Bullfrog Drums

Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums is a desktop drum machine, sampler and CV/Gate sequencer developed by Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin. Its seven sample-based voices let you build kits from the factory library or record your own sounds through the built-in microphone or line input. Each voice has a dedicated level control, and the step sequencer adds microtiming, ratchets, probability and parameter locks to patterns up to 64 steps long. The built-in speaker lets you sketch beats without a mixer, while stereo and headphone outputs suit studio practice and performance. MIDI and CV/Gate connections let you bring external synthesizers into the same arrangement.

Key features

• Seven sample-based voices with individual level controls
• Seven factory sample banks by Richie Hawtin and the Erica Synths team
• 64 MB total sample memory and up to 16 banks for user samples
• Built-in microphone and line input for recording samples
• Sample shaping with pitch, decay, loop point, filter cutoff, resonance, overdrive and stereo pan
• X0X-style sequencer with step and tap entry and up to 64 steps per pattern
• Ratchets, rolls, probability, microtiming and parameter automation
• Memory for 64 patterns and 64 kits
• CV/Gate sequencer with 1 V/octave pitch control for compatible synthesizers
• DIN MIDI In and Out, USB-C MIDI and memory backup
• Built-in speaker, stereo main output and 3.5 mm headphone output
• Aluminium desktop enclosure

Overview

Included Content

• 1 × Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums
• 1 × Universal 12 V DC power adapter
• User manual

Creative Tools

• Start with the factory samples to learn how a pattern is built. Programme a kick and snare with the step buttons, then tap in hats or percussion and use the individual level controls to balance the groove.
• Record a clap, tap or found sound through the built-in microphone. Use the line input to capture a chord stab, drum hit or sustained note from an external instrument and turn it into part of the kit.
• Give a single sample several roles. Tune it down for a heavier accent, shorten its decay for a tight rhythmic hit or use filtering and overdrive to help it cut through the rest of the pattern.
• Use parameter locks to change individual hits without altering the whole voice. Pan a percussion accent to one side or change the pitch of the final hit in a bar to make a turnaround stand out.
• Use microtiming to move a clap slightly behind the beat or push a hi-hat ahead. Add ratchets for quick repeats and set probability on less prominent hits so the groove varies as it loops.
• Save patterns and kits separately so you can try the same rhythm with different sounds. Prepare alternate patterns for a live set, then use mutes and rolls to create transitions as you play.
• Sequence a compatible synthesizer through the pitch CV and gate outputs. Build a bass line alongside the drums, or use MIDI to bring a drum machine or another sequencer into the setup.
• Sketch ideas through the built-in speaker, switch to headphones for quiet practice or connect the stereo output to a mixer or audio interface when you want to record the performance.

Ideal For

• Musicians learning drum programming and sampling
• Electronic music producers and beatmakers
• Educators teaching rhythm and electronic music production
• Live performers building sample-based hardware sets
• Sound designers turning recorded sounds into percussion
• Modular and semi-modular synthesizer users who need CV/Gate sequencing alongside drums