VARIANZ DRIFT is a VST3 / AU plugin combining an 8-channel drum synthesizer with a step sequencer. Instead of playing back samples, it generates the sound anew on every hit. Never the same sound twice, yet reproducible as many times as you want. That is the core concept behind this instrument, designed for EDM and techno.
VARIANZ DRIFT on an instrument track in your DAW.KIT at the top of the window. 35 kits are organized by category.PATTERN next to it. There are 104 patterns, independent of KIT, so you can combine them freely.Space key or the play button in the footer to start playback.FLUX on each channel to deepen the per-hit variation. Try moving this control first.FILE > SAVE....KIT and PATTERN are separate lists. Switching kits leaves the pattern unchanged, and switching patterns leaves the sounds unchanged. You can start from any of the 35 × 104 combinations.
FILE (save / load), KIT, and PATTERN selectors to the right.< and > buttons to step through a list one item at a time.COPY and PASTE to copy patterns between slots.VOICE is a sound source preset. Selecting one switches the combination of BODY (core) and NOISE (grit). Changing the combination manually switches the display to CUSTOM.WEAR controls how much the sound wears out as playback continues. The bar along the top edge shows the progress toward full wear.ALL CH on the right offsets pitch, brightness, length, saturation, volume, body / noise balance, and variation across all 8 channels at once. At 0, the kit plays as set.Sets the base pitch of the voice. The center frequency of the noise filter moves with it.
Sets the length of the sound. Shorter values produce tighter hits.
Adjusts the overall brightness, moving both the body (core) and noise (grit) together.
Controls how far the pitch drops right after the hit. Higher values produce a deeper boom. This largely defines the character of a kick.
Adjusts the balance between the body (core) and noise (grit). Fully left gives body only; fully right gives noise only. For snares, set this toward the right—otherwise it will sound like a tom.
Adjusts the saturation applied after mixing body and noise. It lifts the tail without crushing the initial attack.
Selects the layers that generate the core (body) and grit (noise) of the sound. Body options are SINE / FM / RESO / RING; noise options are OFF / WHITE / METAL / BURST.
B EXTRA / N EXTRA). Their function changes depending on the selected layer, so readjust these two knobs after switching layers.Sets the variation depth for the channel. Each hit varies in pitch, length, brightness, and timing.
60WEAR controls how much the sound wears out as playback continues, and SPAN sets the number of bars until it is fully worn. Stopping playback resets the wear.
Determines how variation is handled from loop to loop.
LOCKED … Same every loop. Produces the exact same performance no matter how many times it loops.EVOLVE … Gradually changes from loop to loop.FREE … Draws a fresh variation every time.Picks a different random draw for the variation. The same number always returns to the same variation. When you land on a variation you like, note down this number so you can reproduce it.
Specifies which channel is cut off when this channel triggers—for example, cutting an open hi-hat with a closed hi-hat.
Selects the output destination from MAIN, individual output, or both. Channels routed to an individual output have their PAN fixed (so you can pan them on the destination track).
REPEAT: LOCKED
SEED: Your noted number
WEAR: 0With these three settings, the performance stays identical across any number of loops. Recommended when exporting audio.
REPEAT: EVOLVE
FLUX: 40–70
WEAR: 20–35
SPAN: 16–32MIX: 70 or higher
N EXTRA2: High (when WHITE is selected)Deep variation never falls apart because REPEAT and SEED let you return to the exact same draw. A practical workflow is to search for a feel you like in FREE mode, note down the SEED number when you find it, and lock it in with LOCKED.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 / 11 x64 macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon / Intel) |
| Plugin formats | Windows: VST3 (64bit) / Mac: VST3, AU |
| Supported DAWs | DAWs supporting VST3 or AU |
| Latency | 0 samples (no reported latency) |
| Output | MIX (stereo) + 8 individual channel outputs (disabled by default) |
| Window size | 1100 × 864 (fixed) |
| Screen language | Japanese / English (follows the OS display language) |
VARIANZ DRIFT.vst3 folder to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\.VARIANZ DRIFT.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/, and copy VARIANZ DRIFT.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ (where ~ represents your home folder. In Finder, open the "Go" menu, choose "Go to Folder...", paste the path, and press Return. If the folder does not exist, create it).cd ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "VST3/VARIANZ DRIFT.vst3"
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "Components/VARIANZ DRIFT.component"Windows: Delete the copied VARIANZ DRIFT.vst3 folder. Saved presets remain in %APPDATA%\VarianzDrift\Presets\, so delete that folder as well if you no longer need them.
Mac: Delete the copied VARIANZ DRIFT.vst3 and VARIANZ DRIFT.component files. Saved presets remain in ~/Library/VarianzDrift/Presets/, so delete that folder as well if you no longer need them.
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ (or under ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ on Mac), and rescan plugins in your DAW.Space). When triggering from external MIDI, set SEQ to EXT.OUT to OUT or BOTH.OUT is set to an individual output, PAN is fixed by design. Pan the channel on the destination DAW track instead.REPEAT to LOCKED. FREE draws a fresh variation every time.