Download Sonic Academy KICK for Mac

In the edit

Start with the click section. That’s where KICK 1.1.1 lets you shape the transient that punches through a mix. Three separate areas handle the attack, so you can tune the beater thump, the knock, and the top-end snap without touching the body. It’s the kind of control that saves you from layering samples later.

1. Pick a waveform for the sub-bass. Beyond the standard sine, you get extra shapes to give the low end more character or weight.
2. Set the pitch envelope. A quick drop adds punch; a slower one makes the kick feel rounder.
3. Shape the click with those three areas. Dial in exactly how much attack cuts through.
4. Balance the body and click levels, then tweak the amp envelope to fit the track.

This is the updated version of Kick by Nicky Romero, now part of Sonic Academy’s KICK line. It’s a 64-bit Intel plugin, so it slots straight into your existing Mac setup. If you’re after a kick plugin free to try, this one gets you into serious drum design without the bloat.

How Kick 2 fits with your other tools

Kick 2 doesn't try to be a full drum machine. It does one thing — kick drums — and does it inside whatever DAW you already use. I drop it on a MIDI track in Logic, route the output to a bus, and treat the kick like any other instrument. The compressor and limiter inside the plugin mean I can shape the tail without reaching for a separate channel strip. That keeps my mixer tidy when I'm halfway through a track and don't want to break the flow.

The plugin also works well alongside sample-based workflows. If you have a favourite kick sample that needs more weight, you can layer Kick 2 underneath it. Mute the plugin's click section, let the sub oscillator do the heavy lifting, and blend to taste. The distortion effects give you options to glue the two layers together or push the top end so the sample cuts through a dense mix.

MacOS features like Audio Unit validation and quick preset browsing make it painless to audition sounds. The 230 factory presets load instantly from the plugin's browser, so you can cycle through kicks while your track loops. When you find one that's close, the three click-shaping areas let you tweak the attack without losing the character you picked.

No more hunting for setup instructions

Kick 2 versus Punchbox

Punchbox is another dedicated kick synth, but it leans harder on synthesis from scratch. You get more oscillator types and a deeper modulation matrix. Kick 2 is quicker to dial in because it separates the body and click so clearly. If you want to build a kick from a sine wave and a noise burst, Punchbox gives you more hands-on control. If you want to pick a preset, adjust the transient and move on, Kick 2 is faster.

Kick 2 versus Bazz Murderer Pro

Bazz Murderer Pro is built for aggressive electronic kicks — lots of distortion and compression baked into the signal path. Kick 2 has distortion too, with three algorithms, but it's more surgical. Bazz Murderer Pro pushes you toward heavier sounds by default; Kick 2 stays clean until you push the drive. For techno or hardstyle, Bazz Murderer Pro might get you there quicker. For house, drum and bass, or pop where the kick needs to sit under a vocal, Kick 2's EQ and limiter give you more precision.

Kick 2 versus Kick by Nicky Romero (the original)

The original Kick plugin was already a staple for many producers. Kick 2 keeps the same core idea — a sub oscillator plus sampled clicks — but adds the three distortion algorithms, the extra waveforms for the sub, and a more flexible EQ. The original was great for getting a clean kick fast. Kick 2 gives you more ways to colour the sound without leaving the plugin.

A real-world scenario: finishing a track on deadline

Laura produces drum and bass for a London label. She's mixing a track at 2am and the kick sample she used in the arrangement isn't cutting through the reece bass. She opens Kick 2 on a new MIDI track, picks a preset called 'Deep Roller' from the factory list, and adjusts the pitch envelope so the sub drops faster. The click section needs more snap, so she pushes the top-end area until she hears the attack poke through. A touch of the limiter keeps the level consistent. The whole process takes under a minute. She prints the kick to audio, aligns the phase with the original sample, and the track is ready for the morning send-off.

230 factory presets ready on install

• The installation and activation instructions are now bundled inside the package, so you don't need to hunt for a separate PDF or visit a web page to get started.
• The plugin ships with over 230 factory presets, which covers more ground than the original Kick by Nicky Romero library. You get everything from sub-heavy house kicks to tight, clicky drum and bass sounds straight out of the box.
• Kick 2 is the updated version of the original Kick plugin, meaning the architecture is rebuilt for modern production. It keeps the familiar body-and-click workflow but adds the distortion, EQ, and extra sub waveforms that producers asked for after years of using the original.

Mac it needs

• macOS: unknown
• Architecture: Intel (64-bit x86)