Attack 3 is a percussion synthesizer with an analogue-style engine, 24 sounds per kit, extensive modulation, sample playback, and studio-grade effects for creating drums from scratch.
Core Synthesis Engine
Attack 3 is a percussion synthesizer built around an analogue-style engine, offering 24 individual sounds per kit. Twelve of these sounds can be played polyphonically as pitched instruments, making it suitable for both rhythmic percussion and melodic elements. The instrument is designed for hands-on tweaking, with every parameter real-time adjustable and automatable in a DAW.
The oscillator section provides refined synthesis with accurate phase control for synthetic waveforms, alongside expanded sample playback. You can load user samples and use velocity mapping, round-robin playback, and flexible start positions. This combination of pure synthesis and sample capability allows you to create unique percussion sounds from scratch or blend them with sampled material.
Filter and Drive Character
The filter section offers a selection of new flavors, including 24 dB filters, positive and negative comb filters, and sample-rate reduction. These filters can be used to shape the tonal character of your drums, from classic sweeps to more experimental effects. The drive section adds character with types such as Clip, Transistor, Diode, Crunch, Pickup, and Overdrive, letting you add grit and weight to individual sounds.
Each sound features two advanced envelopes with a multi-stage ADBDSR mode and adjustable curves. For the first time, all envelope times and levels are fully modulatable, which opens up dynamic and evolving percussion textures. This level of control is useful for creating sounds that change over time, from simple decays to complex rhythmic patterns.
Modulation and Movement
Attack 3 introduces two fully featured LFOs per sound, with classic waveforms, sample-and-hold, noise, and tempo sync. You can fine-tune modulation with adjustable start phase or free-running behavior, bipolar or unipolar modes, and delay and fade controls. This allows for precisely shaped motion on your drums.
The modulation routing has been expanded, with an extensive list of sources including multiple random modes. This encourages experimentation, as you can assign LFOs, envelopes, and random sources to various parameters. The result is a percussion instrument that can produce constantly evolving rhythms and textures, suitable for generative or performance-oriented music.
Effects and Output Structure
The effects section is a significant part of Attack 3’s sound design capability. Each of the 24 sounds has its own insert effects, including a dedicated compressor and EQ, plus one freely selectable effect from Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Drive, Phaser, or Flanger. This lets you process each drum sound individually for a polished result.
Beyond per-sound processing, there are six output busses, each with its own compressor, EQ, and three additional effects. This allows you to group sounds, like all kicks or snares, and process them together as a kit. The combination of per-sound and bus-level processing gives you studio-grade depth and polish, enabling you to shape the entire kit’s sound in a cohesive way.
Key features
- Analogue-style synthesis engine with 24 sounds per kit, 12 polyphonic
- Oscillator phase control and sample playback with velocity mapping and round-robin
- Filters include 24 dB, comb, and sample-rate reduction
- Drive types: Clip, Transistor, Diode, Crunch, Pickup, Overdrive
- Two multi-stage ADBDSR envelopes per sound, fully modulatable
- Two LFOs per sound with tempo sync and random modes
- Per-sound insert effects and six output busses with processing
Best for
Best for electronic music producers and sound designers seeking in-depth percussion synthesis, from classic analogue drum machine tones to experimental, evolving rhythms. Ideal for creating custom kits with extensive modulation and effects, suitable for genres like techno, house, and industrial, where control and uniqueness are key.