Arturia unveil Mix Drums

Combines distortion, transient shaping & more

The latest plug-in to join Arturia's line-up has been designed to provide a quick and intuitive way to craft impactful drum sounds without the complexity of using multiple processors. Developed in collaboration with acclaimed producer and mixer Emre Ramazanoglu (Brian Eno, Lily Allen, David Holmes), Mix Drums combines phase-coherent parallel processing, distortion, tone shaping, transient control and more, providing an all-in-one toolkit for adding weight and presence to drum tracks.

The plug-in features automatic input ceiling calibration, meaning users can simply play a section of their drum tracks while Mix Drums analyses the average levels and adjusts its internal gain structure accordingly. From there, the signal is split into two bands (Low and Mid/High), each of which are kitted out with their own set of dedicated distortion, dynamics and tonal-shaping controls. The Low band includes Warmth, Level and Dry controls in its saturation section, while the Mid/High band offers Tape and Triode Drive parameters along with Level, Tone and Tilt EQ dials; both bands offer Attack and Body parameters for shaping transients, along with a built-in clipper.

A Space section follows, housing a versatile delay and reverb processor that includes a convolution reverb with multiple room options, an algorithmic reverb, a tape delay and digital delay. Some further tonal shaping is then provided by an EQ module that complements the Tilt EQ control found in the Mid/High band section, and allows users to balance the levels of the two bands before they reach the plug-in's output.

This plug-in recreates, and actually improves upon, one particular workflow I use when creating characterful drum sounds in a mix, or for increasing the impact of delivered stereo drum loops without raising peak level. I wanted an all-in-one solution to achieve the retro-inspired but full-range and weighty drum sounds that I get hired to deliver - as well as everything from fully creative transformational processes to very subtle drum bus enhancements. Working with Arturia, we've developed a phase-coherent processor that allows the user to instantly dial in a huge variety of tones. Peak control is at the heart of this processor; you'll find you're able to effect huge changes in density, punch and tone without the peak level budging. - Emre Ramazanoglu

Compatibility Mix Drums is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or above, and Macs running macOS 11 and higher. VST, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.

Pricing & Availability Mix Drums is available now, priced at 99.

www.arturia.com/products/software-effects/mix-drums/overview

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