The Battering Ram is a bass drum synthesizer based on an original design by Marc Nostromo. This module offers precise control over various parameters, including decay, tuning, depth, click amount, and drive. These controls have been thoughtfully mapped to provide sweet spots at every combination of potentiometer settings. The drive section can seamlessly transition between two distinct wave-shaping modes, ranging from smooth drive/compression to hard-clipping distortion for core music lovers. For smooth modular integration, there’s an additional output that mirrors the amplitude envelope or its inverted shape.
The module also boasts other convenient features, such as storing and recalling potentiometer settings, a 3-pole high-pass filter, and the option to use gates instead of triggers. Despite its compact size, the Battering Ram delivers a diverse range of bass drum sounds, from long sub-bass drums to aggressive techno kicks.
Features
- Kick drum module based on an original design
- Expansive sonic palette spanning from 808-inspired sub-bass to assertively distorted kicks
- Dual drive options: a subtle fold for gentle saturation or a high-gain distortion with clipping
- Amplitude envelope output with inversion switch
- CV control over different parameters including a V/oct pitch input
- Dynamic phrasing through velocity input.
- Pitch locking functionality transforms the tuning potentiometer into an octave switch
- Gate mode
- Switchable 30Hz 3 poles high pass filter
- Store and recall panel parameters feature
- Select bus compatibility with 16 presets
Specifications
Width: 8hp
Depth: 21mm
Power: +85mA, -10mA
Manufacturer product page here.
Product manual here.