Klevgrand Skaka

The Swedish developers’ latest specialises in complex hand percussion patterns. Si Truss gives it a shake…

The latest release from Swedish developers Klevgrand, Skaka is a sample-based instrument specialising in shaken percussion sounds like tambourines, calabash, egg shakers and ghungroos bells. What makes this plugin interesting however, is how it makes it easy for users to set up and edit multiple contrasting rhythmic patterns.

The plugin – available in VST, AU and AAX for desktop or AUv3 for iOS – houses 12 modules, each of which can trigger a pattern from one of Skaka’s eight sampled sounds. Each of these modules is assigned a fixed MIDI note, used to trigger the sound. Rather than trigger individual hits, however, incoming MIDI works more like a mute/unmute trigger for each sound’s individual sequencer. At the centre of each module is a small representation of the sequencer grid; this opens a sequencing window where users can create and edit patterns for each module individually.

Each sequencer has four lanes, for sequencing velocity, duration, pitch and gain. Each of Skaka’s sounds is recorded with eight or nine velocity levels, and adjusting these can make each sound range from a slow and soft shakes to more abrupt, attack-heavy hits. Some sounds also have an alternative one-shot sound, which can be triggered by the top level of the velocity sequencer.

These sequencers become really interesting when you begin to play with the additional parameters. Each module’s sequencer can have its own unique grid mode, with triplet and straight rhythmic options, as well as its own individual sequence length, ranging from one to eight steps. Because of this, it’s incredibly easy to set up interesting cross rhythms and patterns inspired by different global music traditions. Each pattern also has its own shuffle, humanise and delay controls, along with fade in and fade out settings for tailoring rhythms further. You can turn off the sequencer grid entirely too, creating patterns fully detached from the conventions of your DAW’s timeline.

There are two levels of presets in Skaka – a handful of global presets, offering genre-themed kits, and individual module presets with a host of patterns inspired by different traditions. Mixing and matching the latter is fun for creating unique rhythmic patterns. Each module also has its own low-pass filter, reverb send, pitch, duration and output gain parameters. Finally, additional master high-shelf EQ and convolution reverb effects round out the signal flow.

Setting up convincing percussive toplines and believably-human shaker parts is always a pain in a standard sampler (which is why many producers tend to reach for pre-made loops). Skaka might be the most elegant solution I’ve tried for quickly generating such sounds. Plus with the individual sequencers, and its ability to quickly mix and match rhythms and pattern lengths, it inspires real creativity. The one downside is the limited sounds – given how fun the sequencers are to use, I wish there was a slightly broader sound palette. A few weird FX, found sound hits or glitchy one-shots to throw in the mix could make this a must-have.

Makes it easy to set up and edit multiple contrasting rhythmic patterns