In genres like Hardstyle, Hardcore, Uptempo, and Rawstyle, the kick drum is the foundation of the track. Historically, producing a heavy, professional kick required daisy-chaining multiple distortion units, filters, and phase-mangling plugins—a workflow that takes years to master.
To build a competitive hard dance kick using the plugin, follow this standard industry workflow:
THE BEATKRUSHER is a audio processing plugin developed by NS Audio, a company known for creating innovative and high-quality audio processing tools. This plugin is designed to provide users with a wide range of creative possibilities, from subtle tone shaping to extreme sound manipulation. THE BEATKRUSHER is a versatile plugin that can be used on a variety of audio sources, including drums, bass, synths, and more.
NS Audio THE BEATKRUSHER is a cutting-edge audio processing plugin designed to help music producers create unique, high-quality sounds. Developed by NS Audio, a renowned company in the audio processing industry, THE BEATKRUSHER is a versatile plugin that can be used on a variety of audio sources, including drums, bass, vocals, and more.
Furthermore, Russian audio communities have listed THE BEATKRUSHER as a "universal distortion plugin" that producers have been waiting for to fix their drum issues. NS Audio THE BEATKRUSHER -WiN-MAC-
Route raw synthesizer leads through the high-band module. Link the internal LFOs to a bandpass filter to generate aggressive rhythm tracks.
Raw Signal ---> Transient Pre-Shaping ---> Asymmetric Distortion Engine ---> Multi-mode Filter Logic ---> Master Output Mix 1. Advanced Distortion Modeling
So, how can music producers and engineers use THE BEATKRUSHER in their workflow? Here are a few examples:
As a true "bit crusher," the plug-in intentionally lowers the bit depth and sample rate of the input signal. At high settings, this creates a synthetic, gated effect and introduces digital artifacts reminiscent of retro video game consoles or early samplers. At subtle settings, it adds noise, reduces dynamic range, and creates a crunchy, overdriven texture. In genres like Hardstyle, Hardcore, Uptempo, and Rawstyle,
doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it sharpens it and sets it on fire. It’s a focused, no-fuss bitcrusher with excellent stereo options and clean coding. The lack of internal modulation keeps it from being a true “sound design weapon,” but as a dedicated beat mangler, it’s top-tier in its price bracket.
Industry professionals like Joey Riot (Destructive Tendencies) and DJ Thera have praised the plugin as a "game-changer," noting its ability to produce high-quality, aggressive kicks in minutes rather than hours, serving as a modern, stable replacement for older distortion software. Comparison: The Beatkrusher vs. Alternative Distortion VSTs Distortion Plugin Key Advantage WiN & MAC Tailored hard dance distortion with included Serum banks Tritik Krush2 / Krush Pro Creative modulation and bitcrushing Audio Assault Head Crusher Tube/Analog modeling Legacy 32-bit Clippers Windows Only Obsolete; requires bridging Summary and Verdict
Here is a comprehensive guide on how to use the plugin, understand its interface, and incorporate it into your workflow.
To appreciate THE BEATKRUSHER, one must understand the unique complexity of a Rawstyle or Hardcore kick. Unlike a standard techno or house kick, a hard dance kick is an evolving sonic ecosystem. It consists of: This plugin is designed to provide users with
NS Audio has clearly targeted a specific niche with THE BEATKRUSHER—producers who want aggressive, dirty, and powerful sound processing without the hassle of complex routing. By combining EQ, filters, bit crushing, and phase manipulation, it serves as a creative powerhouse for electronic music production.
by NS Audio is a specialized audio effect plugin designed for bit crushing, sample rate reduction, distortion, and lo-fi destruction . It emulates the gritty, aliased, and degraded sound of early digital audio devices, vintage samplers, and broken converters. The plugin is available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats for both Windows and macOS.
The name “Beatkrusher” implies aggressive lo-fi destruction, but after spending serious time with it, I’d describe it as – capable of everything from gentle digital grit to complete waveform obliteration, while retaining control over dynamics and stereo image.