Millennial Mind Sync
In this guide, we're going to shine a spotlight on these game-changers. These aren't just any old plugins. These are the cream of the crop, the best hip hop VST plugins that will elevate your music from good to mind-blowing.
When you're producing music, having your drums punch through the mix is crucial for creating a dynamic and compelling sound. With KNOCK, a plugin meticulously designed by DECAP – a platinum producer and award-winning sound designer – you're equipped with the perfect tool for creating that punch. Inspired by DECAP's renowned DRUMS THAT KNOCK series, KNOCK is designed to shape your drum sounds to perfection, whether you're working with drum loops or one-shots.
Here's a breakdown of how KNOCK works to amplify and enhance your drum sounds:
PUNCH: This transient shaper enhances the attack of your drums, making them snappier and punchier. It's perfect for adding vitality to your drum tracks.
SATURATE: This feature introduces harmonic distortion while maintaining perceived loudness volume. You can select from three modes - soft, medium, or hard. SATURATE is ideal for 808s, one-shots, or drum loops.
SUB: This function identifies when a kick drum is present and generates a sub-frequency tone that provides your kick with a rich, low-end presence. You can also select the pitch of your sub-tone, making it perfect for breakbeats and tuning your kick drum to your song's key.
AIR: This adds a smooth, transparent top-end to your drum tracks without introducing any harshness. There are two modes available - vintage and clean.
CLIP: This adjustable hard/soft clipper allows you to push your drums without causing clipping. This adds a warm, aggressive tone reminiscent of overdriven vintage analog gear. You can select a harder clip curve for a more aggressive tone or a softer clip curve for a more rounded tone.
Ease of use is one of KNOCK's key selling points. Regardless of whether you're a novice producer or a seasoned professional, KNOCK is designed to fit seamlessly into your workflow. Plus, it's lightweight on your CPU, meaning you can use it on multiple tracks without any performance issues.
In essence, KNOCK gives you access to all the features DECAP used to create his signature sound in DRUMS THAT KNOCK. Each feature has been optimized for premium sound quality and fine-tuned to DECAP's exacting production standards. As a bonus, KNOCK comes bundled with factory presets created by DECAP himself. With KNOCK, your drums will not only punch through your mix, but they'll also knock your listeners off their feet.
Think of a synth that has a history as rich as the tapestry of electronic music itself. A synth that has been the backbone of countless tracks, beats, and tunes. Meet Reveal Sound's Spire. Not just a friend to the EDM producer, but a trusty ally to the hip-hop artist, too.
Now, Spire is what we in the biz like to call a "kitchen sink" synth. Why? Because it's got everything you could possibly need! Oscillators? Check. Filters? You bet. Effects, modulation, steppers, arpeggiator, presets, multiple themes? It's all there, right at your fingertips.
But with all these bells and whistles, you might be asking, "Surely, it can't sound that good?" Oh, but my dear friend, it does. Spire doesn't just sound good - it's like an orchestra to your ears.
Yes, Spire has been around the block a few times. But age hasn't slowed it down. Quite the opposite. It's like a fine wine, getting better with each passing year. Still the talk of the town, still loved, still creating those sweet, sweet sounds.
Consistency. Reliability. Aural excellence. That's Spire in a nutshell. A synth that's ready and waiting to grace your next hip-hop masterpiece.
If you're aiming to join the soaring trend of lo-fi hip-hop or simply wish to integrate the nostalgic pops of vinyl, the whisper of tape, or the cozy tones of analog into your soundscapes, you'll require a plugin that facilitates tasteful sound degradation. This is where DopeSONIX' LoFi stands out, serving as an ideal all-in-one solution for your lo-fi needs.
The developers of LoFi noticed the scarcity of robust sound generators that could efficiently produce the desired gritty sounds without hours of trawling through countless presets. Thus, LoFi was born to cater to a diverse range of genres, be it old school hip-hop, chill-hop, cinematic scores, ambient music, or electronica. It places the classic, vintage, and analog noise, distortions, and grit right at your fingertips.
