TOMGRAFT is a dedicated tom drum instrument designed solely for playing toms. It shapes all 3 toms (HIGH / MID / LOW) simultaneously from a single shared sound engine plus 4 per-tom controls (TUNE / DECAY / LEVEL / PAN), ensuring that all toms remain tonally cohesive.

No samples are bundled. It produces sound out of the box using only 3 synthesized layers (BODY / SKIN / STICK). You can also layer your own audio files on top.

1. Quick Start

1. Insert TOMGRAFT on an instrument track in your DAW.
2. Play C1 / D1 / E1 on your keyboard. They trigger one hit each for LOW / MID / HIGH. You can also click the on-screen keyboard to trigger them.
3. Switch through the 100 factory presets using the top preset bar to find a sound close to what you envision.
4. Adjust TUNE / DECAY / LEVEL / PAN for the 3 toms in the TOMS panel on the MAIN screen. If you want to layer your own sample, drop an audio file (such as WAV) into the SAMPLE slot in the TOMS panel.
5. Press C3–B3 (default) on your keyboard to play the tom fill assigned to that key in sync with the tempo.
6. To re-roll the fills, press RANDOM. You can lock in fills you like with LOCK.

2. Panel Overview

The screen features a hardware-style brushed metal design with MAIN and EDIT tabs at the top (switching tabs does not change the window size). Choose the window size with 75 % / 90 % / 100 % at the top right; on a small screen such as a laptop, pick 75 % or 90 %. The size you choose is kept on that computer for the next time. Hovering the mouse over controls displays descriptions in the InfoBar at the top (switching between Japanese and English based on the OS display language). The version number is displayed to the right of the brand line.

Preset Bar (Top)

• Select presets using the left/right arrows, or by clicking the preset name to open the list. 100 factory presets (across 10 categories) are included.
• The free edition supports loading user presets and loading from files (saving new user presets, deleting them, and exporting to files are Pro edition features).
• The selected preset name persists in your session. Tweaking a knob after loading a preset adds an asterisk (*) to the right of the name.
• Replacing a sample does not add an asterisk (*) (because presets do not alter sample settings).

MAIN Screen

• TOMS: A panel displaying the 3 toms: LOW / MID / HIGH. Adjust TUNE / DECAY / LEVEL / PAN / SOLO for each tom. Dropping an audio file (such as WAV) into the slot in the SAMPLE column on the right loads the sample and displays its waveform in place. The free edition features 1 shared slot common to all toms.
• FLUX and WEAR: Combined into a single panel.
  • FLUX: Per-hit variation. Simulating how strike velocity, strike position, and slight timing rushes fluctuate, it introduces subtle variations to pitch, decay, brightness, volume, attack, skin sound, and timing. In the free edition, this is fixed at 25, but the 7-bar variation display animates in real time with playback (adjustments via the FLUX knob or STRENGTH / POSITION / DRIFT knobs are Pro edition features).
  • WEAR: Adds gradual changes as the drumheads settle in over continuous playing. SPAN specifies the cycle of change (in bars). It can be adjusted with the WEAR knob in the free edition as well.
• PHRASE: Manages tom fills assigned to 12 keys. Press RANDOM to re-roll all 12 fills, and LOCK to keep keys you like. Enabling LOOP repeats the fill while the key is held. ZONE allows changing the keyboard octave of the fills (C0 / C2 / C3 / C4 / C5). Drag a fill key onto a track in your DAW to export that fill as MIDI.
• OUTPUT: Four primary knobs (DRIVE / EQ TILT / ROOM / OUT) are located on the MAIN screen. The remaining parameters are on the EDIT screen.
• Keyboard (Bottom):
  • C1 / D1 / E1: Triggers one hit each for LOW / MID / HIGH (F1 does not sound in the free edition).
  • 12 PHRASE Keys: Triggers fills across 12 keys in the octave selected by ZONE (default C3–B3).
  • No actions are assigned to any other keys (pressing them produces no sound).

EDIT Screen

Clicking the EDIT tab displays the detailed sound-shaping screen. In the free edition, parameters on the EDIT screen can be viewed but cannot be operated (editing is a Pro edition feature). However, settings on the EDIT screen stored in loaded factory presets or DAW sessions are reflected and sound exactly as saved.

• COMMON: Synthesis parameters for the 3 layers: BODY (body and head resonance), SKIN (stick rubbing against the drumhead), and STICK (short attack sound of the stick itself).
• SAMPLE: Detailed settings including playback start position (START), pitch, tone, attack, decay, reverse playback, AUTO-TUNE, FOLLOW TUNE, and embedding (EMBED).
• SYMPATHY: Adjusts sympathetic resonance from unplayed toms (AMOUNT / THRESH / TONE / DECAY).
• FLUX SETUP: Repeat mode (REPEAT: LOCKED / EVOLVE / FREE), timing processing (TIMING: STUDIO / LIVE), random seed (SEED).
• OUTPUT Details: Master instrument transpose, transients (TR-ATK / TR-SUS), EQ presence (PRES Hz / PRES dB), reverb settings (SIZE / PRE-DLY), velocity curves (VEL CRV / VEL>TONE / VEL>SKIN), and more.

