Sonic Academy KICK 3

Sonic Academy KICK 3 is a kick drum synthesizer plug-in that builds kicks from five layers, each a sub or a click layer. It is for producers who want a kick that fits the track, made from scratch or rebuilt from a sample. It runs as a 64-bit VST3 or AAX plug-in on Windows 8 or later and as AU, VST3 or AAX on macOS 10.13 or later.

What is Sonic Academy KICK 3?

KICK 3 is the current version of Sonic Academy’s kick synth. It can import and analyse an existing kick sample, or even a full track, to isolate the click and resynthesise the sub. A reference track can also trigger KICK 3 through a sidechain input, without MIDI. When the kick is done, export it in one click at the velocity and key you choose and drag it into your DAW.

Key features

• Import and Analyse: drop in a kick sample or a full track to isolate the click and resynthesise the sub
• Trigger from a reference track through a sidechain input, without MIDI
• Five sub or click layers, selective keytracking of sub nodes and a Sustain mode
• Effects: Clip, Tube, Wave and Tape distortion, bit crusher, ring modulator, delay, reverb, filter, drive, dual compressors and EQ, on two insert channels plus master
• 4-band EQ with a real-time spectrum analyser
• Phase control, Phase Lock and Phase Align
• Logarithmic or linear workflow, Pitch Snap, Gate, Bezier curves, zoom and pan, and 30 steps of undo and redo
• Built-in master limiter with release and lookahead, plus four FX macros
• Gate, Velocity, Portamento, Keytrack, Pitch Wheel and master tuning controls

What’s included

• Over 500 presets
• 500 click samples
• Over 500 sub layer presets

Sonic Academy also sells over 20 preset expansion packs for KICK 3. They are not included.

KICK 2 or KICK 3?

KICK 3 is the current version. It comes with over 500 presets, up from around 230 in KICK 2, and it imports the user kicks you made in KICK 2.

System requirements

• Windows: Windows 8 or later, 64-bit; Intel Core Duo or AMD Athlon 64 X2; 512 MB RAM; VST3 or AAX
• macOS: macOS 10.13 or later, 64-bit; Intel Core Duo or better; 512 MB RAM; AU, VST3 or AAX

For complete drum kits, see XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2 Complete Collection or Toontrack EZdrummer 3, and for effects on your drums, Soundtoys 5. Browse more drum VST plugins or everything from Sonic Academy.