Gforce IconDrum review!

GForce has recently released IconDrum which is there take on the iconic Linn Drum from Roger Linn. Everybody knows the Linn Drum, from its use by artists like Prince to being on countless hits and albums in the 80s! I mean Dare! from The Human League was virtually a Linn Drum demo record at the time…

https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/icondrum/


IconDrum comes as a VST2/3 plugin, AU and standalone version, but immediately I have an issue. Rather like its DMX take the IconDrum has no sequencer. Now in a DAW that is perfectly fine, but standalone, well that just seems lazy to me. A simple sequencer say like the CR-78 from Cherry Audio would make way more sense. I mean they include a load of MIDI patterns but part of the Linn Drum experience was that really easy to use sequencer. It follows on from a worrying trend I have seen with plugins this year of just lazyness. Plenty of plugins just not offering great value for money – and here is a perfect example. Yes there are some basic fx, and some decent kits, but Linn samples are easy to find and in fact plenty are available for free (Ableton Live Studio for example) so at the recommended price of £49.99 (on offer right now at £24.99) you are basically getting a nice sounding set of samples and ways to tweak them, but still need something else to drive those samples. Now £50 for some samples and simple fx is not decent value for money in this day and age. The DMX plugin is the same and it is such a missed opportunity! For this reason there really isn’t much to review. You get some kits, some MIDI patterns and the plugin. It does what you expect, seems stable, doesn’t use much resources, but is also not a lot of stuff there. You need a MIDI program like a DAW or a MIDI controller to drive it. This results in a fairly low score from me as I feel it could have been so much better!

GForce IconDrum

6.5 out of 10
£49.99£24.99
icondrum

The iconic Linn Drum gets the GForce treatment. Decent samples, but no sequencer leaves me a bit sad. Seems a lazy product that could have given so much more and thus makes it expensive for what it is…

Stability
7 out of 10
Seems stable though I have had a few slowdowns. But it doesn't do that much in fairness
Ease of Use
8 out of 10
Easy to use, though there isn't that much to it. Sounds exactly as you expect, but in this day and age that is a given…
Look & Feel
7 out of 10
Does exactly as you'd expect though I still feel it isn't pushing any boundaries at all
Price
4 out of 10
Controversial but I feel at £49.99 it should have a sequencer, otherwise it is just a set of nicely curated samples with some FX

Pros

Easy to use

Sounds great. Basic FX included

Does exactly as you'd expect it to

Cons

No sequencer means it is just a set of Linn samples.

Pretty basic – not great value for money if I'm honest

Just seems lazy to me and could have been so much better

icondrum
icondrum
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