d16 Group Nithonat 2 is a major upgrade for its popular Roland TR-606 drum machine emulation plugin with new features and improvements.
The Polish developer company d16 Group published many major plugin updates in the past two years. We got the Phoscyon 2, LuSH-2, Drumazon 2, Nepheton 2, and the Sigmund 2 delay.
Anyone who knows the d16 portfolio will have noticed that almost all instruments have received a big update in the last months. Now, it’s time for the one. Say hi to Nithonat 2, the second generation of its Roland TR-606 drum machine emulation.
d16 Group Nithonat 2
The timing that the d16 Group has chosen for the Nithonat 2 release is perfect. It is 606, the day we celebrate the Roland TR-606 drum machine and Nithonat 2 continues to be an authentic emulation of this classic. But as expected, it has numerous new features, making it a souped-up emulation.
When you open it for the first time, you will immediately notice the plugin’s new modernized UI (HiDPI-support), which is easier and faster to use. Great decision to remake it.
To spice up your 606 drum sounds, Nithonat 2 offers two effect buses, each with five slots for FX, including bit-crusher, chorus, distortion, delay, EQ, reverb, and dynamic processors (compressor, gate). That’s not all. It also hosts a new master section with a multi-band compressor with three bands, and a limiter.
For the detailed work on the individual sounds, Nithonat 2 also offers a channel strip with EQ and a compressor on each individual drum sound. Thus, you can give the sounds a new character in advance. Low- and highpass filters are also available to shape the drum sounds.
In addition to the seven drum sounds, you can work with three trigger outs with a short square wave, which are suitable for typical old-school electronic sounds.
New Sequencer
As with the Drumazon 2 and Nepheton 2, d16 Group has also given the new version of the Nithonat a newer, more modern sequencer. Like the original, it has seven tracks, each with velocity settings. Plus, there is a global accent for all instruments.
Further, you get a new randomizer and a tap function for playing via drum pads. Other new features are a flam function for individual step, and the option for substep variations. Great are also the two selectable trigger modes. Also onboard is the option to import and export MIDI patterns from your DAW to the plugin and vice versa.
Lastly, you can explore a bigger factory library featuring over 900 ready-to-use presets.
First Impression
At first glance, it is another solid update for a classic d16 Group plugin. Nithonat 2 looks much better and is sure to be a lot of fun to work with. The update has no big surprises, as the developers have already given the same features to the rest of the drum machine trio.
d16 Group Nithonat 2 is available now for an introductory price of 69€ instead of 119€. Existing Nithonat 1 users can upgrade for 29€. It runs as a VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: d16 Group
Available at my partner
Fun story, I once messaged with the lead designer at D16 to ask whether there was any meaning to the names they used (Nepheton, Nithonat – those types, not Drumazon, which is obvious). He shared that they used a website that generates names for fantasy game characters – like for role play/Dungeons and Dragons I guess – and has no translation or meaning beyond that.