The kick has often been called one of the most crucial sounds in your mix. Getting it right is paramount to just about everything else because the feel of the song will be heavily impacted by how the kick sounds and feels in the mix.
If you thought that it was merely a matter of finding the right EQ setting and adding a bit of compression and saturation, it’s quite possible you haven’t been able to get your kick sounding how it should.
Don’t worry, though, because there are tools to help you with the process. In this guide, we look at the best kick VST plugins.
Sasquatch 2 by Boz Digital Labs – Best Overall
Boz Digital Labs’ Sasquatch 2 is an enhancer that will help you tune the sound of an acoustic or electronic kick drum to your liking.
With a simplified and streamlined interface, you can quickly and easily dial in preferred tones, regardless of intent – mangling, thumping, or subtle enhancement.
Sasquatch 2 is CPU-friendly. It comes with instant triggering, selectable trigger modes, Oomph, Click, and Dry parameters, high- and low-pass filters with sidechain modes, A/B comparison, and an icon-based interface.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
Metrum by Vengeance Sound – Best Premium Option
Vengeance Sound knows well the challenge of trying to design the perfect kick. This is exactly why they created Metrum, a kick synthesizer with controls for all the nitty gritty details.
Metrum comes with 330 kick drum presets, 1,800+ attack samples, 150+ sine oscillator presets, drag and drop, graphic envelopes, pitch and velocity routings, mod matrix, six effects, two filters for every layer, three distortion models, two-band parametric EQ, randomizer, output limiter, and more.
With so many configurable options, we had no choice but to select Metrum as our best premium option.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
BLEASS Sidekick by BLEASS – Best Budget Option
BLEASS Sidekick is an all-in-one kick drum synth, step sequencer, and sidechain compressor / ducker.
The kick drum synth features an analog style design. The built-in 16-step sequencer can be used to trigger the kick, but you can also use external MIDI input for the same.
The ducker will reduce the input signal of the kick as it’s triggered.
But as the developer says, one of the coolest features of BLEASS Sidekick is perhaps the ability to use the kick synth and sequencer to trigger the ducker. This should certainly add some dynamism to your beats.
Each section features parameters you can use to control how they behave.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
RAW-Kick by Rob Papen
Rob Papen’s RAW-Kick was inspired by the classic RAW synthesizer. This simple but powerful tool features three layers (each with their own controls) to give you complete control over the sound of your kick.
While layering kicks across multiple channels is common practice in the studio, here’s a tool that lets you do the same thing without having to add your kick to multiple tracks and create an effects chain for each.
Each of the three RAW-Kick layers comes with two modes – 1) dedicated kick synthesizer model, and 2) sample-based layer. With RAW-Kick, you get control over multiple parameters, including RAW, harmonics, and built-in distortion FX.
With the sample mode, you get control over two EQ sections, multiple FX algorithms (with distortion and others), as well as a multi-mode analog modeled filter.
Finally, there’s a master section with a double EQ section, mono / stereo FX setting, as well as macro controls for adjusting the three layers simultaneously.
As the video below seems to indicate, it can take a while to figure out RAW-Kick. Fortunately, the video covers 10 tips you can use to make the most of the plugin.
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Kick Tweak by Singomakers
Singomakers’ Kick Tweak was designed to help you make your kick sound bigger in the mix!
In modern music, the sound of the kick can make or break the track. Without adequate presence and weight, it simply cannot carry the beat, let alone get people up and dancing.
Kick Tweak is your insurance policy for all those times your kick sound simply isn’t thumping and punching with the intensity it should be.
This handy plugin comes with 10 presets you can use to dial in the ideal sound quickly and easily. Kick Tweak is a favorite among Dada Life, Jordy Dazz, and Shapov, among many others.
How does it work? Well, Kick Tweak controls multiple parameters simultaneously – EQ, saturation, distortion, and compression, to name a few. For presets seven through 10, there’s a detector for signal detection. Finally, there’s also a drive control (also only available in presets seven through 10).
