DrumSynth

Name: DrumSynth
Price: 99 USD
Author: AIR Music Technology

by AIR Music Technology · Drum Instrument · Synthesized drum machine

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DrumSynth builds drum sounds from synthesis, with eight engines for kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, tom, percussion, crash and ride.

It uses FM, analog and physical modelling, adds effects per sound, and costs $99.

Best for: Drums, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap.

Keywords: drum machine, FM, physical modelling, classic, original design, airy, inspired by, sample-based, sound design.

What it does

DrumSynth is AIR's synthesized drum machine, the desktop plugin version of the Drumsynth engine first built into Akai's MPC and Force hardware. Every sound is generated by synthesis rather than played from samples, so kits are built from the ground up.

Eight engines: kick, snare, clap, hi-hat, tom, percussion, crash and ride, each a separate part of the kit.
Synthesis types: FM, analog-style modelling and physical modelling, with some sample-based algorithms according to Synth Anatomy.
Per-part processing: each drum has its own transient shaper, tuning, EQ and compression.
Effects: reverb and delay for the kit.
Mixer: a dedicated mixer with independent controls per part, plus a classic one-shot option.
Presets: 52 preset kits at launch, from classic machine sounds to new designs, and onboard user preset slots for your own kits.

It launched in March 2023.

Source: AIR Music Technology product page

When to use it

DrumSynth is for producers who want to tune and shape electronic drums from scratch instead of browsing sample libraries. Compared with Nerve and Battery 4, which are built around samples, it gives you synthesized kicks and snares you can bend freely, but the product page lists no way to load your own one-shots. Compared with XO, it has no sample-collection browser or listed pattern sequencer, though it is cheaper and much lighter on disk. It is also a natural pick for MPC and Force owners who already know the engine and want the same sounds in a DAW. It is not AIR's older Drum Synth 500, which is a separate product.

Best for: synthesized 808- and 909-style kicks, snares, claps and percussion for electronic tracks.
Genres: electronic, techno, house and hip-hop.
Look elsewhere if: you want realistic acoustic drums or a sample workflow; Battery 4 or XO suit that better.

What producers say

Reviewers of the MPC version found it a solid, easy drum machine, with a few gaps in features.

MusicRadar (reviewing the MPC 2.9 Drumsynth engine) called it "a great drum machine in its own right" that sounds "on the money", noting 10 kick models and 7 snare and hi-hat models.
Criticisms: MusicRadar found no choke groups, too few hi-hat and tambourine variations, and only basic send effects; Synth Anatomy regretted the lack of a discount for MPC and Force owners.

Where to buy

AIR Music Technology: $99 (list price from KVR Audio; airmusictech.com shows prices only in its shop)
PluginFox: $99
AudioDeluxe: $99
Plugin Boutique: $99

Tutorials and reviews

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