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Sitala 1.0.9: Free 16-Pad Drum Sampler by Decomposer

Sitala 1.0.9 is Decomposer’s legacy free 16-pad drum sampler for fast one-shot drum kits. Sitala 2 is paid; the official free 1.0 version remains available.

August 28, 2026Audiartist Editorial

Sitala 1.0.9 is the legacy free version of Decomposer’s 16-pad drum sampler. It is intentionally simple: drag in a one-shot, shape it directly on the pad and keep building the beat. Important distinction: the current Sitala 2 line is a paid product, while Decomposer still makes Sitala 1.0 available as a free legacy download.

What the free Sitala version actually is

Sitala became popular because it removed friction from basic drum sampling. The free 1.x version gives you 16 pads and a compact set of controls for shaping individual samples. It is designed for quick one-shot workflows rather than deep multisampling or an all-in-one groove workstation.

That simplicity is the main attraction. You can drag kicks, snares, claps, percussion or chopped sounds onto pads, trim the sample, change tuning and shaping, then play the kit from MIDI. For producers who already sequence drums in their DAW, the sampler stays out of the way and keeps the focus on sound selection.

Important: Sitala 2.1 is not free. Decomposer currently sells the new version, while its FAQ explicitly keeps Sitala 1.0 available as a free download. This article therefore refers to the legacy free Sitala 1.0.9 release.

Best uses

Fast drum kits
Drop one-shots onto the 16 pads and start sequencing without building a complicated sampler instrument.
Beat sketching
The minimal controls are ideal when you want to move from sample selection to rhythm quickly.
Layer preparation
Use the per-pad shaping to prepare individual hits before layering or routing them in the DAW.
Simple MIDI pads
The fixed pad layout works naturally with compact MIDI pad controllers.

Compatibility

Free legacy version checked: Sitala 1.0.9, released February 1, 2021.
macOS 10.10+: Standalone, VST, AU and AAX.
Windows 64-bit: Standalone, VST and AAX, with 64-bit and legacy 32-bit VST options listed for the 1.0 release.
Ubuntu 20.04: Standalone and VST builds are listed on the legacy download page.

Quick start

  1. Load Sitala on a drum or instrument track.
  2. Drag a one-shot sample onto a pad.
  3. Trim and shape the hit before adding more processing in the DAW.
  4. Map or play the pads from MIDI and build the rhythm in your sequencer.
  5. Keep kits focused. Sixteen strong sounds are usually more useful than hundreds of unused samples.
Why it stands out: The free 1.x release is not the newest Sitala, but it remains a very efficient solution if you only need a clean 16-pad sampler. Its limited scope is a feature when the goal is to turn one-shots into a playable kit with almost no setup.

License and official download

Decomposer keeps the legacy Sitala 1.0 download on its official website. Use the official page below and look specifically for the free 1.0 version. If you want the newer Sitala 2 features, that is a separate paid product.

Get the free Sitala 1.0 legacy version

A Producer’s Take

For fast drum sketching, the free Sitala 1.x workflow is still wonderfully direct: drop in a one-shot, shape it and move on. I would use it when speed matters more than deep sequencing or multisampling features.

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