Audija kickdrum

KickDrum is a modular sound design instrument, specialized in precise kick and one-shot synthesis. Its engine uses full-event rendering: every parameter change re-renders the entire sound, not just small audio blocks. This ensures maximum phase coherence, razor-sharp transients, and zero playback latency.

In digital audio, every waveform is made up of discrete samples. Sample-level accuracy means that every edit you make in KickDrum—whether adjusting pitch curves, EQ, envelopes, or phase—is calculated and rendered with precision down to the individual sample.

In practical terms, this delivers:

• Perfect transients with no unintended smearing or timing shifts.
• Consistent phase alignment across different pitches and layers.
• True-to-design playback: what you see in the editor is exactly what you hear, with no interpolation artifacts introduced at playback time.

Most kick plugins process changes in small real-time audio blocks, which can cause micro-timing errors or phase drift. KickDrum’s full-event rendering eliminates these issues by computing the entire kick waveform as a finished buffer before playback.

At the heart of the OSC device is a wavetable editor where you can draw, morph, and replace waveforms, or extract single cycles from samples. You can match zero‑crossings, normalize, invert, and blend between shapes. This lets you sculpt the transient, body, and tail of a sound with total precision.

The phase‑lock system keeps the waveform’s zero‑crossing start fixed in absolute time, so no matter how you alter pitch, the start and end of the one‑shot remain in the same place. Because the whole event is re‑rendered with this fixed reference, the waveform stretches or compresses between these anchors without shifting them. This ensures the kick aligns perfectly with your bass on every playback, with no need for manual corrections, and preserves a consistent low‑end response.

Layering often introduces uncontrolled phase interactions. With KickDrum, you build a complete sound from modules—OSC, SAMPLE, EQ, ENV, SAT, CLIP, REVERB—so every part works together in phase and is fully editable.

It does. Instead of searching sample libraries, you create exactly what you need, save it as a preset, and recall it instantly with the same peak level and phase response.

The Sample-to-Device feature lets you drag any audio sample—such as a kick, snare, or even a full loop—directly into KickDrum and instantly convert it into an editable device chain.

Here’s what happens:

• KickDrum analyzes the sample and splits it into components: a synthesized body (OSC) for the low end, and a sample layer for the transient/noise.
• You can set the split frequency to decide where synthesis ends and the original sample begins.
• Every part is now fully editable—pitch curves, EQ, saturation, phase, envelopes—without destructive audio editing.

This allows you to rebuild, enhance, or completely reshape your favorite kicks while keeping the phase-coherent precision of a fully synthesized low end. Most competing plugins only layer or filter a sample; KickDrum turns it into a fully modular, synthesis-ready patch.

KickDrum lets you define the exact working length of a kick—either in milliseconds or in beat-relative values (e.g., 1/4, 1/8, 1/16). When set to a beat-based length, the kick stays perfectly BPM-synchronized.

This means:

• If you change the project tempo, the kick’s duration automatically scales to match, keeping the transient and tail exactly in place.
• You can design kicks to fit rhythmic grids precisely—no re-rendering or manual trimming needed.
• Consistency is guaranteed across different tempos, making it ideal for producers who experiment with BPM during arrangement.

Most other kick plugins treat the waveform as a fixed-time audio file, which breaks sync when the BPM changes. KickDrum’s event-based rendering ensures the length is always musically locked.

Yes. Export them directly to your DAW via clipboard or as files, then use them in any sampler, drum machine, or project.

No. The modular system adapts to any style—broken beats, halftime, psytrance—and can design toms, snares, bass stabs, and more.

No. With its wavetable designer, spectral pitch shifting, and modular FX chains, you can also create basses, percussion, FX, and textures.

Via AutoGain: The peak level is locked to a target dB value – calculated from the full event, not from a real-time guess.

Use zero‑crossing match in the wavetable, smooth the attack curve in ENV, or adjust blend settings between waves.

Use the integrated Reverb device:

1. Set negative pre-delay → place the rumble under the transient.
2. In the reverb path, apply EQ/mono/saturation → shape the rumble spectrum.
3. Everything stays phase-stable and reproducible – no sends or latency stacking needed.

Because every external automation step would trigger a full re-render of the event (a performance drawback). Solution: use the internal automation system – it allows fast, detailed modulations without CPU spikes.

• KickDrum: Precision, phase stability, modular architecture, CPU efficiency → ideal for producers who need surgical control and speed.
• Kick 3: Rich FX and layering, good for complex sound design directly inside the plugin, but no full-event rendering.
• Kick Ninja: Strong AI import, flexible curves, many envelopes, but lacks linear-phase EQ and has less CPU optimization focus.

• Formats: VST3 (Win/macOS), AUv2 (macOS)
• macOS: Intel x86_64 & Apple Silicon (10.15+)
• Windows: x64, VST3-compatible DAW
• Licensing: 1 purchase = up to 5 activations, offline use after first activation
• Updates: Lifetime free updates as long as the plugin is maintained