MiniSpillage is a drum machine VST that is fully capable of putting all your tracks through its high-resolution 64-bit DSP processing to ensure every sound and track comes out sounding professional and clean. This is by far one of my favorite free drum plugins for Mac users. DSP Trigger (64-Bit) is a VST drum brain that processes the audio output from drum pads and converts it to MIDI to be passed on to a drum sampler. ApulSoft apTrigga3 is an audio insert effect plugin that detects trigger events on its input signal which are used to add or replace sounds. It has extensive sample management features, flexible synthesizer layers with multiple envelopes and a modulation section that allows per sample modulation of most parameters. Best Free Drum VST My mother always told me “march to the beat of your own drum”, but I guess she was wrong, because I found a bunch of really good free drum vsts. Amongst them, is the T.REX 606, a classic sound that could have easily cost hundreds of dollars, but for some reason is free.

There are a number of options out there to get your drum replacement work to work well. The names may change from time to time, but these are some great software choices. We encourage you to check them out (and, in the freeware cases, try them out!).

Trigger – Slate Trigger is a drum‑replacement plug‑in that can output MIDI for triggering external sample players or allow you to use your own samples from within Trigger’s player. Highly accurate triggering, it is a fast and easy solution for replacing exisiting drum sounds or blending in samples for enhancement. Visit Slate’s website for current pricing.

Drumagog – Still one of the biggest names in drum replacement tools, with a repuation that is well-deserved. If Drumagog can’t solve your drum replacement needs, very little else will either. In terms of quality, features, and ease of use, Drumagog is still the drum sample tool to beat. While not free (prices range from $199 to $379), this is a program you will find yourself using constantly. Worth every penny if you record drums often.

Massey DRT DRT2 can enhance or replace poorly recorded drum tracks with third-part samples like Drum Werks. You can trun a good drum sound into a great sound that sits better in your mix with the right combination of drum samples. According to their website, “DRT v2 ‘Works like a charm,’ it is ‘very accurate,’ and ‘very easy to set and tweak.’

TL Labs TL Drum Rehab[ProTools] – According to the product specs, “TL Drum Rehab™ offers a comprehensive set of tools to enhance or replace original drum recordings precisely, automatically, and in real time.

Free Vst Drum Kit

Free Alternatives

If you are on a tight budget, you are still in luck. Many free alternatives exist that will do drum replacing admirably.

apTrigga[VST/AU for Windows/Mac] – According to their website, “apTrigger features: Audio plugin for Mac OS X (VST/AU) and Windows (VST); Triggers mono & stereo samples by analyzing audio signals;ZERO samples trigger latency.

Like the other software listed here, it replaces recorded drums with samples but is capable of many other drum sample related processes as well.

KTDrumTrigger[VST for Windows/Mac] – According to their website, “KTDrumTrigger is a VST plugin with custom editor that triggers MIDI notes based on the sound level of the incoming audio stream in different frequency bands. It allows you to ‘detect’ occurrences of percussive sounds in an audio stream and send out a MIDI event whenever that happens.”

Peak Freak[VST for Windows] – According to their website, “PeakFreak is a plugin that converts audio input that falls into a certain frequency and amplitude range into midi notes of a certain length. This can for example be useful if you want to trigger the bass drum from your sound expander via MIDI automatically by the bass drum from an audio track.

Replacer[VST for Windows] – According to their website, “Replacer is a VST plug-in designed to replace drum and percussive sounds with other samples. Basically, it is comprised of a band-pass filter which selects the relevant frequency of the sound required to be replaced, and then the peak amplitudes at this frequency then trigger chosen sample/s. The samples can be 16 or 24-bit wav files recorded at any sample rate.”

More to come as products are developed and emerge…

The drum machine changed music. There’s no getting around it.

Every DAW software these days comes with some sort of sampler or drum machine built right in. They’ve become a pillar of modern music production.

But picking a sound can be tough when you have infinite possibilities at your fingertips.

That’s why these drum VST plugins are so great. They impose some limitations to help you corral the creative juices a bit.

So here’s the 10 best free drum VST plugins for making your drums pop.

1. T.REX 606

The name says it all. The T.REX 606 is a compact rompler modelled after the iconic Roland TR-606 drum machine.

The simple interface keeps things basic. Which is nice these days when so many VSTs are needlessly complicated.

It’s just volume, reverb and 7 classic sounds. Easy peasy.

Download it here for free

2. Djinndrum

The Linn LM-1 is a classic drum machine. It’s been used by everyone from Peter Gabriel, to Prince, to Michael Jackson.

But let’s face it, these days they’ve gotten a bit pricey for what they are.

No problem, The Djinndrum has you set for all that classic sound that the LM-1 packs in.

Download it here for free

3. Drum PRO

Drum Pro has 20 built in drum kits, 12 pads and global effects, what more do you need from a drum machine plugin?

The Drum Pro has you covered no matter what you’re making. Big EDM? Check. Techno? Check. Everything else you need for sweet drums? Check that too.

Download it here for free

4. Line of Legends

This plugin may not look as technical as others. But don’t let the looks of Line of Legends fool you.

Free daw vst host. This plugin boasts 47 high quality samples, 8 individual output channels, and punch, release & attack knobs for some serious tweakage.

Heads up: you may have to set up the output channels in your DAW if it’s only showing one channel. So check your DAW manual to figure out how.

Download it here for free

5. Sean Pandy Drums

Sean Pandy Drums is based on a sample pack made by heavy metal drummer Sean Pandy. So if you’re looking for a heavier drum sound on your mix, this VST will definitely give you it.

The ‘Sub Blower’ is especially good and certainly lives up to its name…

Download it here for free

6. KickMaker

2 of the most important elements in any track that thumps is the kick and bass. So they deserve some serious attention.

Drum Trigger Software

That’s what makes KickMaker so great. It’s a plugin built for crafting the perfect kick. So what’re you waiting for? Get kickin’.

Download it here for free

7. Beat Factory Drums

Beat Factory Drums is easy to use, sounds great, and packs a serious punch.

It has fully tweakable ADSR parameters so you can customize each and every kit to your sound. Not bad for a FREE plugin.

All you have to do is enter your email and that’s it.

Download it here for free

8. MT Power Drum Kit 2

MT Power Drum Kit 2 isn’t just a plugin for drums. In addition to top notch drum sounds that cut through any mix, it also has a fully pre-programmed groove library.

Vst Drums Free

It’s wicked for composing your own patterns, or stringing together grooves for the drum accompaniment you need.

Download it here for free

9. Dub Turbo DrumTROOP

The DrumTROOP drum machine is big both in its sound and what it offers. It’s a powerful tool for everything from EDM to house and back again.

Their website calls it a “weapon of mass production.” I can’t really disagree with that. It’s definitely massive is every respect.

Download it here for free

10. Single Cycle Vintage Drum Elements

Vintage Drum Elements has a nice, warm analogue sound that so many vintage drum machines have.

The 12 pad interface is easy to use and tweak, and the preloaded samples are all top notch.

Name your price or enter your email to grab it on the Single Cycle Bandcamp.

Download it here for free

Drumming up the perfect sound

Nothing beats a banging drum track. They’re the backbone of tons of top notch songs.

And the drum machine is a superb way to hone in on a specific sound for your tracks.

So grab these sweet plugs and program away!

Already set for drums? Grab some of our other favourite free VSTs.