LoFi houses over 20 mangled, resampled, and processed instruments that were run through an Akai MPC60 MKII, Fostex M80 Reel to Reel, and various other outboard gears. The plugin boasts 200 presets, categorized into four distinct groups of 50 each, focusing on different sound aspects.
LoFi is brimming with features, presenting 200 lo-fi inspired instruments treated with vintage analog gear, controls for pitch, pan, glide, and volume, classic reverbs, ADS controls, hi and lo-pass filters, mono, poly, and legato modes, as well as soft, natural, and hard velocity modes.
For note programming, you can either manually create melodies or use a MIDI keyboard for a more intuitive experience.
If your primary interest lies in working with lo-fi samples, then LoFi might not be your top choice. However, if you're keen on composing your own riffs and hooks with an authentic lo-fi essence, LoFi is a must-have tool in your production arsenal.
In the world of synthesizers, there are those that stand tall, and then there's Omnisphere—towering like a colossus, holding court over its dominion.
Omnisphere's reputation precedes it. Producers, both seasoned and budding, often crown it as the best, if not one of the best, synthesizers. Its presets are a veritable treasure trove, perfect for ambient pads and cinematic scores for film and TV. And let's not forget the hip-hop artists who swear by it. In fact, it's become a mainstay in popular media and hip-hop music—scratch the surface of most tracks, and you'll find Omnisphere's fingerprints.
But here's the kicker: Omnisphere boasts an astonishing library of over 14,000 sounds. Its versatility and power have passed into the realm of legend. It's like standing on the edge of a vast sonic ocean, knowing you could dive in a thousand times and still not have explored every corner of it.
The only fly in the ointment? Omnisphere's price tag. It's a premium product with a premium price, and discounts are as rare as a unicorn sighting. But let's be real here: there's no substitute for Omnisphere. If you're after the unique soundscapes that only Omnisphere can create, then there's only one game in town.
XLN Audio's RC-20 Retro Color is a powerful and versatile plugin designed to infuse warmth, character, and vintage vibes into your music. It's lauded by numerous industry professionals such as producer David Das, film/TV composer Michael Tuller, and Grammy-winning record producer Greg Wells, for its ability to impart unique and musical characteristics to any track or mix.
RC-20 Retro Color operates using six distinct effect modules:
Noise Generator: This introduces a range of noise types that add texture and ambiance to your tracks, emulating everything from vinyl crackle and tape hiss to ambient studio noise, electric circuit hum, and static noise.
Wobble & Flutter: This function mimics pitch inconsistencies often found with analog gear, creating those familiar quirks of vinyl record players and tape machines.
Saturation & Distortion: The plugin offers various distortion types to impart everything from mild saturation to intense fuzz effects, adding richness and depth to your sound.
Degrader & Bitcrusher: This recreates the unique sound of vintage digital gear, including old-school samplers, and the way that limited sample rates and bit rate reduction color sound.
Reverb: The dedicated reverb module is designed to add depth and width to your tracks.
Volume Drops: Emulating the wear, tear, and volume loss that come with recording and playback on tape and tape recorders, this function brings a nostalgic feel to your productions.
An additional standout feature is the single slider control that allows you to scale all the effects in the modules. This helps to create the perfect balance of effects or craft compelling intros, outros, drops, and transitions.
RC-20 Retro Color comes equipped with a range of presets tailored for drums, keys, guitars, bass, full mixes, and post-production, enabling you to dive in and start working instantly.
This plugin is a fantastic tool for musicians, producers, and sound designers seeking to inject their tracks with a retro, analog feel, or to simply add a layer of sonic interest and complexity.
Great music is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle: the melody, the beats, the lyrics, the hooks, the samples, they all have to fit together just right. But there's one piece that often goes overlooked, and it's a piece you can't afford to ignore if you're serious about dropping tracks that'll have fans hitting "repeat" over and over: postproduction.