Pro Features and the “PRO” Badge

In the free edition, controls exclusive to the Pro edition are marked with a “PRO” badge. Hovering over a locked control displays a description of the Pro feature in the InfoBar, and clicking the PRO badge opens the Pro edition page.

Differences Between Free and Pro Editions

Feature	Free Edition	Pro
Toms	LOW / MID / HIGH	+ FLOOR (4th tom)
Samples	1 slot shared across all toms	+ 1 slot per tom
Fill Export	Drag MIDI	+ Drag WAV (full mix)
FLUX	Fixed at 25 (variation display animates)	Adjust FLUX + STRENGTH / POSITION / DRIFT
EDIT Screen	Visible but read-only (preset/session values sound as saved)	Fully editable
User Presets	Load / Load from file	+ Save / Delete / Export to file
Factory Presets	100	110
Multi-Out	3 toms	4 toms

Notes on the Free and Pro Editions

• EDIT Screen Values: In the free edition, EDIT values (saved in sessions or presets) still sound as saved (they simply cannot be modified).
• Key Mapping in Pro Edition: The key mapping in the Pro edition differs from the free edition (C1 is FLOOR, D1 is LOW, E1 is MID, and F1 is HIGH, shifting the toms by one key when transitioning from the free edition).

3. Parameter Details

TUNE (Per Tom)

The base pitch of each tom. The intervals between the 3 toms define the character of the drum kit.

DECAY (Per Tom)

Determines how long each hit sustains. Generally, setting longer decay times for larger toms yields a more natural kit feel.

LEVEL / PAN (Per Tom)

Controls the volume balance and stereo panning among the 3 toms. Turning LEVEL all the way down mutes the tom. PAN centers at the 12 o’clock position.

SAMPLE

Drop an audio file (wav / aiff / flac / mp3) into the SAMPLE slot in the TOMS panel on the MAIN screen to load it. The free edition features 1 slot shared across all toms. In the detailed settings (EDIT screen), you can inspect parameters such as playback start position, pitch, tone, attack, decay, reverse playback, AUTO-TUNE, FOLLOW TUNE, and embedding (EMBED) (parameters on the EDIT screen cannot be operated in the free edition).

FLUX

Per-hit variation. Just like a human drummer, strike velocity, strike position, and slight timing rushes fluctuate naturally, introducing subtle changes to pitch, decay, brightness, volume, attack, skin sound, and timing. In the free edition, this is fixed at 25 (adjustments via the FLUX knob or STRENGTH / POSITION / DRIFT are Pro edition features). Playing back the same position in a song reproduces the exact same sound every time. The 7 bars display the actual deviations applied on the most recent hit.

WEAR / SPAN

Simulates the gradual settling in of drumheads as they are struck repeatedly. SPAN specifies the number of bars for one complete cycle of change. Because it is determined by bar position rather than elapsed time, it provides stable and reliable reproducibility even when jumping playback positions.

PHRASE

Tom fills assigned across 12 keys. Press RANDOM to re-roll all 12 fills, and LOCK to keep keys you like. LOOP repeats playback while the key is held. ZONE allows changing the keyboard octave (C0 / C2 / C3 / C4 / C5). Dragging a fill key onto a track in your DAW exports that key’s fill as a MIDI file. Dragging the fill name box exports the last fill played.

OUTPUT Knobs (MAIN Screen)

• DRIVE … Adds density and thickness through saturation.
• EQ TILT … Tilts the tonal balance between high and low frequencies like a seesaw.
• ROOM … Adjusts the mix amount of the room reverb.
• OUT … Adjusts the final master output level.

EDIT Screen Parameters

While knobs on the EDIT screen cannot be operated in the free edition, the engine operates according to the parameter values saved in presets or sessions.

• BODY … Sets the pitch difference between batter and resonant heads (DETUNE), tonal hardness (SHAPE), pitch drop on initial strike (PITCH ENV / PITCH TIME), attack, and level.
• SKIN … Sets the brightness, attack, duration, and level of the stick rubbing sound on the head.
• STICK … Sets the brightness, duration, and level of the stick’s impact attack sound.
• SYMPATHY … Sets the sympathetic resonance of unplayed toms: amount (AMOUNT), response threshold (THRESH), tone, and decay time.
• FLUX SETUP … Sets repeat mode (REPEAT: LOCKED / EVOLVE / FREE), timing processing (TIMING: STUDIO / LIVE), and random seed (SEED).
• OUTPUT Details … Sets master instrument transpose, transients (attack / sustain), EQ presence band, reverb size and pre-delay, velocity curves, and more.

Individual Tom Outputs (Multi-Out)

• The main output carries the overall mix of all 3 toms combined. In addition, 3 stereo individual outputs for LOW / MID / HIGH are available, allowing you to route each tom to a separate track in your DAW. Sympathetic resonance from an unplayed tom is sent to the individual output of that resonating tom.
• Individual outputs do not pass through OUTPUT panel effects (such as DRIVE / EQ / ROOM). They are output raw/dry, allowing you to freely apply plugin processing in your DAW. If you need sound processed with the plugin’s master effects, use the main output.