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
Little Foot by Boz Digital Labs
Taking after the Sasquatch Kick Machine, Little Foot is the lightweight counterpart of the same. This plugin was tailor made to help you get deep kick sounds without all the hassle.
Getting the ideal sound out of your kick can be a bit of a mystery. EQ usually isn’t enough, and sometimes it has the opposite effect of making the kick sound saggy and loose. The meat needs to come from somewhere, but at times it simply isn’t possible to draw out of your kick body that it doesn’t already possess.
Little Foot can add needed low end to your kick, whether subtle or more extreme settings. And it even does it without mangling your original sound.
How is this accomplished? Well, Little Foot will trigger a low frequency sine wave alongside your original kick sound. You get full control over this sine wave’s depth, sustain, and hardness.
As you can see from the interface, there isn’t much to it. Simply play with your oomph settings until you’re satisfied and control the overall wetness of the effect with the dry section, and finally, fine-tune with the master controls.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
Big Kick by Plugin Boutique
Plugin Boutique’s own Big Kick is a popular kick drum synthesizer with a fast workflow.
Big Kick is an essential tool for getting your kick drum to sound just right in any mix. This eliminates the need of spending countless hours finding the perfect sample.
Big Kick fuses synthesis and samples to help you dial in the perfect kick sound. It also features drag and drop sample import / export, a factory library with over 300 attack types and 110 presets, kick drum tuning features, auto-play feature, bonus samples, overdrive, hard clipper, preset management, and much more.
Altogether, Big Kick comes with 64 kick drum presets, 32 attack hits, and 32 attack presets.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
PunchBOX by D16 Group
D16 Group’s PunchBOX virtual instrument has been tailor made for generating quality kick drum sounds. This baby comes with a ton of presets and sounds created by professional sound designers.
PunchBOX combines synthesized sounds with samples to give you the best of both worlds. The sounds were taken from classic Roland drum machines and processed to suit the application.
PunchBOX features four sound generators, and there are plenty of factory settings to help you get started.
This plugin comes complete with 909, 808, and 606 kick models, as well as a sine wave kick, audio-to-effect send per generator, optional MIDI velocity sensitivity, pitch tracking, five effect algorithms (EQ, bit crusher, distortion, filter, limiter), 800 presets (with seven categories), 1,100 samples, MIDI Learn, randomizer, direct export, and much more.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
Omnidrums by Have Audio
Have Audio’s Omnidrums isn’t just some kind of kick synth or kick enhancer. This is a full-blown Kontakt instrument with an insane level of detail. Omnidrums features 12 dynamics, eight round robins, as well as a 12-channel mixer.
This plugin aims to bring new drum techniques to your fingertips with stacked sounds and variations on every element.
Altogether, Omnidrums comes with 21 kick sounds, 120+ snare sounds, 120+ snare roll techniques, 140+ tom sounds, 200+ cymbal sounds, 230+ time stretchable loops and rhythmic patterns, 43 jazz fills, three dirt effects, reverb and delay algorithms, reverse function, warp, auto-mapping system, 12 channels routing mode, and panning on each channel strip.
So, whether you’re looking for better kicks, snares, toms, or otherwise, Omnidrums offers the ideal jumping off point for producers.
Omnidrums requires the full version of Kontakt.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
ENFORCER by Boom
Boom’s ENFORCER is a sub-bass kick drum synth. This is the perfect tool for adding some weight to your bass sounds, or even beefing them up beyond comprehension.
This tool was built to take a lot of the manual work involved in sweetening your kick drum right out of the equation. As a kick drum Swiss army knife, it can handle a variety of workflows that are usually time consuming and heavy on experimentation.
ENFORCER comes with over 115 sound FX presets, adjustable trigger, MIDI trigger, kick drum and snare tuning options (using semitones), and even frequency ducking.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
SubLab by Future Audio Workshop
Future Audio Workshop’s SubLab is a highly rated synth. What’s unique about it is that it was made specifically for modern hip-hop, trap, and future bass genres. If you want to create impactful, 808 style sub bass sounds, then this synth is sure to pique your interest.