Now, postproduction is a broad term that includes editing, mixing, and mastering. Today, though, we're going to hone in on mastering. It's a niche area, but critical, and that's where iZotope's Ozone 10 steps up to the plate.
Butch Vig, a Grammy-award winning producer, has dubbed Ozone his go-to tool for mastering. DJ Zinc touts it as a one-stop-shop for all things mastering. And Grammy-award winning producer Greg Wells? He's found it to be a powerhouse that's a breeze to work with.
Ozone 10 isn't just an assembly line of tools, though. It's a carefully orchestrated suite designed for one thing: to make your music sound phenomenal. It's fueled by machine learning, allowing you to strike the perfect balance, bring out the deep low end, separate instruments in real-time, and more—all at breakneck speed. The Master Assistant is like your personal guide, steering you toward the sound you're after.
With Ozone 10, you'll have the reins of your sound. Take control of the lows, mids, and highs with its spectral shaper and low-end focus modules, among others. Match your reference track with a few clicks, and let the Tonal Balance Control 2 sync up with other iZotope plugins.
The suite is packed with tools to finesse your mastering: master rebalance, low-end focus, imager, equalizer, track referencing, maximizer, spectral shaper, dynamic EQ, exciter, dynamics, and vintage modules (tape, limiter, EQ, compressor). You can dive in and master your track with confidence and precision.
The traditional route to mastering, of course, involves hiring a mastering engineer. And there's no denying that many still prefer this method. But Ozone 10? It's a game-changer. It puts you in the driver's seat, giving you the tools to master your tracks on your own, no outside help needed. And that's something worth talking about.
In the realm of soft synths, there are contenders, and then there are champions. Xfer Records' Serum? It's in a league of its own—a titan that towers over its competition.
Serum's versatility is its calling card. It's an every-genre synth, a sonic chameleon that can shape-shift to fit any musical style you throw at it. It's packed to the gills with all the features you've come to love and expect from your go-to synth VSTs. And if you're the type who likes to venture off the beaten path, Serum has your back—you can import your own wavetables or, better yet, craft your own from the ground up.
But Serum isn't just about quantity. It's about quality, too. It comes with internal resampling capabilities and a visualizer for both oscillators and filters. This means you can literally see what's happening to your sound as you tweak and twist the parameters. For beginners, this is a godsend—it makes understanding the effects of your adjustments that much easier.
The bottom line? Serum isn't just another synth. It's a top-tier, best-of-the-best, crème de la crème instrument that's ready to take your music to new heights.
In the landscape of synths, variety is the spice of life. Now, this isn't to imply that you need a synth for every day of the week to make impactful music. But having a couple of different ones in your toolkit? It's a move that most producers would nod approvingly at.
Enter DS Audio's Diversion, a synth that proudly wears its versatility on its sleeve, ready to slide into any electronic music genre with ease. Computer Magazine gave it a glowing review, scoring it a solid 9 out of 10 and praising its feature set, sound quality, presets, and tonal controls.
Diversion is armed to the teeth with four oscillators and an array of waveforms that include FM and RM synthesis, wave shaping, and filtering techniques. Each waveform is paired with two parameters, X and Y, to offer new tonal playgrounds for you to frolic in.
But the fun doesn't stop there. Diversion comes packed with a wavetable editor, which lets you load arbitrary single-cycle WAV files. You can edit waveforms in both time and frequency space while applying various effects.
The synth also features two bus processors, each equipped with a stereo filter, distortion, and LO-FI section. These contribute to Diversion's impressive range of sounds, which spans genres from Trance to Psy, Dub Step to Ambient.
Stack up to eight effect instances in the FX section and modulate Diversion with four LFOs, four ADS envelopes, four MSEGs, and one XY controller (Master Morph). Automation and MIDI controllers? Check and check. There's also a 32-step arpeggiator/sequencer and a 16-step gate module, plus oversampling up to 8x in the whole processing path, except for the FX section.
