Punch-BD

Name: Punch-BD
Price: 46.1 USD
Author: Rob Papen

by Rob Papen · Drum Instrument · Bass drum synth

Not rated yet

Punch-BD is a bass drum synth based on the BD module of Rob Papen's Punch, with six pads that can be split across the keyboard or stacked.

Each pad has distortion and a 3-band EQ, and four FX units offer 31 effect types; it costs $49.

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

Keywords: punchy, sample-based, film & game audio, modulation matrix, sound design.

What it does

Punch-BD is a bass drum instrument built from the BD module of Rob Papen's Punch drum synth. The developer pitches it as a tool for "the fattest sounding bass drums" in dance, hip-hop and soundtrack work.

Six pads: up to six kick pads, split across the keyboard or stacked into one big kick.
Play modes: Stack mode for layering, tuned modes for playing the kick melodically, a 6-note mode and sequential modes.
Sources: four synthesis models per pad, or sample playback from built-in samples and your own (drag and drop), with two sample slots and their own amp, pitch and filter envelopes.
Easy mode: a simplified page of 13 faders for quick edits without the full editor.
Per-pad processing: a distortion module with 20 types, a 3-band graphic EQ, solo and mute, and routing to the dry output or the FX channels.
Effects and modulation: four FX units with 31 effect types, plus 2 envelopes, 2 LFOs and 8 modulation slots.
Mixer and presets: a mixer screen for level, pan and FX sends, with presets per pad and for whole kits, sorted into categories across genres.

A demo is available. A Rack Extension version (PunchBD-RE) is sold separately.

Source: Rob Papen product page

When to use it

Punch-BD is a focused tool for designing the main kick of a track, not a full drum kit. Compared with XO or Battery 4 it covers only kicks, but stacking up to six synthesized or sampled layers with per-pad distortion and EQ goes deeper on that one sound. Unlike Nerve it has no sequencer for whole beats; it is meant to sit beside your main drum instrument. It also costs far less than any of them.

Best for: layered, distorted or tuned kick drums, including kicks played melodically in tuned mode.
Genres: EDM, techno, house, hip-hop and trap, and soundtrack work.
Look elsewhere if: you need full drum kits or a sample-based groove workflow; XO, Battery 4 or Punch cover more.
Tip: build kicks by stacking pads and shaping them with the distortion and FX rather than relying on a single preset (The Audio Spotlight).

What producers say

Reviewers found it a capable, fast kick designer, if not a revolutionary one.

The Audio Spotlight praised the preset range, the punchy attack and the Easy mode, and made demo tracks with it in 20 minutes, but called the sound "solid, nothing new or extraordinary".
Criticisms: the same review found the interface "too complex" and missed a simple timing offset between stacked pads.

The Audio Spotlight review

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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