If you love the sound of a Roland TR-909 but you do not have a few thousand bucks lying around for the real thing, DR.89 by Sender Spike is a seriously fun freebie to grab.
The 909 is the drum machine behind about half of techno, house, and acid as we know it. That big punchy kick, the snappy snare, the sizzling hats, the handclap that cuts through everything. DR.89 is not sample based. It is a fully synthesized drum machine modeled on the 909's circuit topology, so every sound is generated live and you can bend it around to your own taste.
You get pitch control on the kick, snare, hi-hats, toms, and pretty much every voice in the kit, plus a punch control on the kick, a snap control on the snare, accent and decay where it counts, and individual levels throughout. It is multi-out too, with individual outputs on channels 3 through 12, so you can route each drum to its own track and mix them properly. The whole thing sits on one clean panel, no menu diving, just load it up and start programming beats.
It sounds close to the real hardware, it runs super lightweight, and it stays out of your way. Perfect for a quick 909 pattern when inspiration hits.
Get it here, free with no signup or activation needed:
https://senderspike.wordpress.com/2019/11/12/downloads/
Look for DR.89 (dr89_synth_v1.00.zip) on the downloads page.
How to install (Windows only):
- Download and unzip dr89_synth_v1.00.zip.
- Copy the DR.89 .dll file into your VST plugins folder (usually C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins or your DAW's custom VST folder).
- Rescan plugins in your DAW and load DR.89 on an instrument track.
- Program your pattern in your DAW's piano roll or step sequencer and go.
Note: DR.89 is Windows only, as a free 64-bit VST2 plugin. There is no Mac or Linux version, and it does not need any original ROM file or extra downloads.
Here is what it sounds like in action:
If you make techno, house, electro, or anything with a four on the floor heartbeat, this one deserves a spot in your plugin folder. It costs nothing, so there is really no reason not to try it.