Simon Drums: Reviving the 80s Legend in Your DAW
Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of synth-pop and electronic music of the 80s with Simon Drums by MaxSynths – a VST instrument inspired by the iconic Simmons electronic drum kits. This plugin offers a unique blend of analog synthesis and digital samples, allowing you to create drum sounds that embody the spirit of vintage electronics, but with the flexibility of modern DAWs.
Hybrid Approach to Sound
Simon Drums is distinguished by its hybrid architecture. Each of the available modules – bass drum, snare drum, and hi-hat – combines a synthesized sound with a digital sample. This allows you to finely tune the balance between the synth component, responsible for character and warmth, and the sample, which adds realism and attack. This approach allows you to achieve a wide range of sounds – from clean electronic hits to more organic and “live” timbres.
Available Modules and Their Features:
- Bassdrum:
This module covers the range of keys from B0 to C1. The main “Mix” control allows you to smoothly blend the sound of the analog (synthesized) and digital (sampled) sections. This gives you full control over the density and character of the bass – from a deep synth hit to a punchy sampled sound. - Snare drum:
Located on keys D1-E1. The snare drum module has a unique feature – the “VAR” button. It activates an internal low-frequency oscillator (LFO), which introduces slight modulation to the pitch parameters of both the analog and digital sections. This feature is extremely useful for preventing the “machine gun” effect when playing notes quickly, adding natural variability and dynamics to the sound. - Hihat:
The hi-hat module is located on keys F#1 (Closed), G#1 (Pedal) and A#1 (Open). As with the bass drum, the “Mix” control controls the balance between the synth and sample components. A special feature of this module is the ability to control the pitch of the analog section using the modulation wheel (Mod Wheel) of your MIDI controller (CC#01). This allows you to create expressive, dynamic hi-hat patterns with real-time pitch modulation, which is ideal for electronic and dance genres.
Integration and MIDI Control
Simon Drums is designed for easy use in any VST host. Although the author notes its special compatibility with modular environments like EnergyXT, the plugin works great in all standard DAWs. It supports basic MIDI controllers for convenient mixing and performance:
- CC#07: Overall Volume (Main Volume)
- CC#10: Panning (Pan)
- CC#01: Control of the pitch of the analog section of the hi-hat (Mod Wheel)
Who Is This Plugin For?
Simon Drums will be an excellent addition to the arsenal of musicians and producers who are looking for vintage electronic drum sounds with a unique character. It is ideal for creating music in the styles of synth-pop, electro, new-wave, industrial and any other genres where the characteristic timbres of 80s electronic drums are needed. The hybrid architecture and flexible settings allow you not only to reproduce classic sounds, but also to experiment, creating completely new and interesting drum patterns.
The plugin is available in VST format for the Windows operating system (Win32). Despite its inspiration from the classics, Simon Drums is a modern tool, ready to be integrated into your production process, giving you unique timbres to realize your creative ideas.
Discover the sound of the past with the technologies of today with Simon Drums by MaxSynths!
