Sound Archive
Sudanese Instruments
Alive in Your Studio
Plugins
A collection of free, professionally sampled Kontakt plugins capturing eight traditional Sudanese musical instruments — built to give any musician in the world access to the sounds of Sudan.
8 instruments recorded · Free to use · Kontakt 5+ compatible
Created in collaboration with Ibrahim ibn Elbadya
About this archive
What Are These Plugins?
The SSLH Sound Archive plugins are a set of virtual instrument libraries built inside Native Instruments Kontakt, one of the world’s leading professional software samplers. Each plugin contains multi-velocity, multi-dynamic audio samples recorded directly from authentic Sudanese instruments — capturing not just the pitch of a note, but the texture, resonance, and living character of the instrument itself.
Unlike synthesised or approximated sounds, these plugins were built from real recordings of real instruments, played by real Sudanese musicians. Each sample was captured in high-resolution audio, then meticulously mapped across a playable MIDI keyboard range inside Kontakt. The result is a playable instrument that responds to velocity, dynamics, and articulation — allowing producers and composers to integrate authentic Sudanese tonality into their music with full expressive control.
These plugins are offered completely free of charge, in the spirit of the SSLH project’s mission: to safeguard, document, and share Sudan’s rich and diverse musical heritage with the world.
These plugins would not have been possible without the profound contribution and artistic direction of Ibrahim ibn Al Badya.
A celebrated Sudanese singer, multi-instrumentalist, and cultural preservationist, Ibrahim belongs to a lineage of musical excellence. Ibrahim carries forward a deep-rooted legacy while pioneering new ways to keep Sudanese music relevant in the digital age.
Ibrahim ibn Al Badya
Musician, plugins designer
The Collection
Eight Instruments, Eight Worlds
Each instrument was individually recorded, sampled, and built into its own dedicated Kontakt plugin file (.nki). Below is a guide to each instrument — its origins, its character, and what you can expect from the plugin.
01 / 08
Agamo
Aerophone · Pan Flute / Reed Pipes
Sound Archive — SSLH
Agamo
It carries deep social significance in the communities that use it: a young man cuts and tunes the pipes, then presents them to the girl he has chosen. She weaves and assembles the pipes in order from longest to shortest using strips of palm frond taken from doum palms — a type of palm tree widespread in those areas — and returns them to the young man as a token of their bond, as is customary in those communities.
The musician holds it in one hand, places it under the lower lip, and blows across it to produce sound, moving it left and right to change pitch. It closely resembles the instrument known as the pan flute and is found wherever similar materials exist, including parts of East Asia such as China and southern Africa..
Melody · Pentatonic · Ceremonial
02 / 08
Gormi
Chordophone · Lute Family
Sound Archive — SSLH
Gormi
The musician cradles it against his chest — similar to how an oud is played — and produces rhythmic beats from a metal piece attached to the side of the gourd using the middle finger of his right hand, while plucking the strings with his index finger and thumb. He changes pitch by pressing on the strings with his left hand.
It is played at celebrations and festive occasions and is usually accompanied by the kangu instrument. It is widespread across various regions including the states of Darfur, Gedaref, and the Red Sea.
Melody · Folk · String
03 / 08
Umkiki
Chordophone · Fiddle
Sound Archive — SSLH
Umkiki
It is played seated; the musician places it between his thighs, draws the bow across the string with his right hand, and changes pitch with his left hand.
It is found across many Arab and African countries under different names: in Algeria it is called the 'Imzad' and is played exclusively by women; in Burundi it is called the 'Indinginindi'; in Ethiopia it is called the 'Masinqo'; in most Gulf countries it is called the 'Arab Rabab'; and in Kenya it is called the 'Orutu.'
Melody · Bowed · Expressive
04 / 08
Janger
Chordophone · Lyre / Rababa
Sound Archive — SSLH
Janger
Ancient Greek mythology records that the god Mercury (Mercurius) found a dry tortoise shell and, wishing to make something useful from it, cleaned it, stretched skin parchment over it, and drew out two arms. He connected the ends of the two arms with a crossbar, then strung seven strings made from goat intestines across it, with their other ends attached to the skin parchment — thereby creating an instrument capable of producing sound. This is traced back to the fourth century BC.
