Elementary Sounds is giving away TSUD — a free sample instrument built around a miniature kalimba recorded with a Soviet-era ribbon microphone. Found in a forgotten toy box and captured with three microphones from multiple angles, TSUD is a uniquely organic instrument with extensive sound design capabilities. The download is completely free.
Get TSUD Free
What Is TSUD?
TSUD is a sample instrument created by Elementary Sounds, built from recordings of a miniature kalimba captured through Soviet-era ribbon microphones. The instrument was recorded from multiple angles using three microphones, resulting in a deeply textured and expressive source. TSUD goes far beyond a simple kalimba library — it’s a full sound design tool with layering, FX, modulation, and sequencing capabilities. Total install size is 2GB (compressed) / 2.4GB (uncompressed).
Key Features
Two Core Sounds
TSUD centers on two main sounds: Type I is the raw acoustic recording, capturing even the delicate touch of fingers on the tines; Type II passes the signal through a filter and tube preamp to produce a muted, electric piano-like tone.
X-Slider – Sound Layer Crossfading
The X-Slider crossfades between the raw kalimba sound and four additional sound layers. Moving it to the far right transforms the instrument into a digital, weightless sound. Two additional sliders add further coloring: a Soviet synthesizer sine wave one octave below (Sine — adds weight and depth) and cassette recorder tape saturation through a tube preamp (st.tube — adds grit and character).
FX Section
TSUD includes a built-in FX section with Vibrato, Warm Distortion, Shimmer Reverb (pitch shift + chorus), Echo, and Reverb — ready to push the sound further into ambient and cinematic territory.
Movement Panel – 12-Step Sequencer & LFOs
The Movement panel houses a 12-step sequencer and two LFO modules, both connectable to all sound layers. This makes it easy to create evolving, rhythmic, or randomized textures directly inside the instrument.
Master Panel
The Master panel provides a vintage octave filter (10-band or 16-band), a 3-band shelving EQ with adjustable crossover frequencies, and controls for Pitch, Noise, and Output level.
How to Download & Install
Visit the official TSUD page at elementarysounds.com/tsud, enter your email address, and download the link sent to your inbox. On first launch, you will need to point the plugin to the downloaded sample folder.