While Diversion is a beautifully crafted synth with a balanced and user-friendly interface, it can initially appear daunting due to the sheer number of parameters. The default sound isn't earth-shattering, but the true magic lies in the joy of tweaking and shaping your own sound.
With 380 presets, it might seem like you're spoiled for choice, but some users have suggested that a few more wouldn't hurt. Some of the presets might also fall short of your expectations. But if you're someone who relishes the chance to create your own patches, then Diversion is a playground waiting to be explored.
If you're looking for your first and only soft synth, Diversion might not be the one. But as a part of a broader synth collection, it offers a range of unique and intriguing sounds that can add depth and diversity to your creations.
Ask any hip-hop producer, and they'll affirm it: bass isn't just the underbelly of a track—it's the heartbeat. It's a pivotal player in the mix, the sonic anchor that holds everything else together.
Cue in developer ujam, a name well-recognized in the realm of realistic sounding, versatile virtual instruments. Their offering, MELLOW 2, is a ticket to the world of smooth, mellow tones of a fingered acoustic bass.
MELLOW 2 is the evolved version of its predecessor, MELLOW. It comes equipped with 20 new styles, 30 fresh presets, and 15 finisher multi-effect modes. It also brings MIDI drag and drop to the table, along with a dash of nostalgia in the form of backward compatibility. And let's not forget its arsenal of 60 styles and a whopping 1,380 phrases.
You might be inclined to think that the acoustic bass is a jazz exclusive. And yes, it does hold its own in the world of jazz. But don't let that fool you into boxing it in. This instrument is a sonic chameleon, equally at ease in genres like singer-songwriter, R&B, and of course, hip-hop.
With MELLOW 2, you have two ways to play. In Player mode, you can trigger a variety of phrases, letting the instrument lead the dance. Flip over to Instrument mode, and you're in the driver's seat, free to create your own phrases.
But the real charm of MELLOW 2 lies in its sound. It's not just authentic—it's also highly configurable, giving you the freedom to tweak and shape until you find the perfect fit for your track. MELLOW 2 is not just an instrument—it's your partner in the sonic journey of hip-hop production.
Super VHS by Baby Audio is a creative multi-effects plugin that aims to replicate the lo-fi vibes of the 80s, giving you the power to add vintage warmth and character to your tracks with the click of a button.
Key Features of Super VHS:
Six One-Knob Effects: Super VHS offers a chain of six meticulously crafted effects each controlled with a single knob:
Internal/Hidden Processing: In addition to the six primary effects, Super VHS also includes hidden processing features like high shelf EQ attenuation, bit-crusher, and limiter.
Versatile Signal Chain: Each effect is designed to work well on its own or in combination with others, allowing you to find endless combinations to transform your synths, samples, guitars, drums, vocals, and more.
Intuitive Design: Rather than having a vast array of presets to sift through, Super VHS provides all the necessary controls right at your fingertips. This design encourages creativity and experimentation.
Authentic VHS Sound: Baby Audio designed this plugin to emulate the sound of a worn-out VHS tape, adding a unique, vintage character to your sound.
However, it's worth noting that Super VHS is not a 'one-size fits all' kind of effect. The algorithms can sound amazing on some sources and might be overly destructive on others, so discretion is encouraged while using the plugin. As the name suggests, Super VHS brings the magic of the VHS era right into your DAW, providing a unique character that can make your tracks stand out.
In the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of hip-hop, slow is the new quick. Half-speed style effects have been making some serious waves, and Initial Audio's SlowMo is riding the crest of this trend. It's an affordable, utility VST plugin that puts the reins of time in your hands and lets you manipulate it at will.
Now, SlowMo isn't a jack-of-all-trades plugin. It doesn't come bearing a cornucopia of features. And given its price point, we wouldn't expect it to. But what it does, it does exceptionally well.
