A versatile instrument
for musical exploration and meditation.
Sur Perform View

Inside Sur

16 Presets
16 Raga Presets
8 Instrument Sound Sources

Sur

The Essence of Drone

This is the free taster of our upcoming full portal instrument, Naada. Get ready for its release very soon!

Introducing “Sur” (सुर) – meticulously crafted to reproduce the essence of the drone in Indian classical music.  Featuring exquisitely recorded Tanpuras and Shruti Box, Sur offers a sonic foundation for spiritual expression and aesthetic beauty, serving as a versatile instrument for musical exploration and meditation. Powered by the advanced MNDALA 2 engine, Sur features a deep micro-tuning system and creatively processed samples, inviting musicians to further explore the intricate nuances of popular Ragas with precision and authenticity. In essence, Sur is a small taste of the sacred beauty and boundless potential of the drone within Indian classical music and beyond, beckoning musicians and sound healing practitioners on a journey of sonic discovery and resonance.

Free!

Proprietary Engine

VST/AU Plugin included. No additional software required.

3-Axis Universal Controls

Simply map your favourite controller once for all plugin instances.

Intuitive Performance GUI

Custom animation driven performance interface & mouse hover interactions.

Industry Leading Audio Quality

Up to 384khz/32-bit extended ultrasonic range sample sources

Sur Perform View

Sur

Free!

SUR: The Essence of Drone | Selected Presets
SUR: The Essence of Drone | Selected Presets
Alap Improvisation ( Raag Yaman ) - Brian D&#039Oliveira (made using Sur)
Alap Improvisation ( Raag Yaman ) - Brian D'Oliveira (made using Sur)

Listen to Sur

The Story of Sur

Derived from the sacred languages of Sanskrit and Hindi, Sur (सुर) embodies the concept of expression within each musical note or tone, serving as the foundational element of the composition and performance of Indian classical music. It represents the intrinsic connection between the artist and the divine, where each note becomes a vessel for spiritual expression and aesthetic beauty.

At its core, Sur aims to offer a definitive Drone or ‘Shruti’ experience. Whether you seek to create a harmonious bed for ambient compositions, engage in raga and modal improvisation over an inspiring and evolving background, accompany Dhrupad singing in Nada Yoga, or enhance your meditation practice, Sur provides the foundational instrumentation necessary for musical exploration and spiritual elevation through the drone.

Central to Sur are two essential instruments: the male and female Tanpuras, and the Shruti Box. The Tanpura, with its resonant strings and gourd body, serves as the grounding force in Indian classical music, enveloping listeners in a meditative aura while defining the tonal centre of a composition or improvisation, both tanpuras were custom-made for us by the renowned tanpura-luthier Naeem Sitarmaker hailing from the legendary instrument making capital of India Miraj. Additionally, the Shruti Box, an adaptation of the Harmonium, offers players the perfect tool for self-accompaniment through its relatively passive playing style and endless tones.

Sur goes beyond tradition, offering a selection of creatively processed samples that transport the idea of the drone into a new dimension ( fully explored in our Portal’s series instrument – Naada). We firmly believe that traditional musical cultures should not be viewed as history but as living and evolving practices, embracing the present moment while firmly rooted in thousands of years of development.

Powered by our advanced MNDALA 2 engine, Sur features a deep micro-tuning system, allowing users to finely tune each note. Including preset tunings informed by the teachings of Dr. Vidyadhar Oke, Sur invites musicians to explore the intricate nuances of popular Ragas with precision and authenticity. We created Sur as a testament to the drone’s sacred beauty and boundless potential within Indian classical music and beyond, inviting musicians on a journey of sonic discovery and spiritual resonance, regardless of genre.

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What's Inside?

Strings

Tanpura (Combined, Female, Male)
Integral to Indian classical music, is a plucked string instrument notable for its role in providing a continuous drone that enriches the music’s melodic and rhythmic flow. This instrument, with its meditative and harmonious sound, features a hollow body traditionally made from a gourd and a long neck, with four strings tuned to the raga being performed. The Tanpura samples in this instrument map were crafted by the renowned Naeem Sitarmaker from Miraj, and performed for optimal sound quality and resonance that faithfully represents this classic instrument’s essence.

 

Wind

Shruti Box Long
The Shruti Box, an essential accompaniment in Indian classical music and sound meditative practices, is a hand-operated reed instrument used to provide a drone in a fixed pitch or pitches. Known for its rich, harmonious sound, the Shruti Box supports vocalists and instrumentalists by offering a stable tonal foundation that enhances the overall musical performance. Its simple design allows for continuous airflow through reeds, producing a sustained sound that can be adjusted to match the specific pitch requirements of any performance.

 

Synth

Tanpura Grained Dist
Combined Tanpura sample map re-amped and creatively processed through bespoke distortion and granular modules.

Shruti Box (Driven Sub, Overtones, Overtones Dry)
Shruti Box creatively processed through modular envelope followers and guitar pedals.

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Animistic Performance Interface

Control a deep network of parameters with 3 real-time rendered animations

Technical Specifications

Samples

→ Recorded up to 24-bit 384 kHz ultrasonic resolution

Engine

→ VST3 / AU plugin for Windows & Mac OS (10.14+) including full M1 Chip support
→ No fuss copy protection, simply install and the instrument is uniquely encrypted to be used within your system
→ Seamless downloads, updates, and installation within MNDALA 2 with a registered Mntra account

File Size

→ 8 sample maps
→ 1.2 GB installed, 3 GB recommended for setup

System Requirements

→ Minimum 8GB of RAM and an i5 or better CPU required
→ Supported by all 64-bit VST3/AU compatible DAW’s*

* Mixcraft 9 Pro is not supported

First time user of Mntra Instruments?

Make sure to download our free MNDALA 2 Engine VST3/AU/AAX plugin compatible with all major DAW's.

Simply install once and you will be able to run all of our instruments.

Explore our other instruments

EXPLORE THE FULL INDIA PORTAL

Naada

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