Plugin Alliance and Native Instruments have announced the release of a flexible new drum machine plug-in developed by Unfiltered Audio. Said to be the perfect solution for generating beats and rhythms of any genre, Battalion aims to combine the character of iconic drum synths with the programming flexibility and sampling features offered by modern drum machines.
The plug-in provides users with three different approaches to drum creation. A synth section houses 20 engines that deliver everything from classic ’80s-inspired drum hits to otherworldly synth sounds, with a wealth of controls on hand to tweak and shape the results. There’s also a dedicated sampler section equipped with Classic, Phase Warp, Cloner and Granular modes that can load, modify and play samples from a vast factory library. Finally, the sampler section supports user-imported samples, providing those who’d prefer to use their existing sounds with ability to load and sculpt their own hits. It’s also possible to combine the synthesis and sampling approaches, and Battalion features a Blend slider for morphing seamlessly between the two sections.
Once the sounds have been created, they can be put to work instantly thanks on an onboard sequencer, which can either be loaded as a blank canvas or populated with a range of built-in preset patterns. There’s a mode dedicated to live performances, too, allowing users to quickly trigger, loop and manipulate sounds on the fly. Further processing can be applied using a collection of filters and effects processors, with a selection of distortions and modulation effects joined by delay and reverb sections, and some sound shaping and modulation is on offer courtesy of a pair of envelopes and two multi-mode LFOs.
Compatibility
Battalion is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or higher, and Macs running macOS 11 and above. VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Battalion is available now, and is currently (17 April 2024) being offered for an introductory price of $129, reduced from its full cost of $199. During the offer period, those who purchase the instrument will also receive a free copy of Unfiltered Audio’s LION soft synth.
www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/unfiltered_audio_battalion
