Ujam Gorilla Engine: a modern audio plugin development SDK for sound designers and software developers with seamless Kontakt migration
C++ is the language of many plugin developers. This is the old-school way to develop audio plugins. There are smarter ways to do this with SDKs. A well-known example from the past is SynthEdit. Plug modules together, and you have a synth plugin.
Plugins have improved significantly in recent years, thanks to better computing, but so have SDKs. Today, in 2026, developers have a wide choice of various professional, deeply customizable SDKs and tools. One of them is the ujam Gorilla Engine.
ujam Gorilla Engine
The Gorilla Engine isn’t new. Many companies, including ujam itself, Crow Hill, Loopmasters, and Avid, have been successfully using the Gorilla Engine for many years. Many more companies are using it without publicizing it.
However new is that the German-American company has officially released the Gorilla and its mighty engine to the public. Before, it was only available on request and behind closed doors. That’s all changed now.
The company is now making the tool available to any third-party developer. Gorilla Engine is basically the ultimate all-inclusive solution for sound designers and developers.
It all starts with a Gorilla Editor, a modular plugin design toolkit that lets you create your own instruments and effects plugins from scratch. The advantage: they make plugin development accessible to everyone, not just C++ coders.
In the Gorilla Editor, you can stack samples/multi-samples, work with various synthesis types (wavetable, VA, supersaw…), create advanced audio routings, and add modulation (LFOs, envelopes, step sequencer…).
There is also an impressive set of effects and scripting capabilities that provide even deeper customizations. Neat, the engine also supports polyphonic aftertouch/MPE, and is fully compatible with the Native Instruments NKS standard.
Testing & Releasing
Audio engine done, next step is testing it. They’ve also considered this step and simplified it with the Gorilla Tester. It’s a plugin wrapper that allows you to preview your creation (.blob file) in any VST/AU-compatible DAW. Plugin development can be this easy.
A built-in layout system is also onboard, allowing you to create custom interfaces using standard JavaScript for interaction logic. Once all these elements are created and tested, you can prepare your plugin for the big, free world.
The Corilla Compiler then bundles your instrument or effect (.blob), UI assets, and logic (JS) into signed installers for VST, AU, AAX, or standalone. What I couldn’t find out is whether they also support, or plan to support, the AUv3 plugin so developers can publish iOS apps.
Part of this is also a licensing and delivery platform that lets developers manage their licenses, distribute installers, and handle updates, including alpha/beta testing.
Kontakt Migrations
The Kontakt sampler plugin is an industry standard and vital for the survival of many sample library providers. If Native Instruments breaks up after the recent insolvency, it’s unclear what will happen to Kontakt.
Not to ignore the consequences for the SL industry. Well, the Ujam team has something built into their Gorilla engine that could be game-changing for the Kontakt industry.
Developers can import their Kontakt instrument content into the Gorilla engine, using their Lua script, and transform it into VST/AU/AAX plugins.
Better, it automatically transfers all the settings, including groups, zones, rout keys, velocities, and loop points, plus you can use a major part of your Kontakt scripting.
This is a big deal: firstly, many developers can break free from the Kontakt chains, which are currently anything but secure. Secondly, they can offer their tools to a much larger user base, including those who don’t use Kontakt at all.
ujam Gorilla Engine First Impression
Ujam offers an exciting, unprecedented, and hassle-free all-in-one package for software developers and sound designers. The engine doesn’t need to prove itself, as there are already countless plugins on the market (all from Ujam…) that utilize it.
The ability to transform Kontakt instruments into plugins with minimal effort is a big highlight. I expect many developers will take advantage of this offer, especially to expand their user base. I’ll keep an eye on how things develop here.
ujam Gorilla Engine is available now. For hobbyists and prototyping, the engine is free. For commercial releases, there are Pro and Enterprise options with license fees, etc.
More information here: ujam
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