1. Load Voltage 80
Insert Voltage 80 using the CLAP, VST3 or Audio Unit format supported by your host. Keep the same plug-in format when reopening a saved project.
GUIDE Voltage 80
Voltage 80 user guide
Version 1.1.10 · macOS · Audio Unit, CLAP and VST3
Use this guide for the dedicated Voltage 80 plug-in. It covers the panel, MIDI map, internal sequencer, Trigger In, kick performance modes, individual outputs and project recall.
First setup
Load to first beat
Your bitsnacks account gives you access to the Bitsnacks Vending Machine. Choose Voltage Drums there, start the full 14-day trial or use your existing licence, and install it. Restart your DAW before looking for the instruments.
2. Confirm the identity
The header reads VOLTAGE 80 in the fixed MODEL display. That display has no arrows or action.
3. Pick a kit
Use the arrows beside PRESET. The eight factory kits apply complete parameter states. An asterisk after the kit name marks a changed value.
4. Play or program
Send host MIDI, click a voice label to audition it, or place hits on the sixteen-step grid and press the green play key.
Sixteen synthesized voices
Panel controls and MIDI map
Machine controls
- Volume under MASTER and OUTPUT in the header both set the complete Main output. Individual buses are tapped before it.
- Accent sets the lift applied by accented MIDI notes and accented sequencer steps.
- BD Tune spans -12 to +12 semitones around the bass drum's measured default.
- MAP / CH16 chooses the bass-drum MIDI policy described in the kick section.
- The pair switches on the tom-conga, rim shot-claves and clap-maracas strips choose which voice of the pair that strip's level knob and grid row control.
Factory kits
Reference Circuit · Deep Foundation · Tight Current · Airlock Hats · Copper Claps · Tom Voltage · Sparse Start · Full Current
A preset writes every Voltage 80 sound parameter, which prevents a new kit from inheriting part of the previous one.
| Voice | Panel controls | MIDI notes |
|---|---|---|
| BD · Bass drum | Level · Tone · Decay · BD Tune | 35, 36 |
| SD · Snare drum | Level · Tone · Snappy · early-unit revision in the host parameter list | 38, 40 |
| LT · Low tom | Level · Low tuning | 41, 45 |
| MT · Mid tom | Level · Mid tuning | 43, 47 |
| HT · High tom | Level · High tuning | 48, 50 |
| LC / MC / HC · Congas | Level · shared Low / Mid / High tuning | 64 / 63 / 62 |
| RS · Rimshot | Level | 37 |
| CP · Handclap | Level | 39 |
| CB · Cowbell | Level | 56 |
| CY · Cymbal | Level · Tone · Decay | 49, 51, 57 |
| OH · Open hat | Level · Decay | 46 |
| CH · Closed hat | Level · closes the open-hat envelope | 42, 44 |
| MA · Maracas | Level | 69, 70 |
| CL · Claves | Level | 75 |
Velocity drives accent.
MIDI velocities 1-100 play unaccented hits in new instances. Velocities 101-127 increase accent toward the depth set by Accent. Earlier saved projects retain their original velocity response.
Closed hat ends open hat.
A closed-hat trigger terminates the open-hat envelope. MIDI note-off leaves drum tails running.
Tails remain active.
Repeated bass-drum hits re-excite the current resonator state instead of replacing its tail.
Sixteen editable steps
Sequencer and Beat Library
Enter hits
Click a cell in a voice row to toggle that hit. The top ACCENT row marks a column as accented. Clicking a voice label auditions it and leaves the grid unchanged.
Set tempo and swing
Set the internal tempo with the TEMPO knob or tap it on TAP. Swing alternates the two sixteenth-note lengths while preserving the duration of each eighth-note pair, and it also shapes the steps when following the DAW. SHUFFLE turns swing off, and a second press brings back the last amount.
Choose the clock
Under PLAY MODE, PATTERN runs the internal clock from the panel play key. SONG follows the host transport position and tempo. The Sequencer Clock host parameter also offers Off, which produces no pattern hits while MIDI stays active.
Edit the pattern
Copy stores the grid in the editor clipboard and also places it on the system clipboard as a MIDI file. Paste replaces the grid from it, and Clear turns every step off.
