Dan T'rung

The T'rung is a centuries old mallet instrument from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Made from bamboo, it's a sound deeply rooted in ancient rituals and nature. Over time, the instrument has become synonymous with Vietnamese music, and is used in everything from pop to traditional performances. Strangely though, it has never been available as a sample library. Until now...

While the early T'rungs where tuned to the pentatonic scale like their ancient sister instrument the Vietnamese Lithophone from the same area, the modern version is unique in that it is completely chromatic and has an impressive range of over 3 octaves. It's a bright and punchy sound that will cut through dense mixes, but it can also sound gentle and earthy. Bunker Samples version was chromatically sampled with 3 microphone positions. It was recorded at Zebra Studios in Hanoi and performed by Phan Thuy, one of Vietnams finest traditional musicians. It features bright hits and rolls with butter smooth crossfading, with a fully customisable articulation switching system. It's a sound that instantly conjures up nature and ancient cultures, but can just as easily add some unique drive to arpeggiated synthesiser lines. Or you could swap out your orchestral xylophone for a T'rung, if you're really crazy...

The Dan T'rung is available now with an introductory price of $25 (reg. $39) until February 28, 2026.

It is also available in the Vietnam Bundle together with Sticks & Stones (Vietnamese lithopone) for $39 (reg. $68) until February 28, 2026.

Please note: requires the full version of NI Kontakt 6.7.1 or later.

{See video at top of page}