Additionally, carvings of it have been found in Kushite, Meroitic, and Nubian inscriptions dating back seven thousand years BC, which is testament to the deep-rooted history of this instrument in Sudan.
Melody · Ancient · String
05 / 08
Tambour
Chordophone · Bowl Lyre
Sound Archive — SSLH
Tambour
Ancient Greek mythology likewise records that the god Mercury found a dry tortoise shell, cleaned it, stretched skin parchment over it, and drew out two arms. He connected the arms with a crossbar and strung seven goat-intestine strings across it, with their ends attached to the skin — creating a sound-producing instrument dated to the fourth century BC. Carvings of it also appear in Kushite, Meroitic, and Nubian inscriptions dating back seven thousand years BC, evidence of its ancient roots in Sudan.
When playing while standing, the musician holds the instrument on his forearm, resting it against his chest with his left hand from behind. The fingers of the left hand are placed beneath the strings (behind the instrument), and all strings are plucked muted using a plectrum of dry leather, producing a kind of 'sizzling' sound that represents the fundamental beats of the rhythm being played. The string whose pitch is to be heard clearly is released (the finger is lifted) so it rings out distinctly above the other strings, which remain muted by the remaining fingers.
Melody · Iconic · Pentatonic
06 / 08
Banimbo
Idiophone · Xylophone / Marimba
Sound Archive — SSLH
Banimbo
The Banimbo plugin assigns bars to a standard keyboard layout, making it easy to play melodies and harmonies that carry an unmistakable African warmth.
Melody · Tonal Percussion · Blue Nile
Melody · Pitched Percussion
07 / 08
Daluka
Membranophone · Goblet Drum
Sound Archive — SSLH
Daluka
Rhythm · Goblet Drum · Ceremonial
08 / 08
Bongoz
Membranophone · Drum Pair
Sound Archive — SSLH
Bongoz
Rhythm · Drum Pair · Groove
Getting Started
How to Use the Plugins
The SSLH instrument plugins are third-party Kontakt libraries — meaning they require the full version of Native Instruments Kontakt (version 5 or later) to operate. They will not run in the free Kontakt Player. No activation, serial number, or internet connection is needed. Once you have Kontakt installed, setup takes just a few minutes.
01. Download & Extract the Files
Download the plugin package(s) from this page. Each instrument is provided as a compressed .zip folder. Extract the contents to a location on your hard drive where you store sample libraries — ideally a dedicated folder such as Kontakt Libraries / SSLH Instruments. Each extracted folder will contain a .nki file (the Kontakt instrument file) and a subfolder of audio samples.
Important: Do not move, rename, or separate the .nki file from its Samples folder. Kontakt uses relative file paths to locate samples — if the folder structure is changed, the instrument will report missing files on load.
02. Open Kontakt
Launch Kontakt either as a standalone application or as a plugin inside your DAW (Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Reaper, Studio One, etc.). To open as a plugin, insert Kontakt on an instrument track as you would any VST/AU/AAX plugin. Both modes work equally well with the SSLH instruments.
03. Load an Instrument
Method A — Drag & Drop: Open your system file browser and drag the .nki file directly into Kontakt’s rack area.
Method B — Files Browser: In Kontakt, click the Files tab in the left-hand browser panel. Navigate to the .nki file, then double-click it or drag it to the rack.
Method C — Quick Load: Right-click anywhere in the Kontakt window to open the Quick Load menu and add the SSLH instruments folder for one-click access.
Note: If prompted ‘NOT ACTIVATED — Load in Demo Mode?’, click ‘Load in Demo Mode’. The instrument will function fully. Third-party libraries like these are not subject to time restrictions when loaded in the full version of Kontakt.
04. Play via MIDI
Once loaded, the instrument is immediately playable. Connect a MIDI keyboard, pad controller, or use your DAW’s piano roll to send MIDI notes to Kontakt. Each instrument’s samples are mapped across the keyboard — pitched instruments follow standard chromatic mapping, and percussion instruments have articulations spread across keys. Kontakt receives MIDI on channel 1 by default.
05. Use in Your DAW
When using Kontakt as a plugin, all audio is routed through Kontakt into your DAW’s mixer, where you can apply EQ, reverb, compression, and any other processing. You can record MIDI performances as clips in your DAW’s timeline. To use multiple SSLH instruments simultaneously, load additional .nki files into new slots in the Kontakt rack — or open multiple Kontakt instances on separate tracks.
