Hyperfocus DSP has released Niner, a free and open-source kick drum synthesizer plugin for Linux, macOS, and Windows. The plugin is currently in beta and is available in VST3, CLAP, and standalone formats.
A Focused Drum Synth Built Around Kicks and Clap Layers
Niner is designed as a dedicated kick drum synthesizer rather than a general drum machine. It uses a three-layer engine built from SUB, MID, and TOP sections, which gives users separate control over the low-end body, the midrange weight, and the transient click.
Alongside the kick engine, Hyperfocus DSP also includes a parallel 909-style clap voice. That makes the plugin a bit more flexible than its main label suggests, especially for producers who want quick drum design tools in one place.
Three Layers, Distortion Stages, and Master Processing
The core of Niner combines a SUB sine layer with pitch envelope control, a MID sine-plus-noise layer, and a TOP band-passed click layer. Each one includes its own tuning, amplitude, pitch envelope, and drift settings.
From there, the signal runs into a fairly deep processing chain. Niner includes per-voice clip shaping, a five-mode distortion palette, master EQ, compressor, transformer drive, brickwall limiting, and automatic tube warmth. On paper, that may sound like a lot, but it is actually one of the more interesting parts of the plugin because it gives users control over both clean punch and a more aggressive character.
Sequencer, Bounce, and Preset Tools
Niner also includes a 16-step sequencer that syncs to the host in a DAW and uses internal transport in standalone mode. In addition, users can render one-shot sounds directly from the plugin as 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV or AIFF files.
The plugin supports both factory and user presets, and Hyperfocus DSP says preset handling is designed to remain forward-compatible. That is a practical touch, especially for a project that is still in beta.
Formerly Slammer
One detail worth noting is that Niner was previously released under the name Slammer. According to Hyperfocus DSP, the plugin was renamed in version 0.7.0 because of a trademark conflict. Plugin IDs also changed, which means older DAW projects using the Slammer version will need to be re-wired, although user presets and settings should migrate automatically on first launch.
Features
- Free and open-source kick drum synthesizer
- Three-layer kick engine with SUB, MID, and TOP sections
- Parallel 909-style clap voice
- Per-layer tuning, drift, amp envelope, and pitch envelope controls
- Per-voice clip shaping with Tanh, Diode, and Cubic modes
- Master saturation, transformer drive, compression, EQ, limiter, and tube warmth
- 16-step sequencer with DAW sync
- One-shot bounce to WAV or AIFF
- Factory and user presets
- Available as VST3, CLAP, and standalone
- Beta release with GPL-3.0 license
Plugin Formats
Niner is available in VST3, CLAP, and standalone formats for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. AU is not supported, so Logic Pro users cannot load it at this time.
Free Download
Niner is available as a free download from Hyperfocus DSP.
