Cd — a Cadmium Audio instrument

Every format. Zero compromises.

Cadmium Sampler loads SFZ, SF2, Akai, Roland, E-mu, EXS, DLS, Kurzweil, Ensoniq, GigaStudio, DecentSampler and more — not as a converter, but as a native player that honours every loop, envelope and velocity layer exactly as the original hardware did.

15+ formats/ 25 effects/ 10 character modes/ VST3 · CLAP · AU/ macOS & Windows
// Your whole library. Already.

Stop converting. Stop reformatting.

Drop your library folder into Cadmium and play everything. One shared engine reads a dozen-plus formats natively — no batch conversion, no lost velocity layers, no re-mapped loops.

.sfzSFZSFZ~98% opcode coverage on real-world libraries
.sf2SF2SoundFont SF2 / SF3presets, loops, envelopes — incl. Ogg pools
.isoAKAIAkai S1000 / S3000programs, keygroups, sample loops, amp envelopes
.akpAKPAkai S5000 / S6000RIFF programs & zones
.exsEXSLogic EXS24zones, groups, velocity layers
.outS-50Roland S-50 / 550 / 750 / 760 / S-1012-bit audio, bit-verified
.isoEIIIE-mu EIII / Emulator Xaudio bit-verified against original hardware output
.gigGIGGigaStudio / GigaSamplervelocity splits, dimensions, custom EG1, per-cell gain
.krzKRZKurzweil K2000 / K2500 / K2600PCM zones, keymaps, 16-bit stereo
.efeEPSEnsoniq EPS / ASR-1016-bit BE PCM, banks, songs
.binA3KYamaha A3000samples, auto-mapped by root note
.dspresetDSDecentSamplerround-robin, sibling Samples/ folder
.dlsDLSDLS 1 / 2instruments, loops, volume envelope
.wavRAWWAV / FLAC / AIFF / OGG / CAFdirect load as a single-region instrument
verified against reference audio (WAV) bit-for-bit identical to the reference

We only ship what we've verified by ear and by bit-exact comparison with original hardware output. Every format page in our docs says exactly what works and what doesn't — no hidden surprises.

// Layers

Stack anything. Route anywhere.

Eight independent layers, each with its own instrument, gain, pan, pitch, key/velocity range and output bus. Build splits, stacks, velocity fades or complex multi-out rigs — all from a single plugin instance.

envelopeA per-layer PRE / POST user envelope, independent of the instrument's own envelope.
routingRoute any layer to the main mix or to 1 of 11 stereo aux outputs.
solo/muteSolo and mute per layer, real-time safe — no clicks, no glitches.
splitsKey range and velocity range per layer for splits and crossfades.
// 25 effects. One rack.

A reorderable rack of 25 studio-grade effects.

From Klon-style overdrive and zero-latency convolution reverb to a 5-band graphic EQ, noise gate, exciter, leslie and multiband compressor.

Reverb IR convolution, zero latency
Delay
EQ
Chorus
Distortion 12 shaper algorithms
Klon overdrive neural-network modelled
Flanger
Compressor
Filter
Bitcrusher
Phaser
Tape
Vinyl
Space algorithmic FDN reverb
Stereo Width
Ring Mod
Auto-Pan
Leslie
Transient Shaper
De-Esser
Sub Synth
Multiband compressor
Noise Gate
Exciter
5-Band Graphic EQ

Drag to reorder. Save and load rack presets (.cdmrack) and per-effect presets (.cdmfx). Every parameter is automatable.

// Character. Not just samples.

The Mode system.

Adds the physical character of vintage samplers — not as a preset, but as a complete DSP chain compiled at note-on and rendered with zero per-sample branches or allocations.

NativeBit-identical passthrough, no coloration.
SoundFont Classic2-pole resonant filter — the SF2 feel.
12-Bit LegacyTrue 12-bit quantization with TPDF dither.
Lo-FiDrop-sample reconstruction, 12-bit noise floor.
CrushedDrop-sample 8-bit with companding.
WarmLinear interp + µ-law companding + filter.
CleanLinear + high-frequency roll-off + 12-bit.
PunchADAA drive + 12-bit.
GritADAA drive + 2-pole filter + 12-bit.
BrightDrop-sample 8-bit + companding.
Anti-aliased drive (ADAA 1st-order). Dynamic filter opens on attack, closes on decay. Noise floor per voice. Zero heap, zero branching in the audio thread.
// Loop editor

Edit loops visually, hear the result instantly.

