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Moin,
heute im Fokus: Hexdrums von Erica Synths / Hexinverter. In Kürze - Ich mag das Teil sehr. Längere Fassung auf Englisch weiter unten (bin gerade zu faul, das zu übersetzen - Die 2cents arteten dieses Mal etwas aus).
Erica Synths Hexinverter Hexdrums - My 2 Cents and a maybe unconventional POV:
In this video, I’m taking a closer look at the Erica Synths Hexinverter Hexdrums, a performance-focused drum machine with eight analog voices (based upon Hexinverter's Mutant Series) and two digital voices using samples (Ride / Cymbals).
Hexdrums clearly prioritizes immediacy and character over refinement. The WYSIWYG-style interface makes it easy to understand what’s going on at all times, and sound design feels direct and intuitive without menu diving.
Sonically, Hexdrums has a very raw analog character: punchy, and unapologetically bold - which makes it especially well-suited for techno, industrial, and live-oriented electronic music. The drive and compressor section adds to that.
The sequencer follows a classic approach but adds modern tools like microtiming, ratchets, and probability, which significantly expand rhythmic possibilities without complicating the workflow. It’s simply a lot of fun to use, encouraging experimentation and hands-on performance rather than precision programming. That said, Hexdrums isn’t aiming for subtlety: softer sounds take some effort to dial in, tuning individual voices can be a bit fiddly, and accent programming is fairly basic. There’s also a noticeable noise floor in certain settings, which may or may not be an issue depending on your use case — in a live context, it often adds to the character rather than detracting from it.
TL;DR: A great analog / hybrid drum machine for those who prefer character over thousands of options. Its approach is very anachronistic, and maybe that's exactly what you're looking for. I found it really inspiring and fun to use.
An unconventional POV and addition to the review. HEXDRUMS vs. TR-1000?
As the Hexinverter shares some X0X DNA, some might wonder how it compares to Roland’s TR-1000. I’ve had the latter here for some weeks now (a video will follow later this year). And as much as I liked the TR-1000, its sheer flexibility overwhelmed me most of the time; and I’m clearly not against complicated or feature-laden gear.
But when it comes to drum machines, I prefer a fast and intuitive workflow, and that’s something I simply couldn’t achieve with the TR-1000. That being said, for sound design on the TR-1000, I always relied on the editor. Don’t get me wrong - it’s capable of so many great things and delivers a very production-ready sound. But there are soooo many levels of editing that for me, it almost took away all the fun.
That impression only increased when the HEXDRUMS arrived. All of a sudden, I was reminded of what I’m actually looking for in a drum machine: a particular sound, intuitive programming, and having most of the relevant parameters right in front of you, without menu diving.
So if you’re into that kind of workflow and like a rougher sound aesthetic, check out the Hexdrums. If you want a studio-grade, excellent-sounding drum machine with almost endless features, the TR-1000 might be the better choice.
And well - if you want an untamed raw sound, presets, and don’t care about a workflow that’s sometimes a bit weird, check out the Jomox Alphabase 2. But I’ll leave that chapter closed for now.
Pro:
Straight-forward user interface with a clear WYSIWYG approach
Particular sound with a lot of character
Old-school sequencer enhanced with modern features like microtiming, ratchet, and probability
Simply a lot of fun to work with
Well-built and feels solid
Neutral:
Can exhibit a noticeable noise floor in certain settings
Contra:
Matching tunings between individual instruments can be tricky
Accent programming is very basic
Harder to achieve softer, more delicate sounds (though not impossible)
heute im Fokus: Hexdrums von Erica Synths / Hexinverter. In Kürze - Ich mag das Teil sehr. Längere Fassung auf Englisch weiter unten (bin gerade zu faul, das zu übersetzen - Die 2cents arteten dieses Mal etwas aus).
Erica Synths Hexinverter Hexdrums - My 2 Cents and a maybe unconventional POV:
In this video, I’m taking a closer look at the Erica Synths Hexinverter Hexdrums, a performance-focused drum machine with eight analog voices (based upon Hexinverter's Mutant Series) and two digital voices using samples (Ride / Cymbals).
Hexdrums clearly prioritizes immediacy and character over refinement. The WYSIWYG-style interface makes it easy to understand what’s going on at all times, and sound design feels direct and intuitive without menu diving.
Sonically, Hexdrums has a very raw analog character: punchy, and unapologetically bold - which makes it especially well-suited for techno, industrial, and live-oriented electronic music. The drive and compressor section adds to that.
The sequencer follows a classic approach but adds modern tools like microtiming, ratchets, and probability, which significantly expand rhythmic possibilities without complicating the workflow. It’s simply a lot of fun to use, encouraging experimentation and hands-on performance rather than precision programming. That said, Hexdrums isn’t aiming for subtlety: softer sounds take some effort to dial in, tuning individual voices can be a bit fiddly, and accent programming is fairly basic. There’s also a noticeable noise floor in certain settings, which may or may not be an issue depending on your use case — in a live context, it often adds to the character rather than detracting from it.
TL;DR: A great analog / hybrid drum machine for those who prefer character over thousands of options. Its approach is very anachronistic, and maybe that's exactly what you're looking for. I found it really inspiring and fun to use.
An unconventional POV and addition to the review. HEXDRUMS vs. TR-1000?
As the Hexinverter shares some X0X DNA, some might wonder how it compares to Roland’s TR-1000. I’ve had the latter here for some weeks now (a video will follow later this year). And as much as I liked the TR-1000, its sheer flexibility overwhelmed me most of the time; and I’m clearly not against complicated or feature-laden gear.
But when it comes to drum machines, I prefer a fast and intuitive workflow, and that’s something I simply couldn’t achieve with the TR-1000. That being said, for sound design on the TR-1000, I always relied on the editor. Don’t get me wrong - it’s capable of so many great things and delivers a very production-ready sound. But there are soooo many levels of editing that for me, it almost took away all the fun.
That impression only increased when the HEXDRUMS arrived. All of a sudden, I was reminded of what I’m actually looking for in a drum machine: a particular sound, intuitive programming, and having most of the relevant parameters right in front of you, without menu diving.
So if you’re into that kind of workflow and like a rougher sound aesthetic, check out the Hexdrums. If you want a studio-grade, excellent-sounding drum machine with almost endless features, the TR-1000 might be the better choice.
And well - if you want an untamed raw sound, presets, and don’t care about a workflow that’s sometimes a bit weird, check out the Jomox Alphabase 2. But I’ll leave that chapter closed for now.
Pro:
Straight-forward user interface with a clear WYSIWYG approach
Particular sound with a lot of character
Old-school sequencer enhanced with modern features like microtiming, ratchet, and probability
Simply a lot of fun to work with
Well-built and feels solid
Neutral:
Can exhibit a noticeable noise floor in certain settings
Contra:
Matching tunings between individual instruments can be tricky
Accent programming is very basic
Harder to achieve softer, more delicate sounds (though not impossible)
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