total amplitude sweep going from left to center to right.
Scott Wheeler
onJust to expand slightly on that: if you’re skeptical, take the output of both samplers, normalize and compare them. If you hear something different, generate spectrograms. If they’re different, I’d be very interested in seeing that. :-)
tylab
onThe thing that never ceases to amaze me about music is how deeply the relative loudness between different sounds messes with your perception of the relative quality between those sounds. Its really not something that can be understated.
Michal Ochedowski
onI just compared a drumloop played on its own and played with Sitala. High frequency roll-off is very obvious. It starts around 6 kHz. I didn’t even need to analyze the audio. Anyone can check it. Play any high quality drumloop which has sounds occupying all frequencies.
frozenjaZz
onWow…
I discovered, a bit late… that Poise had this high end roll off problem too!!
I’ll test it….
and I guess I ‘ll stick to R5K sampler built in Reaper then!
Michal Ochedowski
onPoise was actually the first sampler, which I tested against this issue. Someone mentioned it in a BPB comment section a while back. Then I moved to other samplers like Apisonic Labs Speedrum Lite (it also has high roll-off) and Sitala. I narrowed it down to GeistLite and TX16Wx. The first one seemed to be discontinued, so my choice was simple.
Scott Wheeler
onHere’s a snare hit played through Sitala and through Live’s timeline, with the output of each normalized.
https://decomposer.de/shared/sitala-vs-live-timeline-snare.png
https://decomposer.de/shared/sitala-vs-live-timeline-snare.wav
Really, it’s a volume. They sound very different before you normalize because volume plays tricks on our perception of sound.
Ike
onAre we taöking sample playback when changing the pitch or just playing the sample as is here?
FrozenjaZz
onI did a test with a drumloop, and yes…
After having exported to wave, normalized, and playing along with the original drum loop with phase inverted, I could hear some high freqs, very low volume though.
So I used Pro-Q in matchEQ mode, and it showed me that from 6Khz there is a slight roll off, 0.5dB.. not much, but real.
Do I care… maybe not?
Praneet Choudhary
onhttps://www.inspiredacoustics.com/en/exclusives/inspirata-giveaway
Free reverb
Tomislav Zlatic
onThanks for the tip! I’m waiting for the download to finish so that I can review the plugin before posting about it. But the download is too slow, so I’ll probably just post a news article without a mini-review.
Wasyl
onI love this plugin, I’ve been using it for a couple of months.
And I would be delighted if Sitala developed a similar plugin but more resembling Ableton Sampler (for chromatic playing).
Wing Yee
onIt just keeps getting better…thanks Tomislav and Sitala!
Tomislav Zlatic
onCheers!
Tomislav Zlatic
onCheers! :)
vangelis
onLooks great! I’m all for the clean looking gui and it seems so easy to setup and use. Any chance it gets a pitch envelope function in the future?
Tomislav Zlatic
onOh, that would be great actually.
whiteaxxxe
onBest invention since the invention of sliced bread. Looks like mankind needs most urgently things that slice things or things that are sliced. :-)) Sliceway to hell…
MRG
onSlowly but surely, and I don’t mean to call you Shirley, this little thing is establishing itself as a must-have.
One suggestion. When you “slice to pads”, it would be great to have the option to copy the effects. Typical use case: load loop, adjust pitch, slice to pads. Other fx (compression, shape, …) could be useful/fun too. Alternative thought: global change of pitch? Anyways, loving that thing.
ND
onNothing new, just a poor rip off of Ableton’s native plugins Drum Rack and Simpler. People with the skills to develop plugs like this should find their own style and concept.
MRG
onWhat if the concept was simply to not have it tied to a specific DAW? :D
Scott Wheeler
onhttps://twitter.com/decomposermusic/status/1100219222721024001/photo/1
MRG
onOh my dog! They made a drum machine that looks like a …drum machine. The nerve, the arrogance, the chutzpah, the ignoble audacity, the decadence. This, this is why this world is going down the drain… #jesuisdrummachine #thoughtsandprayers #himom
Rafael
onHuh… I download the 64-bit version and it apparently installs a 32-bit plugin. Weird.
Also, similar to last time I tried it, dropdown menus still not properly work.
I’m using 64-bit Reaper on Windows 8 by the way.
MRG
onSo, yeah, the 64bit installer allows you to ALSO install a 32bit VST, as an option.
You can’t install a 32bit version from the 32bit installer if the 64bit version is already installed, some conflict happens. The only way to have both, and some would want that, is to use the 64bit installer, which does both. Weird behaviour, indeed.
TL;DR: you’re not dreaming.