BRIGHTWORK All nine $79
Anvil running
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Drum machine

Anvil

Light the steps. Hit play.

  • 12 drum voices
  • Analog + samples
  • Kit and beat presets
  • Drag beats out as MIDI
Free demo
Read the manual

Anvil is a drum machine with the feel of hardware. Pick a drum, light its steps, press play. Each of its twelve voices can be an analog-style circuit, a built-in sample, or both layered. Patterns switch from your Ableton clips, and any beat drags out as MIDI.

12
drum voices
55
built-in samples, all original
21
kits
39
beats to start from

The whole window

Click or tap to see it full size.

Anvil playing Synthpop Drive on the Gated 80s kit, with the kick selected.

What it does

Program it like hardware

Pick a drum and light its steps on sixteen big keys, or work on the full 12-drum grid. Steps take accents, flams, rolls, chance, fill-only and per-step tune and decay.

Analog, sample or both

Every pad can be an analog-style voice, a sample, or both blended. The kick has three models with a pitch sweep, and Grit adds the crunchy converters of the early-80s sample machines.

32 patterns, switched by clips

A bank of 32 patterns, A1 to D8. A note in an Ableton clip picks the pattern, so you arrange the song with clips and never need a track per drum. Chains play patterns in order inside the plugin too.

Fills that write themselves

Press FILL for one fill at the end of the loop, or let Auto fill play one every 2, 4, 8 or 16 bars. A pattern with no fill of its own gets one made up on the spot, with a crash on the next downbeat.

Into your DAW

Drag a beat, a clip or a whole chain out as MIDI. Send each drum to its own output, play the pads from MIDI, and record live hits onto the grid.

Four looks

Slate, Machine, Paper or Mono. A big green PLAY button, a seven-segment display and LED step keys in every one.

Signal chain

  1. 12 pads
  2. Drive + Grit
  3. Level + Pan
  4. Mix bus
  5. Glue
  6. Volume

Or route any drum to its own output: Main plus 12 stereo outs.

21 kits and 39 beats

HYBRID KITS

  • Anvil Classic
  • Boom Crunch
  • Synthpop
  • Darkwave
  • Industrial

ANALOG KITS

  • Boom Box
  • Sub Boom
  • Electro
  • Trap Sub
  • Tight Analog
  • Disco Toms
  • House
  • Minimal

SAMPLED KITS

  • Crunch Machine
  • Rap '84
  • Studio Kit
  • Gated 80s
  • Post-Punk
  • Boom Bap

LOFI KITS

  • Lofi Dust
  • Faded Tape

BEATS

  • Basics (6)
  • Electro & Boom (6)
  • Hip-Hop (5)
  • New Wave & Synthpop (6)
  • Post-Punk & Darkwave (6)
  • Dance (6)
  • Lofi & Faded (4)

Specs

TypeInstrument: MIDI in, Main + 12 stereo outputs
Put it onOne MIDI track
Patterns32 per instance, 1 to 64 steps each
WindowResizable, 60% to 160%
SystemWindows 10 or 11, 64-bit. VST3 plugin and standalone app. Mac version planned.
LicenceOne key for everything on your order, checked offline. No iLok, no account.

Anvil

$20

Yours to keep, on every computer you own. Try the free demo first: everything works, with a short gap every 45 seconds until you add a key.

Free demo

Or get all nine for $79. Need help? Read the Anvil manual or support.