SlowMo's magic trick is its ability to take your mixes, instruments, vocals, and effect channels and slow them down by a whopping 100%—all in real time. With its built-in oversampling, it manages to maintain the quality of your audio without needing any additional support. Plus, its interface is resizable, which is a neat touch.
That's pretty much the long and short of it. But for contemporary hip-hop and trap, SlowMo isn't just another plugin—it's a vital tool. It's the secret ingredient that can give your sound that sought-after edge. So, if you're looking to slow things down a bit and make your tracks stand out, SlowMo could be exactly what you need.
In the realm of audio effects, bit crushing is a distinctive tool that can add a unique flavor to your beats when used thoughtfully. If you're seeking high-quality bit crushing capabilities, look no further than Decimort 2 by D16 Group, which emulates the classic color and charm of vintage samplers.
What stands out about Decimort 2 is its ability to closely recreate the distinct character of classic Akai and E-MU samplers, allowing you to infuse this sought-after vintage feel into your loops, bass lines, or virtually any other input.
Notable Features of Decimort 2:
High-Quality Bit Crusher: Marketed as "the highest quality low-quality effect", Decimort 2 is lauded for its outstanding bit crushing effect that can transform your tracks and add that vintage touch.
Advanced Filtering and Quantization: It includes two anti-alias filters, adjustable jitter, and controllable dithering to further refine your sound. Also, it features two quantization methods (mid-raiser and mid-tread).
Analog-Like Filters: With adjustable resonance and cutoff, these filters offer you additional control over the coloration of your sound.
User-Friendly Interface: Equipped with a tag-based preset browser and two GUI sizes, Decimort 2 ensures a smooth user experience. Plus, it supports MIDI-learn and operates with 64bit internal processing for superior sound quality.
Decimort 2 is renowned for its versatility. You can transform your drum tracks into retro video game-style stabs or turn analog synths into digital noise boxes. Whether you're using it as a lo-fi effect or a creative tool, Decimort 2 is an invaluable asset for your hip-hop productions.
Presets, chord libraries, sequencers, and their ilk are enjoying a moment in the spotlight these days, and it's no wonder why. They're lifesavers when you're not well-versed in music theory, or when you're facing a creative dry spell but still have deadlines to meet.
Enter Loopmasters Plugins' KHORDS, a treasure trove of 550 chord presets and a vast sound library brimming with stabs, plucks, strums, pads, atmospheres, and other imaginative sonic ingredients. Pick from major, minor, and single notes, or let the random selector take the reins while keeping your track's tonality intact (major or minor).
KHORDS lets you play around with real-time audio warping (pitch and timing), 12 filter types, amplitude and filter ADS, LFO, and a slew of other nifty effects. The plugin boasts 315 chord and note samples, 550 presets, Major, Minor, and Root / Open feels, timestretch and shift formants, random samples, and chord samples with re-pitch up and down.
You'll also find 12 filter types with pre-drive, resonance, and key tracking, filter ADS envelope and filter LFO with amount, rate, shape, phase, and trigger, six chord algorithms, three delay types, six reverb environments, and four mod wheel destinations.
As a producer, crafting mesmerizing melodies can feel like scaling a mountain. But KHORDS is the trusty sherpa that guides you up the slopes, helping you uncover inspiration even in the most desolate creative landscapes. With its rich array of sounds, KHORDS adds instant atmosphere to your tracks, setting the stage for your next hip-hop masterpiece.
Looperator by Sugar Bytes is a creative tool that takes your audio, chops it up, and reassembles it into something new and exciting. Whether you're working on a drum loop, vocal track, or full mix, Looperator offers an intuitive way to inject creativity into your projects.
Key Features:
FX Matrix: Looperator provides a suite of effects ranging from classics like Filters and Reverbs, to creative Loop and Vinyl manipulations.
