If you love designing drums from the ground up—kicks that lock to your song’s key, snares that fizz just right, hats that breathe—these drum synth plugins deliver the goods. Below you’ll find modern workhorses, analog-modeled charmers, cutting-edge re/synths, and killer one-trick tools. I’ve included what each is best for, plus trusted sources so you can dive deeper.

Analog hardware has long been the holy grail of music production—classic EQs, compressors, reverbs, and synths defined the sound of entire eras. But not every producer has access to racks of vintage gear or a pristine studio. Thankfully, modern developers have created software emulations so close to the originals that they’ve become indispensable in the box. Here are the best hardware-inspired VSTs in 2025.