06. Using the Sample Loops
In addition to the Kontakt plugins, this archive also provides pre-recorded audio loops featuring each instrument. These are standard WAV files that can be dragged directly into any DAW — no Kontakt required. They are ideal for quickly adding authentic Sudanese rhythms to a track, for producers who prefer loop-based workflows, or for those exploring the instruments before building custom parts using the Kontakt plugins.
Technical Notes
Tips for the Best Results
Velocity Sensitivity
These instruments respond to MIDI velocity — the harder or softer you play, the louder or quieter the sample. Use a velocity-sensitive MIDI keyboard or automate velocity in your DAW’s piano roll to reflect how the instrument would actually be played.
Kontakt Version
The plugins are compatible with Kontakt 5 and above, including Kontakt 6, 7, and 8. If using Kontakt 8’s new browser view and you cannot see the file browser, switch to Classic View via the View menu to locate and load .nki files.
Missing Samples Alert
If Kontakt shows a ‘Missing Files’ warning on load, click ‘Resolve’ and point Kontakt to the instrument’s Samples folder. This usually only happens if files were moved after extraction. Once resolved, save the .nki to record the new paths permanently.
Adding Reverb & Space
Many instruments were recorded dry (without room ambience) to give you maximum flexibility. Add a light convolution reverb in your DAW — or use Kontakt’s built-in effects (the wrench icon) — to place the instrument in a natural acoustic space suited to your mix.
Pentatonic Scales
Sudanese music is predominantly pentatonic. When composing with melodic instruments (Tambour, Gormi, Banimbo, Umkiki), try restricting your notes to a pentatonic scale for the most authentic sound. A minor pentatonic or the Nubian pentatonic mode works particularly well.
Layering Percussion
The percussion instruments (Agamo, Janger, Daluka, Bongoz) are designed to work together as an ensemble. Try loading all four simultaneously and programming interlocking rhythmic patterns — this reflects how Sudanese percussion has traditionally been performed.
CPU & RAM
Sample libraries load audio into your computer’s RAM for playback. The SSLH plugins are designed to be lightweight, but running many instances will use more memory. If you experience audio dropouts, increase your DAW’s audio buffer size in its preferences.
Saving Your Session
When you save a DAW project using these plugins, your DAW stores the path to the .nki files and your MIDI data. To share a project, the recipient needs both Kontakt (full version) and a copy of the SSLH instruments installed — or they can use the provided audio loops instead.
License & Credits
Free to Download, Free to Use
Usage: These sounds are Royalty-Free for use in your musical productions, films, and performances.
Restrictions: You may not resell these samples or repackage them into other virtual instruments.
Artist Credit: When possible, please credit: “Traditional Sudanese instruments provided by the SSLH Project and Ibrahim ibn Elbadya.”
⚖️ Terms of Use & Licensing
By downloading and using the SSLH Sound Archive plugins, you agree to the following terms. Our goal is to promote Sudanese music while protecting the integrity of the recordings and the artists involved.
1. Commercial & Personal Use
Royalty-Free: You are granted a non-exclusive license to use these sounds in your own musical compositions, film scores, performances, and artistic projects.
Commercial Use: You can use these plugins to create music that you sell or stream (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.) without paying any additional royalties to the SSLH project or the artists.
2. Restrictions (What you CANNOT do)
No Resale of the Plugin: You may not repackage, resell, or redistribute these .nki files or the raw samples as a competing sound library, virtual instrument, or sample pack.
No Standalone Distribution: You cannot upload these raw samples to other websites or “leech” the files for distribution on external servers.
AI Training: Use of these samples for the training of generative AI models is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent from the SSLH project leads.
3. Credit & Attribution
While not legally required for every single song you produce, we strongly encourage you to credit the source. This helps us continue our work in safeguarding heritage.
Suggested Credit: “Traditional Sudanese [Instrument Name] sounds provided by the SSLH Sound Archive and Ibrahim ibn Elbadya.”
4. Creative Commons
This project is officially licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives) for the software and raw samples themselves. This means you can share the project with others non-commercially, but you must credit us and you cannot change the plugin files.
Important: This does not restrict the music you make with them. Your original songs are yours to own and monetize!