Battery 4
by Native Instruments · Drum Instrument · Drum sampler
vst3s Score 9.2/10 · rated #4 of 10 drum instruments
Cell-based drum sampler with a large kit library, per-cell effects and sample editing, widely used for electronic and hip-hop beats.
Best for: Drums. Genres: Hip-Hop & Trap, Electronic & EDM, Pop.
Keywords: sample-based, classic, drum machine, hardware emulation.
What it does
Battery 4 is Native Instruments' drum sampler, built around a grid of colour-coded cells.
- Sample modes: seven, including classic sampler and groovebox emulations.
- Time-stretching: the Time Machine Pro algorithm.
- Built-in effects: SOLID EQ, SOLID BUS COMP, Transient Master, tape saturation, LoFi and convolution reverb.
- Workflow: flexible bus routing by drag and drop, a tag-based browser with search, and drag-and-drop MIDI learn.
- Formats: loads WAV, AIFF, REX1/REX2, ACIDized WAV and Apple Loops, plus legacy sampler formats such as EXS24, SoundFont and Kontakt.
Source: Native Instruments product page
When to use it
Battery 4 suits people who build kits from their own one-shots and want mixing tools, per-cell processing and groovebox-style playback inside one plugin. It is a drum specialist, unlike a general sampler such as Kontakt 8.
- Best for: electronic, hip-hop and beat-making, where kits are assembled and layered by hand.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a random-kit generator; NI's Polyplex is aimed at that.
Where to buy
- Native Instruments: $99
- Plugin Boutique: $199
Tutorials and reviews
- Native Instruments Battery 4 Tutorial
- Learn Native Instruments | Battery 4 - In Depth | Part I
- Get Started In Native Instruments Battery 4 In [ALMOST] 20 Minutes!
- Native Instruments Battery 4 Tutorial
- Master Native Instruments Battery 4 [ 2+ Hour Downloadable Course]
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