Sonic Atlas: Temple Drums of India Bundle

The latest V1.3.6 Sonic Atlas (Free Platform) is required to use these expansions.

Rare & Ancient Rhythm Ensembles, made playable.

Temple Drums of India brings together three rare South Indian percussion traditions that have never been sampled at this level of quality.

We identified and recorded 40 real temple musicians from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, capturing these ensembles as they are actually performed in their native traditions.

Every instrument was recorded with an uncompromising studio recording chain, resulting in nearly 4,000 meticulously captured samples across three playable temple percussion ensembles.
Ancient instruments.

Real performers. Unprecedented detail. Made playable for modern production.
 

Pancha Vadhyam Kit

The Five-Instrument Temple Orchestra

The Pancha Vadhyam Kit captures Kerala's classic five-instrument temple orchestra — Thimila, Maddalam, Idakka, Ilathalam and Kombu — performed at temple festivals and processions.

Built to start slow and climb, Pancha Vadhyam delivers interlocking hand-drum patterns, shimmering cymbal beds and the singing tone of the Idakka — percussion with real melody in it.

Recorded with 12 master temple musicians, this is the first time the full ensemble has been captured as a playable instrument.

• Ensemble of 12 Musicians
• 265 loops & fills recorded across multiple tempos
• 1,056 one-shots with velocity layers & round robins
• 1,321 samples in total
• Playable solo, duo & full ensemble one-shot patches
• Individual instrument patches for Thimila, Maddalam, Idakka, Ilathalam & Kombu

Chenda Melam Kit

Thunder of the Temple Courtyard

The Chenda Melam Kit captures the huge temple percussion ensembles of Kerala, performed at the state's biggest temple festivals with dozens of players locked into one rhythm.

Built around a slow pulse that doubles in speed stage by stage, Chenda Melam delivers sharp cutting strikes, dense ensemble unison and an enormous festival climax to modern productions.

Recorded with a 15-piece ensemble of temple percussionists, at a scale no sample library has attempted before.

• Ensemble of 15 Musicians
• 307 loops & fills recorded across multiple tempos
• 1,164 one-shots with velocity layers & round robins
• 1,471 samples in total — the largest kit in the collection
• Playable solo, duo & full ensemble one-shot patches
• Includes Ilathalam, Kombu & Kuzhal ensemble layers

 Kailaya Vathiyam Kit

Deep Ceremonial Drum Ensemble

The Kailaya Vathiyam Kit captures the deep barrel drum of Tamil Nadu's temple ceremonies, performed during processions, festivals and large public gatherings.

Characterized by deep goat-skin resonance, heavy low-end weight and call-and-response phrasing between lead and ensemble, Kailaya Vathiyam delivers ceremonial power to modern productions.

Recorded with 13 temple percussionists, capturing an instrument that has never been sampled at this quality.

• Ensemble of 13 Musicians
• 211 loops & fills recorded across multiple tempos
• 948 one-shots with velocity layers & round robins
• 1,159 samples in total
• Playable solo, duo & full ensemble one-shot patches
• Ceremonial phrase and procession patches