No matter the task, SubLab can turn your kick into a hard-hitting sub in mere minutes. The synth comes with the X-Sub psychoacoustic sub-bass oscillator, six bass packs, as well as 250 kick samples (from legendary analog drum machines). They also give you the ability to drag and drop your own samples (with pitch detection).
The six 808 bass packs include Hits DNA Vol. 1, Divine Bass, Riche Souf Signature, Crushed, Analog Machines, and Pure Subs.
SubLab also comes with distortion, compressor, filters, master controls, patch browsing, and more.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
KSHMR Essentials by W. A. Production
KSHMR Essentials is a channel strip / multi-effect for enhancing bass, drums, kicks, synths, and vocals. Each section comes with its own parameters. It’s basically like an effects chain in a box!
DJ / musician / producer KSHMR himself designed the signal chains found in this affordable, easy to use, and versatile module.
KSHMR includes many presets for the various sections, so there’s no need for guesswork. You can choose a preset and further tweak it if necessary.
If you need more than a drum synth, enhancer, or processor, and would like a more comprehensive signal chain suite for electronic genres, then KSHMR Essentials is well worth a look.
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Joe Chiccarelli by Leapwing Audio
Leapwing Audio’s Joe Chiccarelli was, of course, developed alongside producer-engineer Joe Chiccarelli himself. For this entry, Leapwing meticulously analyzed all Chiccarelli’s gear, and as it turns out, he uses a ton of gear to achieve his signature sound – preamps, compression, EQ, distortion, reverb, and more.
It turns out Chiccarelli also has 11 specific profiles, including snare, kick, toms, drum overhead, drum room, bass amp, bass DI, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lead vocal, and electric piano. These have all been captured within the plugin, all with controllable parameters, but not an overwhelming amount.
The user interface features a beautiful retina ready design with key parameters contained within a single screen for optimal workflow.
Joe Chiccarelli is an excellent option for mixing. It obviously does considerably more than just kick, though it can help you achieve killer kick sounds too. This plugin is not for you if you want to deal only with kick, but if you’re on a mission to get better mixes overall, you’ll benefit a look.
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KNOCK by PLUGINS THAT KNOCK
KNOCK’s simple but attractive interface says a lot about what it does. There are controls for punch, saturate, sub, air, and clip. These parameters were set in place to help you achieve the best drum sound possible, no matter where you might be starting from.
Award-winning sound designer and platinum producer DECAP was used as inspiration for creating KNOCK, given his influence on modern music.
The punch function is a transient shaper. Saturate adds harmonic distortion and it’s available in three modes – soft, medium, and hard. Sub detects the kick drum and adorns it with a deep low end. Air makes your top end more transparent. And clip, of course, is a soft and hard clipper.
KNOCK is very easy to use, and it’s a great solution for your entire kit.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
Bass XL by denise
denise’s Bass XL promises to be more than a mere EQ and compression solution. This plugin was designed to enhance the low end of any track, be it a kick drum, percussion, bass, or even electric guitar.
Bass XL comes with a simple, attractive, and resizable user interface that gives you control over mix, frequency, drive / tone, and position.
Bass XL is also very easy to use. All you need to do to get started is to choose a frequency you want to boost, boost it with the mix control, and select a filter slope. Use steep slopes for a more resonant and exact tone and use gentle slopes for a warmer tone overall. You can further color the tone with the drive and tone controls.
Bass XL is effective on full mixes, tuning your kicks, or even giving your bass some needed power and sustain.
Learn more: Plugin Boutique
CLA Drums by Waves
Now, we probably don’t need to point out that this isn’t just a kick / sub-bass enhancer. Waves’ CLA Drums is more of a comprehensive drums multi-effect plugin.
That said, this thing is quite cool. Waves created it in collaboration with mixing engineer Chris Lord-Alge, and it’s a great solution for dialing in a killer drum sound. The plugin comes with six distinct modes, including Snare, Kick, Toms, Overheads, Rooms, and Cowbell.
