Splash Sound has released Kalimba, a free virtual instrument for macOS and Windows. It’s the second addition to Splash Sound’s Play Collection of freeware, lightweight instruments for hassle-free music production.
We featured the first instrument in the series, the Djembe, back in 2024. We liked the simple interface and surprisingly authentic sound (considering the lightweight nature of the plugin), and Kalimba follows the same path. This time around, the focus is on the plucked tones of the African thumb piano.
As most BPB readers know by now, what I like most about this type of instrument is the simplicity. If I need a kalimba sound in a track, I’d rather load a lightweight plugin like this than dig through massive rompler libraries.
These freebies from Splash Sound fit that profile perfectly. Kalimba is available as a VST and AU plugin, a Kontakt instrument, and even runs as a standalone app.
The interface gives you just the essentials: reverb size and send controls, and two mic level dials for tines and resonator. These parameters mirror what we saw in Djembe, and it seems they’re part of the Play engine’s design.
You can play all notes directly on the interface, and there’s a menu in the top right corner for accessing plugin settings. It’s not overloaded with features, but that’s the point—it gives you exactly what you need for quick access to a virtual kalimba.
In terms of sound quality, Kalimba sounds pretty good considering the library size. It’s not the most deeply sampled kalimba library around, but it sounds natural and works well in most contexts. If you mix it with other instruments and a bit of reverb, it fits right in.
I appreciate how lightweight it is in terms of both CPU and storage space. This makes it a practical choice for producers who want to add a touch of kalimba timbre to their tracks for free and without straining their DAW.
Also, I think you can easily fit this into various genres, from lo-fi beats and ambient compositions to cinematic textures and world music. It’s not trying to be the ultimate kalimba plugin, but it doesn’t have to be, especially being free and lightweight. For everyday use, it does the job perfectly.
Splash Sound Kalimba is compatible with any DAW that supports VST or AU plugins. It also works in Kontakt and as a standalone app.
You can download it for free, no registration or activation required. However, you’ll need to complete the checkout process on the EVA Instruments website to get the plugin.
Download: Splash Sound Kalimba
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Last Updated on June 23, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.
