Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin launch Bullfrog Drums, a seven-voice educational drum machine

Two years after Richie Hawtin and Erica Synths first teased the concept at Superbooth 2024, Bullfrog Drums has finally arrived.

Built in collaboration between the Latvian synth manufacturer and the techno producer and label head, Bullfrog Drums is a seven-voice drum machine combining classic 909-style step sequencing with onboard sampling, hands-on per-voice controls, and CV/Gate outputs for modular integration. It follows the duo’s earlier Bullfrog Synth, which applied the same educational approach to subtractive synthesis. The machine was among the headline hardware reveals at Superbooth 2026 earlier this month.

Features

The unit ships with seven banks of factory samples curated by Hawtin and the Erica Synths team, alongside capacity for 16 additional user-loaded banks. Samples load via USB, the rear audio input, or a built-in microphone for quick field captures. Each voice has controls for pitch, decay, pan, cutoff, resonance, drive, and loop points, with parameter locks and per-track automation supported throughout.

The sequencer runs up to 64 steps with ratchets, probability controls, and micro-timing for rhythmic variation. A built-in speaker makes the unit self-contained for portable use, while CV/Gate outputs handle analogue and modular setups. The enclosure is aluminium: 40.5 x 18.5 x 6 cm, weighing 2.7 kg.

Erica frames Bullfrog Drums as optimised for a learning path in drum programming and sampling — consistent with how the Bullfrog Synth was positioned. The inclusion of micro-timing, probability gates, and modular I/O means it extends well beyond introductory territory. Producers looking at standalone drum machines can see the broader field in our roundup of the best drum machines for music production in 2026.

Price and availability

Bullfrog Drums is priced at €600 excluding VAT and is available now directly from Erica Synths.