Drum Machines

Sample-based drum workstation. Deep per-cell effects and routing, built for finished kits rather than quick sketches.

• Onboard SOLID EQ, SOLID BUS COMP, Transient Master, and convolution reverb mean full kits can be mixed without leaving the plugin
• Four internal busses plus master give each drum its own path to the DAW mixer
• Massive third-party and NI library ecosystem, from acoustic kits to sound-design one-shots

• No native step sequencer — programming rhythms means using a DAW piano roll or host sequencer instead
• Browser and effects racks take a real learning investment before the workflow feels fast

Sample-organizing beat machine. 8700+ one-shots plus per-slot effects, built for fast pattern sketching.

• 8700+ curated one-shots plus 240+ beat presets mean usable grooves in minutes, not hours
• Per-slot filter, envelope, and effects sends alongside a 16-step sequencer cover both sound design and rhythm in one window
• Full separate-output routing to the host DAW for slot-by-slot mixing

• Sample-only engine — nothing here synthesizes a sound from scratch, so it leans on the bundled library's character
• Higher-tier bundles push well past the base price for the full sample catalog

Official analog-modeled recreation of the original 808. Roland's own circuit modeling, an expanded step sequencer.

• Built by Roland from the original 808 circuit designs, not a third-party emulation guess
• Expanded step sequencer adds per-sound lanes and pattern variations well beyond the 1980 original's 16 steps
• One-time lifetime-key purchase avoids a Roland Cloud subscription entirely

• Single-unit recreation — no 909 or 606 companion voices bundled, unlike multi-machine competitors
• No built-in effects processing documented anywhere in Roland's own materials, so shaping the sound further means reaching for other plugins

TR-909 circuit emulation with modern extras. Two effects busses, deep per-voice sound shaping.

• Faithful 909 circuit modeling with tuning/decay range well past what the original hardware allowed
• Two independent effects busses (bitcrusher, distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, dynamics, EQ) shape the kit without extra plugins
• Tap tempo, randomizer, and a genuinely fast sequencer make pattern sketching quick

• Routing tops out at two shared FX busses plus master — no true per-channel discrete outs to the DAW mixer
• List price sits well above most single-machine 909 emulations, and street price swings hard during sales

TR-808 circuit emulation, D16's take. Same two-bus effects architecture as Drumazon, tuned for 808 voices.

• 808 circuit modeling with 1200+ factory presets and patterns to start from
• Flam, sub-step, and per-step velocity give more rhythmic nuance than the original hardware's sequencer
• Shares Drumazon's two-bus effects architecture, so bitcrusher, reverb, delay, and chorus shaping need no extra plugin

• Same routing ceiling as Drumazon — two shared FX busses and master, not discrete per-channel outs
• 808 recreation only; producers wanting 909 punch too need to buy Drumazon separately

Hybrid drum synth. Synthesis, REX/sample import, and granular slicing in one pattern-sequenced instrument.

• Combines drum synthesis, sample/REX import, and granular slicing on pads — three ways to build a sound in one plugin
• Master EQ, compressor, limiter, and four onboard FX modules cover final polish without extra plugins
• Pattern sequencer built for triggering full beats, not just single-hit auditioning

• Multi-out routing isn't documented anywhere in Rob Papen's own materials, worth checking before buying if per-channel mixing matters
• Interface density is high next to single-purpose drum machines — more knobs than most beatmakers need day to day

Pure synthesis drum machine, zero samples. Compact per-voice engine, built for fast pattern-based sound design.

• Every sound is 100% synthesized — no sample library to outgrow or run out of variation on
• Per-voice EQ, distortion, and noise filtering make each drum sound fully sculptable from the oscillator up
• Small, efficient interface stays out of the way once the synthesis parameters click

• No master-bus reverb, delay, or compression — anything beyond per-voice shaping needs separate plugins
• Discrete per-channel outputs require buying the separate Microtonic Multi version, not included in the base plugin