Open the Beat Library
- Press BEATS in the header.
- Select one of the twenty-four curated patterns.
- Choose Play to load it into the grid and hear it, or Load to place it in the editable grid and stop playback.
- Choose Stop to end playback. Press BEATS again to close the library.
Import and export MIDI
- EXPORT shows DRAG / COPY. Drag it onto a DAW track to drop the grid as a format-0 MIDI file at 480 PPQ, or click it to copy the file for DAWs that paste MIDI files.
- IMPORT lists the
.midfiles in~/Music/VoltageDrums/imports. - Imported note-ons are quantized to the nearest sixteenth and replace the grid. Velocities of 112 and above become accents.
- Mapped notes, step positions and the normal/accent velocity classes survive an export and import round trip.
Bass-drum performance
Tune the kick or follow audio
MAP and CH16
MAP uses the drum-note table on every MIDI channel. CH16 keeps that map on channels 1-15 and reserves channel 16 for chromatic bass drum. Notes 8-55 are accepted there. BD Tune is added to the incoming note offset.
Note-off never cuts a ringing kick tail.
Trigger In
Open your DAW's plug-in parameter list to find the Trigger In and Match controls.
- Route the source track to the plug-in's Trigger In sidechain.
- Turn Trigger In on, choose a voice and set Trigger Sensitivity.
- For Bass Drum, select Match Slot A or B and press Match.
- Play the source. A usable settled pitch updates the armed slot and reaches the next synthesized kick.
Stereo Main plus fourteen
Individual output routing
Signal contract
- Main carries the complete stereo mix.
- Individual 01-14 carry dual-mono circuit taps on stereo buses.
- The taps follow voice level and precede Master.
- Use Main for the complete mix, or mute it when rebuilding the mix from individual returns.
Set up the host
Enable the auxiliary outputs exposed by Voltage 80, route the required buses to tracks or channels, and process those returns independently. Host menus show the stable names Individual 01 through Individual 14.
| Bus | Circuit output | Bus | Circuit output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bass drum | 08 | High conga |
| 02 | Snare drum | 09 | Rimshot / claves |
| 03 | Low tom | 10 | Handclap |
| 04 | Mid tom | 11 | Cowbell |
| 05 | High tom | 12 | Cymbal |
| 06 | Low conga | 13 | Open / closed hats |
| 07 | Mid conga | 14 | Maracas |
Project state
Automation and recall
Controls return.
The host stores Voltage 80's parameters, including kit changes and Trigger In settings.
The grid returns.
Clock mode, play state, tempo, swing, Beat Library selection and all sixteen columns are saved.
Voltage 80 stays Voltage 80.
The MODEL label is fixed. Reopening the project restores this dedicated instrument rather than a selectable model.
Fast checks
Troubleshooting
A licence notice appears and the instrument is silent
Open the Vending Machine and sign in with the account that holds your trial or licence. Follow the action shown for your collection, then reopen the plug-in after the installation or licence update. An expired trial needs a current licence before the instrument can play again.
No sound
Check the host MIDI input, the Volume knob and the selected voice level. In SONG mode, start transport and confirm the host supplies musical position.
The play key does not advance the pattern
Set PLAY MODE to PATTERN. SONG follows the DAW transport. If PATTERN is already lit, check that the Sequencer Clock host parameter is not set to Off.
No sound on an individual output
Enable and route the matching auxiliary bus in the host. Confirm the pattern or MIDI note triggers the circuit assigned to that bus.
Channel 16 does not tune the kick
Set the performance control to CH16, send MIDI on channel 16 and use notes 8-55.
Trigger In does not fire
Confirm the sidechain route, turn Trigger In on and raise Trigger Sensitivity until the source transients cross the detector threshold.
MIDI import shows no files
Place .mid files in ~/Music/VoltageDrums/imports, close the import window and open it again.
For support, include your operating system, host, plug-in format and sample rate. Add the shortest sequence that reproduces the problem.
Voltage Drums supportOpen supportTrademark notice. The Roland TR-808 is referenced only to identify the hardware studied and measured. Roland and TR-808 are trademarks of Roland Corporation. Voltage 80 and Voltage Drums are independent products with no affiliation or endorsement.