Precision Slicing and Effect Placement: The slicer function allows you to rearrange the material while placing effects with surgical precision.
Presets for Quick Creation: The preset tools make the creation of complex edits, rolls, and loops effortless.
Randomization Algorithms: If you're stuck for inspiration, Looperator's smart random algorithms can generate balanced and useable sequences.
MIDI Integration: Assign complete effect sequences to MIDI notes to trigger individual patterns in a live environment. It also syncs with your DAW's transport controls or via notes from a MIDI track.
Efficient on CPU: Looperator is not demanding on your resources, allowing you to run multiple instances without affecting performance.
Detailed Step Editing: While the interface is simple, you can go deeper into each effect to adjust individual parameters for detailed automation and modulation.
Flexible Signal Flow: You can alter the order of the six processing lanes via drag-and-drop to create unique sound morphing chains.
Presets for Inspiration: Looperator comes with over 300 categorized presets that can help you quickly transform your sounds.
This versatility and ease of use make Looperator a valuable tool for music producers looking for a unique way to manipulate and enhance their audio. Whether you're after subtle enhancements or spectacular effect pyrotechnics, Looperator can serve as a creative instrument for sound design and manipulation.
If music theory isn't your strong suit, don't fret. Many of the most renowned musicians in history weren't necessarily well-versed in every scale, chord progression, or musical notation either - but they had a keen ear and intuitive feel for melody. Sometimes, though, humming a tune or beatboxing doesn't quite cut it.
Enter Scaler 2, a music theory workstation from Plugin Boutique. This innovative plugin suggests chords based on the scales and melodies you're working with, making it an invaluable tool if you find melody creation challenging.
Scaler 2 is jam-packed with features - too many to list here in full, but let's cover the basics. First off, Scaler 2 can analyze incoming audio or MIDI and identify the key signature. Based on this, it suggests chords and chord progressions that align with your tune. It can output MIDI to a virtual instrument, and it even comes with 45 built-in instruments.
With over 400 song and genre-based chord sets, 200+ artist chord sets, and hundreds of scales and modes at your disposal, you'll never find yourself short on options or inspiration. If the chords Scaler 2 suggests aren't quite hitting the mark, you can delve into alternative suggestions, voicings, chord extensions, and variations.
The edit mode lets you fine-tune duration, octave, inversions, and other parameters for each chord. Auditioning new chord progressions is a breeze, thanks to DAW Sync, which synchronizes chord patterns with your DAW's playback.
Scaler 2 can also suggest modulations, allowing you to smoothly transition your song from one key signature to another. Its library of over 500 expressions enables you to explore a wide range of riffs and melodies, which can be locked to notes of your chosen scale or chord. In short, Scaler 2 is a powerhouse plugin that can elevate your compositions to new heights.
Initial Audio's Sektor is a powerful tool for any hip-hop producer. This polyphonic wavetable synth comes packed with a wealth of features, making it a compelling choice for those wanting to expand their toolkit without breaking the bank.
In Sektor, you'll find a comprehensive modulation section, including envelopes, ADRs, and LFOs, allowing you to shape your sound with precision. There's also a modulation matrix that provides easy access to controls for velocity, aftertouch, and other parameters.
Each wavetable oscillator offers 16 voices, along with an OSC+ and the Heat Up 2 multisample engine. You also get two effects racks, each boasting a four-band equalizer, compressor, delay, distortion, chorus, phaser, trance gate, and stereo shaper. You can easily rearrange the order of effects with a simple drag-and-drop.
Designed with usability in mind, Sektor's interface is intuitive and customizable. You can alter colors, backgrounds, skins, and more to suit your preferences. Plus, the ability to create custom arpeggios and sequences, add your own samples, and create your own presets and expansion packs gives you plenty of room for personalization.
Sektor comes with over 750 factory presets and over 200 wavetables, ensuring you'll never be short on sonic options. A built-in sampler engine with hundreds of samples, along with a sequencer, rounds out the package.
