Atma: Sacred Sound Instrument Plugin by MNTRA Instruments

Atma's core is 37 instrument sample maps, many with up to 30 round robin variations to reduce repetition on repeated notes. The sources range from tubular and tibetan bells to gongs, singing bowls, kalimbas and hang drums, along with metal shakers, temple blocks and a glass tube set with short, long and scrape versions.

MNTRA says the ultrasonic sampling process was used to capture the complex harmonics of these instruments with more depth and clarity than earlier methods. Each instrument is sampled in a way that keeps its overtones and decay intact when played across the keyboard.

The plugin ships with a set of presets built on the MNDALA sound-design engine, including arpeggiated bell clusters, evolving pads and cinematic percussion. These can be used as starting points, and the underlying sound design can be reshaped with the controls in the interface.

The instrument is aimed at producers working on ambient, electronic, experimental and cinematic music. Because playback is CPU-efficient and preset loading is fast, it is practical to use several instances in a single session.