API Drums

Most free drum libraries cut corners on the recording chain. API Drums by Sulcata Sound does the opposite. Released in 2025, it runs inside the free Decent Sampler plugin. The developer used API 3124V preamps, an API 2500 Bus Compressor, and API analog summing to capture a Mapex Black Panther Blaster 4-piece kit with 5 Paiste Signature cymbals. I’m completely blown away by the sound quality here. The result sounds like a properly tracked studio session, not a freebie drum kit.

You get 10 preset kits (covering everything from tight room sounds to breakbeat and high-tuned funk) and 50+ MIDI files. Since it runs on Decent Sampler, it works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and even iOS. The kit is small (4-piece plus cymbals), so the sonic variety is limited compared to multi-kit plugins like SSD Free or Monster Drum. But the recording quality is hard to match for free. If you already use Decent Sampler for other libraries, this is an easy addition.