Drum synthesis plugins - where are we at in 2026?

[Erik_Lucas]

Title says all, really.. I am curious what everyone is liking for creating electronic drum sounds and loops for their productions these days.

Let me know!
Thanks.

[Choikdoi]

The level of quality in this area has gone up massively recently. I still regularly use a lot of oldies like DrumComputer, Microtonic, StiX & Stylus. And for loops, I still rely on Egoist & Transfuser. But I'm spoiled for choice with more recent stuff too, with the likes of Attack 3, Battalion, Bingo Drum Machine, Motherly, RANDOM Metal, Tekno, Triaz, Visco. It's such a joy making beats with any of those.

[pekbro]

I use them all, that's pretty much what I do most of the time: play with drum machines, SW, HW to infinity and beyond.

[Erik_Lucas]

I use them all, that's pretty much what I do most of the time: play with drum machines, SW, HW to infinity and beyond.

Any that you like in particular?

[pekbro]

I use them all, that's pretty much what I do most of the time: play with drum machines, SW, HW to infinity and beyond.

Any that you like in particular?

Lately I guess I like Bingo, Attack 3, Tekno (Some nice new kits available).

Lesser known? of late: Smackbox 2, BeatForge, Motto Akemie.

Note, I'm not really listing samplers here... Well for HW, maybe I'll list a couple particularly nice samplers I like

https://www.islainstruments.com/product/s2400/
https://www.rossum-electro.com/products/assimil8or/

[aMUSEd]

If you want something different try this

https://noiseengineering.us/products/ba ... -iteritas/

[beely]

2026 will be (like all the previous ones), the year for Stylus RMX 2. Finally!

See you again for 2027...

[JerGoertz]

Battalion is good. If you're fortunate enough to have it, Tremor is still mighty fine.

[buffalo roam]

Logic's own drum synthesizer is butt ugly but very powerful and great-sounding.

For ease of use, I was impressed with my trial of Tekno.

[iowastate89]

For more recent stuff I really love Bingo Drums (it's a work in progress but they have made a lot of strides, most elektron-flow in a vst that I know of), Battalion for quality of synthetic sounds and Triaz (more strength in sample handling but some very nice UI stuff to morph between samples).

[noahrbc]

For more recent stuff I really love Bingo Drums (it's a work in progress but they have made a lot of strides, most elektron-flow in a vst that I know of), Battalion for quality of synthetic sounds and Triaz (more strength in sample handling but some very nice UI stuff to morph between samples).

Bingo is so so cool! Absolutely loving it.

[nanostream]

Opal by Fors is a lovely Elektron-style drum synth and sequencer. m4l only, though.

Battalion is not quite there yet imho, but is at least a great synthesis machine as of now.

[Muziksculp]

I fancy using Microtonic by Sonic Charge, I wonder if it will ever evolve

https://soniccharge.com/microtonic

[Daru925]

I use d16 Drumazon & Nepheton, trk-1, and drumlab.
It's easy to mangle these sounds into something completely new with molekular or stock fx.
For instance, making the drumkit sing with delays and burst of noise locked to a scale that will blend with your melodies, chords etc

[Vortifex]

Drumatic 5 would be nice...