MODO Drum Custom Shop

MODO Drum Custom Shop is the free edition of IK Multimedia’s MODO Drum, and it works differently from every other plugin on this list. Instead of playing back samples, it uses physical modeling (modal synthesis) to generate drum sounds in real time. That means you get infinite velocity layers, no round-robin artifacts, and the ability to tune drums without the pitch-shifting weirdness you get with sample-based plugins.

The free version includes one kit (the Studio kit) and the complete MODO Drum engine. You can adjust shell material, depth, head type, snare tension, and microphone placement. It’s the most tweakable free drum plugin available. The trade-off is CPU usage. I constantly get higher CPU loads compared to sample-based alternatives. The sound also requires more mixing work to get radio-ready, unlike SSD Free or MT Power Drum Kit 2, which are pre-processed.

MODO Drum Custom Shop requires IK Multimedia’s Product Manager for installation.