Cre8audio - Boom Chick

Cre8audio's Boom Chick brings Pittsburgh Modular's analog circuit design expertise to a comprehensive little drum machine that refuses to mimic the past. It manages to be both straightforward and surprisingly deep. This compact percussion powerhouse marries two essential aspects of electronic rhythm creation: meticulously crafted analog drum circuits and a flexible, feature-rich sequencer.

What strikes you immediately about the Boom Chick is its clear, one knob-per-function approach, no menus to dive into, no screen-staring required. This approach makes it incredibly direct and hands-on when shaping sounds or programming beats.

The sound engine brings together five distinct drum voices, each with its own unique character. The kick drum uses a specialized sine wave oscillator with overdrive and decay controls that let you shape everything from deep sub-kicks to aggressive, gritty attacks. The snare avoids simply cloning classic drum machines, instead offering its own voice with body tone and noise controls that create surprisingly authentic snare sounds with electronic character.

Drum channels 1 and 2 are particularly flexible, taking inspiration from the classic Pollard Syndrum. With variable waveform oscillators and FM modulation capabilities, they can generate a wide spectrum of percussive sounds – from toms and congas to metallic hits and beyond. The hats section rounds things out with analog noise circuitry and filter controls for creating everything from tight closed hats to splashy cymbals.

The sequencer on Boom Chick also deserves a shout-out — beyond simple step programming, it offers both step and live recording modes, polyrhythmic possibilities with per-channel pattern lengths, probability functions, humanizing features, and even Euclidean pattern generation. The ability to use different sequence lengths for each drum voice allows for evolving, complex patterns that don't simply repeat in lockstep. Quite a decent offering for such an unassuming little box!

Boom Chick provides individual outputs for each drum channel along with clock and reset connections, making it easily integrated with larger Eurorack systems. It can be controlled via MIDI or used as a MIDI controller itself, with comprehensive MIDI implementation including note on/off messages and clock sync capabilities.

Housed in its own dedicated case but also removable as a 40HP Eurorack module, the Boom Chick is able to play different roles. Whether you're looking to expand your modular system with a comprehensive drum machine or seeking a standalone rhythm box with deep modular integration capabilities, this collaboration between Cre8audio and Pittsburgh Modular delivers with style.

Features:

• Five meticulously designed analog drum voices with extensive parameter control
• Comprehensive 6-track, 64-step sequencer with step and live modes
• Per-track polyrhythms with adjustable sequence lengths
• Probability, roll, and humanization controls for creating varied patterns
• Euclidean pattern generator and sequence generator for quick inspiration
• Step shift for micro-timing adjustments
• Individual trigger inputs and audio outputs for each drum voice
• MIDI in/out with comprehensive implementation
• Clock in/out and reset connections for modular integration
• 64 sequence memory slots plus 16 song memory slots
• Standalone case with removable 40HP Eurorack module format (30mm depth)