Chop Suey
by Dawesome · Drum Instrument · Kick drum designer
Not rated yet
Chop Suey is a kick drum designer from Dawesome, made with Björn Torwellen, that sequences transient, body and tail elements instead of layering them.
Sequencing avoids phase problems between layers, and a Punch Protect feature keeps the low end intact; it costs $89.
Best for: Drums, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Hip-Hop & Trap.
Keywords: clean, sequencer, punchy, acoustic drums, analog-sounding, deep, experimental, sound design, visual feedback.
What it does
Chop Suey is a kick drum designer from Dawesome and dance producer Björn Torwellen, sold by Tracktion. Instead of stacking layers on top of each other, it places kick elements one after another in time, so the transient, body and tail don't phase against each other.
- Sequential design: three sections, transient (attack and timbre), body (punch) and tail (boom), each with its own sample, crossfaded in sequence with adjustable crossfade points.
- Visual editing: a waveform display that zooms down to millisecond detail, with curves for shaping the transient, punch and tail.
- Skew control: an unusual control for reshaping the transient.
- Automatic tuning: pitch detection that recognises and corrects the key of the kick, so you don't need to tune samples by hand.
- Envelopes and filter: pitch and filter envelopes with unlimited nodes, and a fast-reacting resonant filter with saturation designed for kicks.
- Punch Protect: keeps the key low frequencies, around 150 Hz, intact while you shape the sound.
- Distortion and export: analog-modelled distortion, and direct export of the finished kick as a sample into the DAW.
A 90-day unlimited trial is available.
When to use it
Chop Suey is the better pick for producers who build kicks from samples and want a clean, punchy result without phase problems. Compared with layering kick tools such as Sonic Academy KICK 3, its sequenced approach avoids phasing between layers by design, and automatic tuning removes a common chore. Unlike BigKick, it is built around your own samples rather than synthesizing the kick. It is a narrower tool than XO or Battery 4: it only makes kicks, with no other drums or sequencing.
- Best for: custom kicks with clean transients and solid, tuned low end, rendered as samples for your drum kits.
- Genres: techno, house, EDM and hip-hop.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a full drum instrument or kit; XO or Battery 4 cover more ground.
What producers say
The one in-depth review found it a fast, inventive way to build professional kicks.
- Noizefield (May 2022) rated it 4.8 out of 5, praising the sequential approach, the automatic pitch detection, the clean display and the Skew control ("I have never seen this feature before").
- Value: the same review found the feature set comprehensive for the price.
Where to buy
- Tracktion: $89
Tutorials and reviews
- Chop Suey - Overview
- Cooking Some Kicks With Chop Suey
- Chop Suey - patch demo
- Plugin for Techno Kick Drum Design - create & tweak Kickdrums quick & easy with Chop Suey
- CHOP SUEY - Schnell und intuitiv eigene Kick Drums erstellen mit dem neuen Kick Drum VST Plugin
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