Beat Machine 2 by DopeSONIX Hip Hop drum machine plugin interface

Beat Machine 2: Hip Hop Drum Machine Plugin by DopeSONIX

Rated 4.5/5 on Plugin Boutique (642 ratings)

Beat Machine 2 is a Hip Hop drum machine plugin by DopeSONIX, available as a VST2 and AU instrument for Windows and macOS. It offers 600 pre-mixed drum kits spanning about 30 years of Hip Hop styles.

VST2AUWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

Beat Machine 2 is built around drum sounds, not synthesis. Its library is organized by era, covering 1990s Boombap and 12-bit sampler textures, 2000s East Coast, West Coast and cleaner Timbaland-style sounds, and 2010s Trap and 808-driven kits. The kits are pre-mixed and EQ'd, so producers can start a beat without sourcing and balancing individual kick, snare and hi-hat samples. The plugin also includes 50 Hip Hop MIDI drum patterns and controls for pitch, drive and output mixing.

Best for

Boombap beatmaking
Trap drum programming
East Coast drum kits
Lo-fi 808 patterns
Hip Hop drum layering
Laptop and tablet production

Developer: DopeSONIX
Category: Drum Machines
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

600 pre-mixed drum kits covering Hip Hop styles from 1990s to 2010s
300 stereo kits included alongside the mono library
1200+ drum samples already EQ'd and treated for instant use
50 Hip Hop MIDI drum patterns included
Separate volume and pan controls for kick, snare, hi-hat and percussion
Built-in pitch and drive controls with analogue-style reverb
Global high and low pass filter control
Five drum pads for tablet and touchscreen users
12-segment output level meter
Low CPU usage and fast patch loading

03In depth

Drum Sounds Across Three Decades of Hip Hop

The kit library is split into three eras. The first group of presets is inspired by 1990s Boombap production, with dusty, punchy drums that carry a 12-bit character. The second group draws on the 2000s, with East Coast drums, funky West Coast kits and snaps and claps in the Timbaland style. The final group covers the 2010s, including Trap and 808-driven drums, 808 and 909 inspired sounds, and ambient, sparse kits.

The library includes 600 kits in total, 300 of them stereo. It also includes more than 1200 drum samples that are already EQ'd and treated for instant use.

Workflow Controls and Performance

Separate volume and pan controls are provided for kick, snare, hi-hat and percussion, so each element can be balanced within a kit. Pitch and drive controls are built in, and an analogue-style reverb is included. Output can be routed as a stereo mix or through more flexible sub-mix options.

The plugin adds a five-pad control surface for tablet and touchscreen users, a 12-segment output level meter, and a global high and low pass filter. Drums can be programmed manually or played from a MIDI or USB controller or keyboard. Patch loading is fast, and the developer describes CPU usage as very low, which suits laptops, tablets and lower-spec computers.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	DopeSONIX
Type	Plugin
Category	Drum Machine
Formats	VST2, AU
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05Upgrades

Upgrade and crossgrade options

Option	Store link
Beat Machine 2 Upgrade from Beat Machine 1	Plugin Boutique ↗

06FAQ

Questions, answered

Which formats and operating systems does Beat Machine 2 support?

Beat Machine 2 is available as a VST2 and AU plugin, and runs on Windows and macOS. It is 64-bit.

What do I need to use Beat Machine 2?

You need a VST or Audio Units compatible DAW host. On Windows, it needs Windows 7, 8 or 10, 1 GB RAM and 410 MB of disk space. On macOS, it needs OS X 10.4 or later, 2 GB RAM and 410 MB of disk space. The developer notes that it is not compatible with Pro Tools.

Can I program Beat Machine 2 with a MIDI controller?

Yes. You can program the drums manually or play them from a MIDI or USB controller or keyboard, including Native Instruments Maschine and Novation models. The developer also lists Akai, Arturia, Korg and Alesis devices as optional controllers.