PunchBox 2

Name: PunchBox 2
Price: 109 USD
Author: D16 Group

by D16 Group · Drum Instrument · Hybrid kick drum synthesizer

Not rated yet

PunchBox 2 is D16 Group's kick drum design engine, layering a main kick generator with three sample layers.

Version 2 adds a wavetable mode, multi-stage envelopes, reorderable effects with patchbay routing and drag-and-drop audio export.

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

Keywords: wavetable, hybrid, classic, drag-and-drop routing, hardware emulation, drum machine, inspired by, monophonic, punchy, randomize, sample-based, sound design.

What it does

PunchBox 2 is a "Hybrid Kick Design Engine" that fuses "legendary kick emulations, sampling, and wavetable power" into one plugin for building kick drums.

Four generators: a main kick generator with synthesis engines inspired by classic drum machines or sample playback, plus three sample layers.
Wavetable mode: 66 wavetables with position, phase, level and filter controls.
Effects and routing: four reorderable effects plus Mono Bass and Master Limiter stages, with 10 patchbay routing configurations.
Editing: an advanced editor with multi-stage envelopes, waveform preview, a randomizer and parameter group selection.
Content and output: 1,505 samples and 1,119 master presets, multi-output routing, output trim and drag-and-drop audio export.

The current version is 2.1.0, at sample rates of 44.1 kHz and up.

Source: D16 Group product page

When to use it

PunchBox 2 competes with Sonic Academy KICK 3, Boz Digital Labs Sasquatch Kick Machine 2 and Unfiltered Audio Battalion. Pick it for layered kicks that mix classic drum-machine emulations, samples and wavetables in one place; it is less focused on drawing pitch and amp curves than KICK 3, and unlike Battalion, a full drum machine, it is a kick specialist.

Best for: designing kicks from scratch, layering a punchy top with a sub, and exporting finished kick samples.
Genres: EDM, techno, hard dance, trap and pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need a whole kit or a groove sequencer rather than a single kick instrument.
Standout: the hybrid of drum-machine kick synthesis, three sample layers and wavetables with patchbay routing.

What producers say

The sequel is well received, and the original PunchBox has uniformly high user ratings.

CDM (2026): Peter Kirn found it "actually fun to use" and said it "obviously remains my favorite" kick plugin.
Gripe: Kirn was "a little sad, actually, that they took out the sine generator" and wanted the randomizer to reach more parameters.
KVR users (original PunchBox): 5/5 reviews (2016 to 2025) called it the "ultimate bass drum synthesizer" and "a killer starting point for further tweaks."

Where to buy

Plugin Boutique: $109
PluginFox: $109
AudioDeluxe: $109
D16 Group: $112.41 (Listed at €99; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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