Drag the loop start, end and crossfade markers directly on the waveform. Every edit is live — no round-trips, no renders, no wait. Fade-in, fade-out, loop crossfade (tail) and loop crossfade (head) are all independently adjustable with sample-accurate precision.

viewerOne viewer per sample the current key plays — velocity layers and round-robins shown side by side.
zero-crossSnap loop points to zero-crossings to eliminate clicks.
tempo syncLock loop playback to host BPM, 4 division choices.
glideLegato / portamento with glide time, note priority and legato-only option.
orange border — region selected for editing yellow border — region currently sounding
// Sample editor

Slice a break in 30 seconds.

A non-destructive editor built into the plugin. Trim, fade, reverse, normalize, adjust gain and pan per region — all without touching the file on disk.

sliceClick to place cut markers, or use GRID (÷2/4/8/16/32) or DETECT (transient detection) to auto-chop.
auditionRight-click any slice to audition it instantly.
to padsTO PADS sends all slices to the 4×4 pad grid in one click.
bounceBOUNCE exports the result to a new WAV — single region, all regions, or a mix of all.
// Modulate everything

A full studio's worth of modulation.

8 macros, a full modulation matrix, 3 LFOs per voice (with shape, delay and fade-in), two filters per voice, a pitch envelope with ±48 semitones of depth, a 16-step sequencer per voice, and MIDI Learn for every control.

macrosAssign any parameter to a macro; sweep many parameters with one knob.
LFOsWaveforms: sine, square, saw up/down, S&H, triangle.
filtersPer voice: LP / HP / BP / Notch / Peak / Shelf / Allpass (2-pole).
step seqThe 16-step sequencer modulates cutoff, pitch, volume, pan.
// MPC feel, your way

A pad grid that maps how your music needs.

A configurable 4×4 pad grid. Choke groups, per-pad tune/level/pan, and the layout adapts automatically — drums one-per-key, melodic instruments chromatically mapped.

// Save everything, restore instantly

One click saves the entire state.

Instrument paths, loop edits, pad mapping, effect chain, modulation matrix — everything. Bank navigation lets you step forward and backward through your preset folder without opening a file dialog.

.cadFull patchLayers, FX, macros, mapping, pads
.cdmrackFull effects rackThe whole 25-effect chain, in order
.cdmfxSingle effectOne effect's settings, drag anywhere
.cdmmodeMode characterA saved Mode configuration
// Demo & pricing

Download free. No account required.

Cadmium runs without a license, with two honest limits — everything you load plays at full quality.

Download free demo Buy — €79 Store & download launching soon — not live yet.
DemoFull license
PriceFree€79
FormatsAllAll
Full playback
Save presets
BOUNCE / export
Projects re-open with audio
demoSaved projects come back muted until you activate — then they un-mute live, no reload.
demoA 30-minute audio session per instance.
Activation: Settings → License → Load license file. Instant. No internet required. If you change computers, send us your Machine ID and we re-issue the license for free.
// System requirements

Runs on what you already have.

macOSmacOS 12+ — Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3 / M4).
WindowsWindows 10+ — full feature parity with the macOS build.
hostAny VST3, CLAP or AU host — FL Studio, Logic, Ableton, Reaper, Bitwig, Cubase, Studio One…
activationNo iLok. No internet activation required.
// FAQ

Questions, answered honestly.

Can I load my Kontakt libraries?

Cadmium doesn't read Kontakt's .nki/.nkx format (a closed proprietary format). If you have the samples as loose WAVs plus an SFZ map, you can load those directly.

Does it work in FL Studio 2025?

Yes. It's the primary development host. VST3 and CLAP are tested on every version.

How many instances can I run?

No instance limit on a single machine with an active license.

What happens if I switch computers?

Send us your Machine ID (Settings → License) and we re-issue the license for the new machine, free of charge.

Do my demo presets carry over when I activate?

Yes. Activation silently unlocks your existing projects — you never have to reload anything.

Does Cadmium scan my whole disk on startup?

No. It scans nothing automatically and writes nothing until you save a preset or add a library root. Folders you add in the Browser are only read when you actually open the Browser.

Why does my CPU spike on long reverb or delay tails?

It shouldn't — Cadmium flushes denormals on the audio thread, which is the usual cause of decay-tail CPU spikes in other plugins. If you still see spikes, lower the polyphony or the reverb size.

Can I automate everything?

Yes. Every knob is a real host parameter you can automate directly from your DAW. You can also bind hardware CCs with MIDI Learn, or route up to 8 macros to sweep many parameters at once.

What happens if a sample is missing when I load a project?

Cadmium doesn't crash or fail silently. The affected region is skipped, the rest of the instrument loads normally, and a recovery banner lets you point it at the right folder — it finds matching samples there by name.

Which DAWs does Cadmium work in?

Any host that supports VST3, CLAP or AU — Ableton Live, Bitwig, Reaper, Logic, Cubase, Studio One and more. FL Studio is the primary development and test host.