BeatMaker has released Retrox Drums, a freeware drum rompler virtual instrument in VST, VST3, and AU plugin formats for compatible digital audio workstations on PC and Mac.
Retrox Drums is a sample-based virtual drum machine developed using Maize Sampler. It contains a set of retro drum sounds captured from the BOSS DR-110 Dr. Rhythm drum machine. These can’t be substituted by external sounds, making Retrox Drums a rompler instrument (as opposed to a sampler).
See also: BPB Cassette Drums (Free Drum Machine VST Plugin)Apparently, Retrox Drums is going to receive paid sound expansions in the future. For now, only the free DR-110 sound pack is available (it comes bundled with the instrument download). There’s no info about which drum machines will be included in future sound expansions released by BeatMaker.
Feature-wise, Retrox Drums is a fairly simple affair. There are six drum channels, each with volume, pan, and reverb send knobs. The channels can be routed to separate outputs for further processing using the DAW’s mixer and third-party effects. The plugin also features global volume, pitch, and amp controls, along with a low-pass filter. The UI design is easy on the eyes, with drum pads on each channel for previewing the available sounds via a mouse click or touch input.
So, is it worth the download? For someone like me who already owns a bunch of drum samples and powerful sampler VST plugins to play them, the answer is no. Unless, of course, you prefer the plug-and-play workflow provided by a simple rompler instrument like this one. For beginners, on the other hand, Retrox Drums might be worth checking out as it provides some decent retro sounds completely free of charge. I used to love jamming with simple drum romplers like this one back in the day, before discovering the power and beauty of samplers.
The plugin can be downloaded free of charge from the product page linked below (hosted on Gumroad). You’ll be asked to enter your email address and a price of your choice. Entering $0 as the price results in a free checkout.
Retrox Drums is available for free download via BeatMaker (20.6 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/VST3/AU plugin formats for Windows & macOS).
Last Updated on March 6, 2018 by Tomislav Zlatic.
