IconDrum by GForce Software drum machine plugin interface

IconDrum: Drum Machine Plugin Reviving the Classic 80s Sound by GForce Software

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (230 ratings)

IconDrum is a drum machine plugin from GForce Software that recreates the sounds of a classic early-80s drum machine. It includes 100 sounds, over 70 preset kits and a per-track mixer with a master effects chain.

VST3VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS

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01Overview

IconDrum is GForce Software's tribute to a legendary drum machine of the early 1980s, rebuilt for digital production. The developer says it bridges the sounds of that era with modern rhythm creation. The library holds 100 sounds, and you can use them as raw sounds or as pre-processed kits. The interface is built for quick sketching, and the included MIDI pattern files give you a starting point for both faithful recreations and new beats.

Best for

Classic 80s drum sounds
Electro and synth-pop beats
Retro drum programming
Hybrid modern-vintage kits
Beat sketching with MIDI patterns

Developer: GForce Software
Category: Drum Machines
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

100 sounds based on a classic early-80s drum machine
Raw sounds and produced kits for immediate use
Over 70 preset kits in classic, modern and hybrid styles
Per-track solo, mute, pan, pitch, decay, HP/LP and gain
Delay and reverb sends on each track
Three-slot master FX chain with eight effect types
Over 70 MIDI pattern files, many classic recreations
Separate outputs, velocity control and MIDI Learn

03In depth

Classic Drum Sounds With Per-Track Control

The 100 sounds in IconDrum are meant to keep the character of the original machine while sounding clean and detailed. You get both raw sounds and produced kits, so you can build a drum sound from the ground up or start from a finished sound.

Each track has its own controls for solo, mute, pitch, decay, pan, HP/LP filtering and gain. Delay and reverb sends are also available per track. This makes it easy to shape individual drums and send them to effects without setting up a separate mixer.

The master channel offers a three-slot FX chain. You can choose from distortion, a multi-mode filter, compressor, EQ, bitcrusher, gate and phaser, and place them in the slots in any order you like.

MIDI Patterns, Presets and Routing

IconDrum ships with more than 70 MIDI files, including many recreations of classic rhythms. These patterns are useful for sketching a beat quickly, and you can edit or rework them to suit your track.

The plugin includes over 70 preset kits covering classic, modern and hybrid styles. A preset browser lets you audition them and find a starting point.

For routing, IconDrum has separate outputs so you can process each sound in your DAW. It also provides velocity control, a GM map for your MIDI controller, and programmable MIDI CC response through MIDI Learn. The UI can be scaled to fit your screen.

04Specs

Will it run?

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

Developer	GForce Software
Type	Plugin
Category	Drum Machine
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats does IconDrum support?

IconDrum is available as VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and a Standalone application. It runs on Windows and macOS.

What do I need to run IconDrum on a Mac?

On macOS, IconDrum needs an Intel or Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 10.15 or later. Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon Macs running Intel-built plugins can use Rosetta 2 translation. The install takes about 230 MB, plus 5 GB for the library, which can be stored on an external drive.

What are the system requirements on Windows?

On Windows, IconDrum needs a 2 GHz CPU, 2 GB of RAM and Windows 7 or later. It also needs about 230 MB of disk space plus 5 GB for the library, which can be stored on an external drive.