Temple Drums is a Kontakt percussion library capturing drums and bells in a stone chamber, offering articulations, rolls, and dark sound-designed atmospheres for cinematic and ethnic scoring.
Hall Percussion Character
Temple Drums captures a range of solo drums and bells in a stone-walled underground chamber. The close, wide microphone setup delivers a crisp, tight, and bright sound with a wide stereo image. Instruments include bass drum, floor tom, rack toms, bongos, snares, djembe, doumbeks, frame drum, Tibetan cymbals, a copper bell, and a 36-inch gong.
Recorded up close for clarity, the library provides a broad tonal palette suitable for multiple styles. Each articulation includes up to twelve round-robin variations per velocity layer, ensuring natural, dynamic performances. This design supports everything from subtle concert work to aggressive epic arrangements, with an energetic room sound.
Articulations and Performance Tools
The six instrument presets offer dozens of selectable articulations, including drum hits, rim clacks, and tuned percussion. Live single-shot fills, flams, rolls, and riffs for toms and bass drum add dramatic effect. Performance controls include filter, vibrato/ring mod, arpeggiation with step sequencer, and a full effects rack.
The effects rack provides EQ, filter, phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, and amp simulation. Convolution reverb includes 70 impulses from cathedrals, chambers, and halls. Automation-ready parameters allow deep sound shaping within Kontakt or a host. The presets are designed to be flexible, letting you craft both dry, punchy hits and expansive, ambient textures.
Sound-Designed Atmospheres
Beyond drums, the library includes 42 sound-designed ambiences, atmospheres, and sustaining pads. These were crafted from the raw drum and bell recordings plus field recordings. They provide ominous, sacred, or deep tonal backgrounds that complement the percussion or stand alone in any project.
Also included are 62 effects such as risers, stingers, and giant hits, useful for transitions or dramatic accents. These textures expand the library beyond simple drum samples, making it a versatile tool for trailer music, horror scores, or ambient sound design. They integrate seamlessly with the percussion for cohesive cue building.
Technical Notes and Usage
Temple Drums requires the full retail version of Native Instruments Kontakt 5.5 or later; the free Kontakt Player runs it only in a limited demo mode. The library is open-format, so the sample directories are unlocked. This means you can load the WAV files in other software, but the custom interface and presets need full Kontakt.
Installation is via a digital download, with 2.57 GB of content and 1,414 samples at 24-bit, 48kHz stereo. A broadband connection is needed. For workflow, you can import the presets via Kontakt’s Quickload window for easy navigation. The library is ideal for cinematic drum arrangements, adding to your existing percussion setup.
Key features
- Six Kontakt 5.5 instrument presets with dozens of articulations
- 42 articulations including drum hits, rims, bells, fills, and rolls
- 42 sound-designed ambiences, pads, and drones
- 62 effects like risers, stingers, and giant hits
- Up to 12x round-robin variations per velocity layer
- Effects rack with EQ, filter, delay, reverb, and more
- Unlocked WAV samples for use in other software
Best for
Temple Drums suits film and game composers needing epic or ethnic percussion, plus sound designers. It provides punchy drum hits, realistic rolls, and dark atmospheric pads for building tension. Works well for orchestral hybrid scores, trailer music, and world music tracks that require a dramatic, clear percussive foundation.