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Today we're going to review the Arturia DrumBrute Impact, let's talk about its features and get familiar with its main capabilities. Arturia DrumBrute Impact is a drum machine with a step-by-step ten-track sequencer. It was introduced in 2018 as a lighter version of the popular Arturia DrumBrute instrument with fewer features, but more affordable. Meanwhile, all the core functions and key control features of DrumBrute Impact are fully retained.
We would also like to note that in early 2022 the French company Arturia introduced a limited batch of devices of the Brute series in an alternative color design, called Noir Editions. We are talking about three analog synthesizers MiniBrute 2, MiniBrute 2S, and DrumBrute Impact, which in this edition received a dark case color. Unfortunately, the DrumBrute Impact in the Noir Edition is very hard to find now, as this limited edition has been sold out for a long time. However, luckily the classic DrumBrute Impact is still available on almost all major marketplaces. So let's start our Arturia DrumBrute Impact review as usual with the unit's specifications.
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Best Price on Arturia DrumBrute Impact
The Arturia DrumBrute Impact is a compact, analog drum machine designed to offer powerful, punchy, and versatile drum sounds with an intuitive interface. |
Classic Package
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DrumBrute Impact is based on the classic drum machines of the 1980s. One of its most important features is its completely hardware-based sound synthesis, which allows you to achieve a bright and characteristic analog sound. At the same time, the set of synthesis settings is minimal and limited to a few parameters. This means that the emphasis in DrumBrute is on the recognizable sound of drum machines of the era and flexible sequencing capabilities, rather than on timbre variation and transformation, although this is available in this device in one form or another.
The DrumBrute Impact drum machine is based on ten fixed timbres, nine distinctive drum sounds, and one customizable FM synthesizer sound. Each of these sounds is controlled by a dedicated pad and controls located above the pads. As you can see, there are only eight pads. The point is that the sounds of the toms, cymbals and cowbell are combined into common pads as the most rarely changed ones. In the sequencer, however, they have the same separate tracks as all the other drum sounds. All available parameters for adjustment are signed and allow you to change volume, pitch, and duration. In the case of FM synthesis, modulation frequency and impact intensity are added to everything else.
For more expressiveness, the unit has an additional color mode that allows you to add a certain coloration to the sound. Except for the cowbell sound, each sound has a different processing. This means that the drum sound has a slightly added overdrive effect, the snare and clap sounds have a different tone and attack, the hi-hat sound has a different harmonic saturation, and so on. The intensity of the coloration in Color mode is not adjustable and can only be enabled for each of the timbres individually. Interestingly, Color Mode does not work as an effect applied to the entire track but can be applied to specific notes in a pattern. This allows you to add some variety and variation to your drum parts.
The built-in sequencer allows you to create patterns of up to 64 beats. You can store 16 projects (songs) in the unit's memory, which can contain up to 16 different patterns that can be played back in a preset order. There are 16 backlit display pads for easy pattern creation and editing. The pattern creation process is quite simple and no different from many other similar devices. You can record in both playback and standalone modes. You can also create patterns using the MIDI Control Center program and then transfer them to the unit's memory.
The pads are force-sensitive and can record different velocities. When creating or editing a pattern in non-real-time, you can set a higher velocity for individual notes. You can do this using Accent Mode, which allows you to emphasize certain beats in the pattern. You can specify the velocity value for accented notes in the Preferences.
When recording a pattern in real-time, quantization is always on by default, but you can turn it off if necessary. You can then move the entire track or individual notes of the pattern slightly forward or backward. Note that within a single pattern, tracks can have different durations. The polyrhythmic nature of sequencing allows you to create interesting, non-repeating rhythmic patterns. Traditional swing and randomization functions are also available. You can apply them to entire sequences or to individual patterns.
DrumBrute Impact offers several additional modes for playing sequences in real-time. For example, Solo and Mute modes. These allow you to group sequencer tracks together and then press a button to mute or solo the selected patterns. We should also tell you about the Step Repeat mode, which allows you to loop playback at specific intervals (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32). Step Repeat is controlled by a Touch Strip with markers and a position indicator. Step Repeat has two modes of operation: Looper and Roller. In Looper mode, pressing the Touch Strip will repeat the notes that are playing at the time the button is pressed. All other sequencer sounds will stop. In Roller mode, only the sounds of the pads pressed at the time of the loop are looped, while the sequencer continues to play. This means that the repeated looped channels play over the rest of the sequencing sounds. These techniques come from DJ equipment and allow you to modify monotonous rhythmic patterns or mark a climactic development.
DrumBrute Impact offers rich synchronization options for use in multiple synthesizer configurations. A single synthesizer can act as both a sending and receiving device. In addition to the internal clock, synchronization is available via USB, MIDI, and TRS interfaces.
The DrumBrute Impact inherits from the older DrumBrute model a channel-by-channel output split. The unit allows you to send the entire mixed signal to the mix output as well as the drum, snare, hi-hat, and FM synthesizer channels separately. Interestingly, when connected to the individual outputs, the signals from the connected channels are removed from the main output. The headphone output is a mini-jack, allowing you to monitor the signal from all channels at any jack. The headphone volume control is combined with the output control. To add some aggression to the overall sound, an additional distortion effect is available on the master output. The effect is quite subtle, not overly saturated, but noticeably improves the density of the sound. However, the effect is switchable and its use is optional. Examples of the sound and quality of the processing used can be heard on the official product page (they're really good).
Our Arturia DrumBrute Impact review has come to an end, and it's time to summarize the results. As it turned out, the lightweight version of Arturia's DrumBrute Impact drum machine does not lack too much functionality compared to the more advanced DrumBrute model. All the key features of DrumBrute Impact, such as separate outputs, synchronization and convenient working with patterns, are fully functional. Features like the color effect and FM synthesizer as an additional drum sound make DrumBrute Impact even more attractive than the older DrumBrute model + the DrumBrute Impact also has a more stylish look and feel, and more comfortable pads.
We hope you enjoyed our Arturia DrumBrute Impact review. Feel free to leave your comments, questions & suggestions in the section below. We'll be happy to answer them all.
Pros
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Cons
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8.3
/10
Our Score
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