Iconic Instruments has launched a new plugin instrument, created in collaboration with renowned British producer and engineer Steve Levine. This instrument, the first in a new series called Levine’s Machines, is a faithful reproduction of the drum machine that featured prominently on some of Steve Levine’s most famous recordings. Additionally, it includes his outboard effects processors and 20 mix and pattern presets, all crafted by Levine himself.
The Drum/Mixer panel offers a comprehensive set of controls, featuring drum triggers and individual tuning for each drum. Users can also adjust Delay and Reverb sends, panning, volume, and busing for each drum. The Sequencer panel allows full customization with a 16-step sequencer, offering Step and Shuffle controls. Convenient functions like Copy, Paste, Clear, and Reset allow for easy adjustments, while the Mix and Pattern preset banks contain 20 carefully designed presets by Steve Levine. These presets can be locked to preview complementary patterns and mix settings, or unlocked for more flexibility in track customization.
Each drum and the Mix bus come with a full-featured channel strip. This includes Drive (with high- and low-pass exclusion controls), a Compressor/Limiter, Transient control, and a four-band British-style EQ, all modeled after the specific gear Steve Levine used during the 1980s. The Delay and Reverb send effects are inspired by Levine’s favorite 80s-era units, bringing a nostalgic sound to the plugin.
The Drums section includes clickable triggers, individual tuning for each drum, open Hi-Hat length control, and a Clave>Rimshot switch. The Mixer section offers Delay and Reverb send control, along with panning, volume, and busing options for each drum and the Mix bus.
The Sequencer enables users to create their own custom patterns or modify Levine’s pre-built ones. The Copy, Paste, Clear, and Reset buttons allow for easy creation of alternative bars. The Play/Stop button links the sequencer playback to the DAW’s playback, or it can be decoupled for standalone use or MIDI track control. The Shuffle control introduces a delay to even-numbered steps, creating an organic feel or a dotted rhythm effect. The Step setting adjusts the number of steps per bar, with a 16-step setting corresponding to one bar in the DAW.
Levine’s Machines – Drum Machine includes 20 presets that reflect the distinctive sound of 1980s music, all curated by Steve Levine. These presets can be locked for full preset previews or unlocked for independent use.
For flexibility, the instrument can be toggled between a chromatic note layout and a General MIDI mapping using the Gen and Chrom jacks on the side.
The Levine’s Machines – Drum Machine is available in VST and Audio Units format at an introductory price of $79 (plus tax or VAT) from iconic.nyc, with the price eventually increasing to $99. An AAX format is available for Mac users, though AAX is currently unavailable for Windows.
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