KickDrum is a new-generation tool for designing kicks. It's sound generation engine creates a sample at edit time and plays it on incoming notes. This approach allows for extensive audio processing and instant visual feedback during editing, freeing up the DSP during playback. The modular device chain now provides full customization of the signal path by adding, removing, reordering, and nesting devices, allowing effects to be applied where needed.

Devices

• OSC: Sine oscillator with harmonic distortion and the ability to have a phase zero crossing fixed in time, which can be utilized to create a perfect transition into the bassline without manually adjusting the phase start angle each time pitch adjustments are made.
  
• SAMPLE: Sampler for trimming, moving, stretching, and phase-inverting .wav and .aiff files
• EQ: Linear phase equalizer with unlimited bands, supporting filter types such as lowpass, lowshelf, bell, notch, high shelf, and highpass filters, up to the 16th order
  
• ENV: Gain envelope for shaping volume over time
  
• SAT: Tanh saturation device with additional modifiers allowing for subtle saturation up to "through the roof" overdrive
  
• CLIP: Clipper ranging from soft to hard clipping
  

(Additional devices are planned and can also be added upon demand)

Automations

• Device settings, such as mix gain, drive, ceiling, and others, can be automated through the internal automation system.

Analyze Function

• The SAMPLE device includes an analyze function that converts a sample into a device chain consisting of either OSC/ENV or OSC/EQ/ENV plus SAMPLE/EQ.

Bézier Curve Features

• Freely movable Bézier gravitation points between nodes.
• Log View: Nodes can be spaced logarithmically in time, enabling a stretched front work area while compressing the end.
• Features applicable to single or multiple nodes (selected via lasso):
  • Node connections can be smoothed for gradual transitions.
  • Nodes can be fine-adjusted horizontally or vertically.
  • Nodes can be snapped to key.

Compare States

• Three separate compare slots (A, B, C) allow each state to be copied to another, making it easy to compare changes between preset iterations.

Presets

• A fully featured preset manager is available to load, save, and update presets. It also allows browsing through folders, creating, renaming, and deleting folders to effectively organize preset collections.
• The preset manager includes a search function that allows searches by preset name, author, tags, key, date, and length.
• Presets can also be cycled through and updated directly from the main menu.

Visuals

• Signal Path Visualization:
  The signal path can be visualized and inspected after each device, where each device's oscillogram can be:
  • Switched on or off.
  • Colored differently.
  • Set to a specific transparency.
  • Displayed as a line or filled.
• Grid lines display can be turned on and off, and grid spacing can be freely adjusted.
• OSC pitch node tags displaying (key, Hz, and milliseconds) can be turned on or off or adjusted in size.
• Decibel scale display can be turned on and off.

Navigation

• The oscillogram, pitch keyboard, decibel scale, and EQ spectrogram can be freely navigated with accuracy down to a single sample.

Length

• Length can be set in milliseconds or adapted to tempo in beats (e.g., 1/4th, 1/8th, etc.).

Output

• The optional inbuilt AutoGain maintains the peak gain of the kick at a specific dB level, regardless of changes.
• Velocity Sensitivity: Output gain can be affected by incoming note velocity.