Nithonat 2

Name: Nithonat 2
Price: 119 USD
Author: D16 Group

by D16 Group · Drum Instrument · TR-606 drum machine emulation

Not rated yet

Nithonat 2 is D16 Group's emulation of the Roland TR-606 drum machine, with its harsh, metallic kick, snare, hats and cymbals.

Version 2 adds per-instrument channel strips, two effect buses, a pattern sequencer with flams and substeps, and drag-and-drop MIDI export.

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

Keywords: drum machine, hardware emulation, sequencer, harsh, lo-fi, metallic, modern, preset-driven, randomize, sound design.

What it does

D16 calls Nithonat 2 a "little drum companion from the yesteryear": a synthesis emulation of the TR-606 with a modern mixer, effects and sequencer around it.

606 synthesis: emulated kick, snare, toms, hi-hats and cymbal with the machine's characteristic harsh and metallic sound.
Channel strips and buses: per-instrument EQ, compression and high/low-cut filters, plus two bus-effect chains with bitcrusher, distortion, reverb, delay, chorus, dynamics and EQ.
Sequencer: tap recording, a randomizer, per-step flam and substep articulations, accent boost and a pattern library, with 900+ factory presets and patterns.
Master section: a 3-band compressor and soft-clip limiter.
Integration: drag-and-drop MIDI export, LIVE and HOST NOTE trigger modes, audible trigger outputs for external gear, and a MIDI map editor.

The current version is 2.0.2, at sample rates of 44.1 kHz and up.

Source: D16 Group product page

When to use it

Nithonat 2 completes D16's set of drum machine emulations: it covers the 606, where Nepheton 2 covers the 808 and Drumazon 2 the 909. Compared with TAL-Drum or Sonic Charge Microtonic, it is a single-machine emulation rather than a general drum synth; pick it specifically for the 606's thin, clicky sound with a built-in sequencer, and pick Microtonic or XO when you want broader drum design or sample-based kits.

Best for: 606-style hats and snappy percussion, acid and electro grooves, and lo-fi drum loops.
Genres: electronic, techno, electro, acid house, lo-fi and synth-pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need deep 808 subs or 909 punch (Nepheton 2 or Drumazon 2), or sampled acoustic kits.
Standout: per-step flam and substep articulations in the sequencer, with MIDI export by drag and drop.

What producers say

Coverage of version 2 is limited but positive about the scale of the update.

Gearnews (2024): Lasse Eilers described it as "almost an entirely new plugin" in a launch article headlined "Best TR-606 Emulation Ever?"
Gearnews reader (2024): "This looks and sounds like an impressive new version of a great virtual drum machine."

Gearnews: D16 Group Nithonat 2: Best TR-606 Emulation Ever?

Where to buy

Best Service: $119
Plugin Boutique: $119
PluginFox: $135
AudioDeluxe: $135
D16 Group: $135.12 (Listed at €119; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

Similar plugins

TR-606 by Roland · TR-606 drum machine emulation · $149
AudioRealism Drum Machine by AudioRealism · 606/808/909 drum machine emulation · $107.87
Nepheton 2 by D16 Group · TR-808 drum machine emulation · $119
Drumazon 2 by D16 Group · TR-909 drum machine emulation · $119
TR-808 by Roland · TR-808 drum machine emulation · $149
TR-909 by Roland · TR-909 drum machine emulation · $149
CR-78 Drum Machine by Cherry Audio · CR-78 drum machine emulation · $49
CR-78 by Roland · CR-78 rhythm machine emulation
TR-707 by Roland · TR-707 drum machine emulation · $149
KR-55C Drum Machine by Cherry Audio · Korg KR-55 drum machine emulation · $49

All drum instruments