Neuzeit Instruments - Drop

Anyone who has tried to perform live with a table full of hardware knows the challenge — how do you manage everything at once, especially during transitions? Neuzeit Instruments' Drop tries to answer this question. It's a dedicated master controller designed to sit at the center of your setup, letting you save and recall the state of all your connected gear using "snapshots". Instead of juggling a dozen machines at once, you use one controller to orchestrate your entire set. The snapshots themselves store fader positions, encoder values, button states, and more — ready to be launched in sync with the masterbeat or scheduled as a 'drop', a couple of beats up ahead.

The control surface is pretty generous — 32 RGB-lit encoders (all pushable), 8 faders with dual-layer operation, and a 4×5 clip grid with dedicated navigation and scene-launch buttons. Every control can be mapped freely, grouped, and color-coded, with macros allowing one knob to move up to eight parameters at once. Oh, and this controller is built like a tank with its metal chassis and metal shaft encoders, road ready!

Connectivity covers most needs — Two USB-C ports handle both power and MIDI duties, while four TRS MIDI I/O connections provide dedicated channels for individual devices. CV inputs and outputs bridge the gap to modular setups, and there’s also a MIDI merge system that keeps everything running smoothly without bandwidth bottlenecks. For those working with DAWs, dedicated scripts support Ableton Live and Bitwig clip launching.

Live performance should be about flow, not frantic problem-solving, and Drop might just be the missing glue that ties your live rig together into a playable whole. With 400 snapshots and transitions that sync to your master clock, you can finally focus on the music instead of the mechanics.

Features:

• Master controller for live performance
• 32 push-encoders with LED rings, 8 faders, and 8 mute buttons
• Layer A/B system doubles the available physical controls
• 20 banks with 20 snapshots each for saving and recalling setups
• Jump Mode: Recalls snapshots immediately or with a user-defined fade time
• Drop Mode: Schedules snapshot changes to occur in sync with the beat/bar
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C (Host/Device), 4x 3.5mm TRS MIDI In/Out (Type A/B), 2x CV Out (0-5V)
• DAW support with scripts for Ableton Live and Bitwig clip/scene launching
• Multiple units can be linked for expanded control or collaborative sets
• On-device configuration with MIDI learn, no software dependency
• Advanced clocking with per-port MIDI delay and a master re-sync function
• Rugged metal enclosure with metal-shaft encoders