PunchBOX

In most genres of modern electronic music, the kick drum is the most important element. It represents the backbone of a track and most producers spend a long time polishing and perfecting it. Even if you’re a novice, your first contact with music production will probably be the bass drum; while arranging it into a few bars won’t be too difficult, getting it to sound how you want will take time, patience, and practice.

Fortunately, most digital audio workstations provide enough parameters and effects to allow you to enhance the sound of your instruments. You can use virtual synths that come with new sounds and parameters; and if you’re looking for something to help you create a great kick drum, then you could give PunchBOX a try.

D16 Audio is known for creating emulations of the classic Roland drum machines: TR-606, TR-808, and TR-909. PunchBOX isn’t a drum machine, as it doesn’t allow you to program drum patterns, but the bass drum sounds of the original Rolands are a part of it and can be used as modes. The modes are the core of the synth and represent basic kick types, stripped of any effects. Apart from the 606, 808, and 909, you can also opt for a sine kick or a sample.

Each mode comes with its set of parameters, but you can further enhance your sounds through the plugin’s well-designed sections. On the left, you have three additional sound generators – Click, Tops, and Tool – which are sample-based and produce other percussion sounds and noises. On the right, you have four effect sections – Distortion, Filter, Bitcrusher, and Equalizer – which are interchangeable and provide plenty of phonic diversity.

Similarly to any respectable virtual synth, PunchBOX comes with a lot of presets that you can easily browse through, thanks to the D16 tagging system. But it’s not just general presets we’re talking about; each sound generator and each effect has its own set of presets.

Even though PunchBOX isn’t as powerful as other bass drum synths, its seemingly limited features are in fact versatile, and the sound quality can’t be disputed.