Dom Sigalas Modern 80s Kit MAX V2

Modern 80s Kit MAX V2’s main page (shown here in the top panel) provides plenty of sound design options, while the Sequencer page (bottom panel) offers a very effective pattern sequencing environment.

Dom Sigalas breathes new life into some classic drum sounds.

If you are a regular consumer of music technology content on YouTube, you may already be familiar with Dom Sigalas. Via both his own channel, and that of Steinberg (Dom creates a lot of feature content for products such as Cubase), he provides some fabulous videos, all presented with his considerable insight, boundless enthusiasm, and a production level that would put lots of mainstream TV studios to shame.

Dom has also released a small number of sample library/virtual instrument products, and the latest in this line is an update to his impressive Modern 80s Kit MAX. As modern pop and electronic music has been riding a very obvious ’80s (synth) wave in recent years, Modern 80s Kit MAX V2 could well have a very broad appeal. The instrument runs in Steinberg’s free‑to‑download HALion Sonic and so can be used in any DAW host that supports VST3, AU or AAX.

Something Old, Something New

At its heart is a collection of over 300 samples derived mainly from vintage ’80s and ’90s drum machines and processed though analogue and tube outboard for maximum impact. These are ably demonstrated via the 150 supplied presets, some of which make for instantly recognisable kits (for example, the Beat Them Kit 83 nods to Michael Jackson, while the Bad Mike Kit reminded me of a Fine Young Cannibals’ classic). There are plenty of other examples though and the library is chock full of sounds — kicks, snares, toms, hi‑hats, claps and more — to enjoy.

You can, of course, build your own customised kits, with 19 sample slots available. It’s here that the ‘modern’ bit of the title comes to the fore as the new UI manages to provide an impressive selection of sound design options. For each sample slot, you have individual control over sample selection, volume, pan and pitch, while both the Amp Envelope and Super Punch controls can dramatically change the shape of each sound. You can also trim the start/end points used for the selected sample. Within the lower half of the display, the Sauces and Spaces provide plenty of creative options to further customise each sound (for example, add a sub thump to the kick or sizzle to the claps). The Mixer page provides additional sound design options (for example, compression, limiting and adding a little lo‑fi vibe) as well as standard level, pan and mute/solo options. The flexibility of the various sound design tools is impressive, but the control set remains very easy to use. And, if you discover the Easter egg‑style button, you can generate new kit combinations with a single click.

Equally impressive is the Sequencer page. With eight keyswitchable patterns, Note, Velocity, Pan and Pitch lanes for each of the 19 sample slots, independent step counts (up to 16 steps) for each lane, the ability to apply accents on any step, and an option to rotate individual lanes, this is a rather cool pattern creation environment. DAW sync is, of course, supported, but you can also drag‑and‑drop patterns to your DAW if preferred.

Dom Sigalas’ Modern 80s Kit MAX V2 is every bit as good as his YouTube content. It’s also compact, resource‑friendly and very competitively priced.

Conclusion

OK, so if your virtual drum instrument collection is already well stocked, perhaps you might not consider Modern 80s Kit MAX V2 an essential purchase. However, this is an excellent take on the concept. The kits themselves sound great and the UI delivers plenty of sound design options for your custom creations. The kits work brilliantly on their own but, equally, also work great when layered under a standard acoustic kit to add some additional beef (indeed, some of the presets seem to be designed with this in mind). Dom Sigalas’ Modern 80s Kit MAX V2 is every bit as good as his YouTube content. It’s also compact, resource‑friendly and very competitively priced. Oh, and owners of V1 get the V2 upgrade for free. Modern 80s Kit MAX V2 is a bit of a gem and well worth checking out.