The sounds offered by Sektor are incredibly versatile. While they would fit right in with video games and electronic music, they're equally capable of adding unique texture and depth to your hip-hop tracks. The sequencer adds an extra layer of dynamism, bringing these sounds to life in exciting ways.
If your sounds need that extra layer of dynamism and excitement, Output's Movement rhythm FX engine is the perfect solution. Highly praised by the likes of CDM, Ask.Audio, and FACT Magazine, Movement is lauded for its ability to elevate the sonic quality of your music to new heights.
Regardless of the sound source - be it guitars, keyboards, synths, pads, drums, or even full mixes - Movement injects an exciting rhythmic dimension that can transform your tracks, whether you're in the studio or performing live.
With over 300 presets, Movement provides an expansive canvas to shape your sound. One of its strengths lies in the depth of modulation options it offers. You can modulate any parameter with any rhythm in real-time. This opens up a world of creative possibilities, from subtle rhythmic pulses to more intense, transformative effects.
The engine features sidechain, LFO, and a step sequencer for rhythm modulation. Further tools include Flux and Randomizer, advanced sidechain modulation, as well as an array of sound-shaping options including analog filters, EQ, delay, distortion, compression, and reverb. An XY pad is also included, allowing for interactive control of parameters.
Movement isn't just an effect plugin; it's almost an instrument unto itself, capable of transforming mundane sounds into something captivating and distinctive. Its transformative abilities and highly attractive price point make it an excellent investment for those looking to bring a fresh rhythmic dimension to their tracks. This isn't just a useful tool - it's an inspiration machine, and it's certain to bring a lot of sonic intrigue to your mixes.
Bass Master by Loopmasters Plugins is a dedicated bass instrument plugin designed to bolster the lower frequencies of your mix. Renowned for its production-ready presets and powerful controls, it's received high praises from the likes of Beat, producer MJ Cole, and London Elektricity.
The Bass Master boasts two layers, offering an astounding variety of 217 waveforms that can be combined in almost 50,000 different ways. These waveforms are derived from a wide array of synths, encompassing both classic hardware and modern powerhouse instruments. Additionally, it comes equipped with 350 mix-ready presets that allow you to quickly find the perfect bass sound for your track.
Among the vast array of its features are 13 filter types, including low-pass, band-pass, and high-pass modules, ladder filters, and a comb filter. The ADS (Attack, Decay, Sustain) and LFO (Low-Frequency Oscillator) provide you with further sound sculpting capabilities.
The plugin also features an array of effects such as distortion with five different algorithms and drive and color controls, a stereo chorus with four algorithms and amount and rate controls, and a reverb send with bright, mid, and dark algorithms with level and size controls.
For boosting and balancing frequencies, Bass Master includes a frequency booster with three bands and direct out control. Other features include legato and portamento, glide time, a pitch bend range of 12 semitones, and more.
Bass Master excels in delivering raw, gritty, and robust bass tones that are a perfect fit for any hip-hop track. The plugin's rich control options and varied parameters allow you to add an extra layer of intrigue and energy to your tracks. Whether you're an experienced producer or just starting, Bass Master is an invaluable addition to your plugin collection.
D16 Group's Nepheton is an impeccable synthesized emulation of the classic 808 drum machine, renowned for its unique sound that has remained significant and influential for over four decades. Acclaimed by producers like Roger Martinez, DJ Freddy Fresh, and Eddie Stevens, this plugin captures the signature punch, warmth, and versatility of the original 808.
Nepheton comes with 17 synthesized instruments, capturing the essence of the 808 sound with fidelity. The plugin also features perfectly scaled knob ranges for enhanced control over module sounds, output reassignment that includes options for Master Out and Trigger Output, and the capability to disable, mute, and solo each module. It also offers MIDI CC (Continuous Controller) support and multiple control variations, providing excellent flexibility and control over your beats.
