Killer kick drum enhancements in new free plugin from KSHMR

If you are missing the wow-factor in your kicks, the latest free plugin from renowned producer KSHMR – Kick Essentials – has left me really impressed.

A cut down version of his new plugin called Essentials, Kick Essentials is the free version with an assortment of controls to tighten up and enhance your kick drum.

With a similar idea to Infected Mushroom’s Pusher plugin, Kick Essentials combines all the effects you need into simple controls in a single plugin.

The controls are easy and clear to use and really add punch and brightness to kick samples and sounds, as well as fattening them up and adding warmth so they can be heard on lower-end speakers.

Showcasing how much time he puts into mixing his kicks, KSHMR’s Kick Essentials allows deep control of the main components of the sound.

The sub control allows for tuned enhancements so you can keep your kick boosted in the right key, while the mid and air controls have enough oomph to brighten up a dull sound.

The pressure control is a juicy multiband compression effect, clearly with a lot of thought put into the ratios and maths, as it is an instant improvement, even if you don’t touch any other control in the VST.

The tape control adds some subtle distortion, which works, but can be a bit scratchy, so in my tests, I didn’t lean on it much at all. The compression control, likewise, does its job but won’t beat a dedicated compressor plugin.

The final control is the width, this one was perhaps the least useful in my tests, generally causing the click of the kick sample to pan left or right.

The main plugin

KSHMR Kick Essentials is the “Lite” version of KSHMR Essentials, which not only covers kicks, but also has tabs for basses, vocals, drums, and synths.

It is available on Splice’s rent-to-own payment plan at a cost of $4.99/month for 20 months, after which you own the plugin forever.