CLA Drums also comes with presets for treble EQ, bass EQ, compression, reverb, and noise gate. You can control the wetness of the effects with the onboard faders. There’s also a phase switch, just for good measure.
This is a fantastic tool for dialing in amazing rock drum sounds.
Learn more: Waves
JJP Drums by Waves
Waves’ JJP Drums was created in collaboration with audio engineer Jack Joseph Puig. This plugin was designed to help take you from “how in the world do I ensure my drums sit right in the mix?” to “done!”
As you can tell from the interface, this baby comes with dials for sensitivity, gate, compression, lows, and highs. Then there are a set of faders for main, attack, sustain, attitude, punch, sub, verb, and master. Finally, there are a few switches for kick in, kick out, snare top, snare bottom, and toms.
In essence, it’s got a very similar setup and workflow to CLA Drums. Of course, the main difference being that this plugin has been tuned to Jack Joseph Puig’s preferences.
Learn more: Waves
What Should I Look For In Kick VST Plugins?
When it comes to kick VST plugins, there are obviously many options to choose from. Some are kick / sub bass enhancers. Others are more comprehensive drum multi-effect solutions.
The right option for you will depend a lot on what you need to take your mixes to the next level.
That said, there are a few criteria worth exploring in detail. They are as follows:
- Sound quality / methodology
- Simplicity / ease of use
- Features
- Budget
Sound Quality / Methodology
Whatever it is you’re trying to do to your kick – increase its punchiness, boost its presence, or give it more low end – there are different methodologies for accomplishing the same ends.
It might involve layering the kick. Using a combination of different effects. Mixing organic and synthesized sounds together.
Basically, different plugins go about achieving the same end using different means. This influences the sound quality too.
There’s no one right way to get your kick sounding awesome. If you’re happy with it, that’s what matters most. That said, there could be methodologies that work better depending on the sound you’re going for, as well as your mixing approach and the types of sounds you’re going for.
So, if you have yet to listen to what each plugin can do, that’s a great starting point. After all, you want to end up with a plugin that’s going to work for you.
Simplicity / Ease Of Use
There’s no denying that different producers feel differently about workflows and ease of use. Depending on your specific approach, it may be more important to you, it may be less important to you. And we’re not here to judge.
But all things being equal, we generally view plugins with simpler designs and concepts as better. This is because there’s less that can go wrong when there are fewer elements to deal with.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a plugin like Rob Papen’s RAW-Kick. We think it’s great! But there’s a “trick” to getting the sound right with it. That’s fine for producers who know what they’re doing. It can be incredibly frustrating for those who struggle to find their sound with it.
Simplicity probably isn’t the most important factor to consider. But for some it will be.
Features
It’s worth pointing out that there are a few different types of plugins in this guide. Some are kick enhancers. Some are bass enhancers. Some are multi-effects or channel strips. The type of plugin you purchase is naturally going to have an impact on the features available.
For the most part, though, kick enhancers are simplistic. They may have a few basic parameters, but aside from that, they’re meant to be quite straightforward.
Still, it’s worth examining, in detail, what each plugin offers. For some producers, it could make or break the purchase.
Budget
Most plugins in this category are in the $20 to $200 range – not something that should break the bank.
We still caution against overspending. Don’t go into debt for any purchase. You want to enjoy your new tools, not be stressed out over having to pay the credit card bill.
If in doubt, consult your budget. It’s an excellent filter for deciding on which product to buy.
Top Kick VST Plugins, Final Thoughts
In the past, you had to figure this all out for yourself. Getting the right kick sound used to be an exercise in frustration, plain and simple. Today, you have all the tools you could possibly want in creating an epic kick sound that will blow listeners out of the water.
So, it’s time for you to get this aspect of your mixing handled. You’re going to have to do it sooner or later anyway, and you probably want to keep advancing your skills. Find a plugin that suits your style and get to work!