In the external mode, Nepheton offers a user-defined MIDI map, note velocity controls, and an internal sequencer with 96 patterns. The sequencer has 16 extended patterns (12 basic rhythms and four intros/fill-ins) with four segments per pattern. This allows for intricate, complex beats and rhythms.
For enhancing your creative workflow, Nepheton includes a shuffle mode, a tap mode, a built-in randomizer, two sync modes (DAW tempo sync and internal clock sync), and a simple preset manager. All these features provide a wide array of options for sculpting your drum sounds and patterns.
Nepheton may not be the most versatile drum machine in the market, but it excels in its dedicated task of recreating the iconic 808 sound. If you are in search of that authentic 808 drum machine sound, Nepheton stands as a solid choice. The quality and accuracy of its sound emulation combined with the depth of its controls make it a valuable asset for any hip-hop producer's plugin collection.
Beatmaker's DOPE 2 plugin aims to revolutionize hip-hop beat production by providing you with an extensive array of high-quality, genre-specific drum sounds and rhythmic phrases. From boom bap to rap, this plugin is designed to cater to all your hip-hop production needs.
Key Features:
Pre-built Drum Kits: DOPE 2 comes with 10 meticulously recorded and mixed drum kits, eliminating the need for manual layering and offering an instant sonic identity associated with the genre.
Diverse Styles and Phrases: The plugin contains 50 different styles comprising 1180 different rhythmic phrases. This wide variety ensures that you can create the perfect beat for any part of your song.
Ease of Use: DOPE 2 prioritizes user-friendliness, with intuitive controls and an array of sounds that are suitable for both beginner and professional producers. You can seamlessly create song intros, fills, verses, choruses, breakdowns, and endings.
Signature Sounds: You can experiment and craft your unique sound by combining the different drum kits with DOPE 2's mix presets and macro performance controls such as filter, sweep, ambiance, saturation, and maximize.
Special Control - Vinyl Drive: This feature simulates the noise and compression of retro turntables, infusing your tracks with that beloved old-school vibe.
New in DOPE 2: This version of the plugin introduces MIDI 'Drag and Drop' to DAW, multiple audio outputs, 20 new styles, and 460 phrases. Additionally, there's a mastering section that includes sweep, saturate, maximize, multi-band EQ, and ambiance features.
Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned pro, Beatmaker DOPE 2 is a versatile and dynamic tool that is sure to elevate your hip-hop production game.
FabFilter Pro-MB is a versatile multi-band dynamics processor that brings a new approach to multiband compression and expansion. Despite the powerful capabilities, it is designed to be intuitive and easy to control.
Key Features of FabFilter Pro-MB:
New Approach to Multiband Dynamics: Unlike traditional processors that split the entire spectrum with crossovers, Pro-MB allows you to create a new band directly at the frequency range you want to work on. This gives you unprecedented control over your sound.
Interactive Multiband Display: The multiband display is not only easy to use, but also shows that the rest of the spectrum remains unaffected when you create a new band. If you prefer, you can easily snap bands together to recreate a traditional crossover system.
Dynamic Phase Processing Mode: This unique feature offers virtually the same frequency response as traditional multiband processing, but without introducing latency or pre-ringing. It only introduces minor phase changes when the gain actually changes.
Flexible Processing Modes: Besides the unique Dynamic Phase mode, FabFilter Pro-MB also includes a high-quality Linear Phase mode and a traditional Minimum Phase mode.
Standard FabFilter Features: Pro-MB includes all the usual FabFilter features such as perfectly tuned knobs, MIDI Learn, Smart Parameter Interpolation for smooth parameter transitions, a comprehensive help file with interactive help hints, and SSE optimization.
All in all, FabFilter Pro-MB presents a powerful and efficient solution for multiband dynamics processing. Its unique approach and innovative features make it a lifesaver and a timesaver in the world of music production.