4. Recommended Settings

When in doubt, choose from the factory preset categories. A total of 100 presets are included across 10 groups × 10 presets.

• ROCK / METAL … Tight kits with prominent body resonance and short decay.
• FUNK / POP … Bright tuning and nimble decay. Well suited for busy, intricate fills.
• JAZZ … Soft attack and rich resonance. Configured with a natural swing feel.
• LOFI … Mellow tuning and warm tone. WEAR is dialed in deeper.
• TECHNO / TRAP … Rich low end with tight transient definition. TRAP features longer sustain.
• CINEMATIC … Vast spatial ambience and strong resonance. Ideal for impactful, heavy single hits.
• INDUSTRIAL … Crafted with metallic resonance and heavy saturation distortion.

5. Requirements

Item	Details
Supported OS	Windows 10 / 11 x64, macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon / Intel)
Plugin format	Windows: VST3 / Mac: VST3, AU (Instrument)
Host	DAW compatible with VST3 or AU
Latency	Zero when TIMING is set to LIVE. When set to STUDIO, latency is reported to the host for automatic compensation
Bundled samples	None (sounds with synthesis alone)
Outputs	1 stereo main output + 3 stereo individual outputs for LOW / MID / HIGH

6. Installation and Uninstallation

Installation (Windows)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy the TOMGRAFT.vst3 folder to the following location:
   C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
3. Launch your DAW and run a plugin rescan.

Installation (Mac)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy TOMGRAFT.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ and TOMGRAFT.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ (~ is your home folder. In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and paste the path to open it. Create the folder if it does not exist).
3. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal), paste the following three lines one at a time, and press Return after each:

   cd ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine VST3/TOMGRAFT.vst3
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine Components/TOMGRAFT.component

4. Launch your DAW and run a plugin rescan (if you copy the files while your DAW is running, the change may not take effect).

Uninstallation (Windows)

Delete C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\TOMGRAFT.vst3. If you also want to remove saved user presets, delete %APPDATA%\Tomgraft\Presets as well.

Uninstallation (Mac)

Delete TOMGRAFT.vst3 and TOMGRAFT.component. If you also want to remove saved user presets, delete ~/Library/Tomgraft/Presets as well.

7. Troubleshooting

• Plugin does not appear in DAW
  • [Windows] Verify that it was copied to Common Files\VST3 and that the folder is included in your DAW’s plugin scan paths.
  • [Mac] Verify that files were copied to the correct paths (VST3: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/, AU: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/), run the Terminal commands, and perform a plugin rescan in your DAW. If the AU does not appear in Logic Pro or another DAW, restart your Mac.
• SmartScreen warning appears on first run (Windows)
  • This appears because the binary is not code-signed. Click “More info” → “Run anyway” to continue.
• macOS displays “is damaged and can’t be opened” or “cannot be verified”
  • Run the Terminal commands described in the Mac section of “6. Installation and Uninstallation”.
• No sound when playing keys other than designated ones
  • This is by design. In the free edition, single hits are assigned to C1 (LOW) / D1 (MID) / E1 (HIGH), and tom fills are assigned to the 12 keys in the octave chosen by ZONE (default C3–B3). F1 and all other keys produce no sound.
• Knobs or settings on the EDIT screen do not move
  • In the free edition, parameters on the EDIT screen can be viewed but cannot be operated (they are Pro edition features).
• Fills do not sound
  • Check that PHRASE is not turned off. Also check that incoming MIDI notes match the octave set in ZONE (default C3–B3).
• Rendered audio sounds different from playback
  • Check that REPEAT is not set to FREE. LOCKED and EVOLVE are determined by playback position, so identical positions always produce identical sound.
• Noticeable latency when playing in real time
  • Check whether TIMING in FLUX SETUP on the EDIT screen is set to LIVE (in STUDIO mode, latency is reported to the host).
• Dropped sample does not sound
  • Check whether SAMPLE LEVEL is turned down, or whether another layer is set to SOLO.
• Nothing happens when dragging a fill
  • Drag a fill key (or the fill name box) onto your DAW track. The MIDI button in the PHRASE panel only chooses the export format; dragging it does nothing. The fill name box exports the last fill played, so it gives nothing until a fill has played once.

8. Notes

• Distributed free of charge (freeware) “AS IS”, without individual support.
• The source code is proprietary and not public.
• All copyrights to this product belong to Tonecraft Tokyo.
• Modification, reverse engineering, redistribution, and resale of this product are prohibited. Please download it only from the official Tonecraft Tokyo website or the store pages it links to.
• Free for both commercial and non-commercial use.
• This product uses JUCE.
• This product uses JetBrains Mono and Noto Sans JP (SIL Open Font License 1.1).

9. Disclaimer

• This product is provided “AS IS”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement of third-party rights.
• Tonecraft Tokyo is not liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, this product, including but not limited to loss or corruption of project files or audio data, equipment malfunction, lost working time, or lost profits.
• Operation is not guaranteed for every combination of DAW, operating system, and hardware.
• Specifications may change, and the product may be discontinued, without notice.
• Use this product at your own risk. Back up your projects before important work.