Vermona DrumDing, previewed at Superbooth 2025, is an upcoming 6-track analog drum machine, featuring an original voice sampling concept.
Last year at Superbooth, Vermona previewed the hybrid DrumDing drum synthesizer/drum machine out of the blue, featuring a unique sampling concept. The concept is that you have an analog drum synth voice that you can sample in the same machine and use as a sound source.
A month before Superbooth 2026, we have news. According to Vermona, it’s almost ready.
Vermona DrumDing
YouTuber and musician OoraMusic is a beta tester of the Vermona DrumDing, and he released a full demo last week on his channel.
In this 20-minute demo, he showcases DrumDing in detail, including all its engine features.
The concept of the DrumDing remains the same. It features an analog drum voice based on the DRM1 MKIV. This can be programmed like an analog instrument. Once a sound is created, you can digitize/sample it into one of the six tracks.
According to OoraMusic, each project can store up to 32 samples, so this already is 16 more than in the prototype for Superbooth 2026. If you want a new sound, you have to rebuild it in the analog voice.
Alternatively, you can tweak each sample with various parameters: tuning, playback direction (forward/backward), AHD envelope, two FX pages, and modulation.
On FX page 1, you can find overdrive, bit reduction, and amplitude modulation (AM), and on FX page 2, two delays, reverb, and a panner. All effects can be used simultaneously, which is a positive.
The modulation slot features a single multi-wave LFO that can be routed to the digital engine’s parameters. Currently, there is only one modulator, but that could change in the future. It would be nice if there were more options available.
If you want more flexibility in your digital workflow, you can use the alternative Step button. With this, you can…
With the alternative step, you can create alternative settings for your track. For example, if you want to use a different sample or a different tuning, pressing ALT gives you a second lane of parameters.
Each step with these alternative settings lights up green. Don’t confuse this with parameter locks or animations. Every alternative setup uses the same settings here.
Therefore, you can’t have different parameters for each step. But maybe they will change this in the future. The final details will follow soon. Stay tuned.
Vermona DrumDing availability and price TBA.
Article from May 11, 2025
Drum machines with original concepts are rare. Some are based on analog or digital synth voices, with a sequencer triggering the sounds. Many also use samples.
The new Vermona DrumDing from Superbooth 2025 is different.
First Infos
DrumDing is a new analog drum machine with a unique concept. Vermona uses an original hybrid concept that I have never seen before.
The core of the Veroma DrumDing is an analog drum voice, consisting of a VCO, FM, multimode VCF, mixer with envelopes, and a master section. According to the developers, the circuit is partly based on the popular Vermona DRM1 Mk4 drum machine.
You would trigger this analog voice with a sequencer in classic drum machines. It’s different here. DrumDing has an original but simple sampling function that samples the analog voice and converts it into a playable instrument.
If you want to change or tweak the sound, you must sample the sound again. It’s a unique workflow that some people will certainly like and others won’t.
The rhythmic heart of DrumDing is a 6-track sequencer with space for up to 64 projects. Each project stores 16 samples and all six tracks of the sequencer.
The latter can reach 64 steps and offer modern features, including probability, micro-timing, polyrhythmic support, parameter locks, independent sequence length, forward and backward directions, and more.
You can refine your sounds with internal digital effects, including pitch shifter, two delays, bit crusher, reverb, and more. These can be automated in the sequence.
First Impression
A very refreshingly different concept for a drum machine. Certainly one of my highlights of Superbooth 2025.
Vermona DrumDing will be available at the end of the year. Price is TBA.
More information here: Vermona
Oh my, this is an inspired idea.
This thing won’t be cheap for sure, but just wow.
Might prove to be worth the money.
Curious what the IO looks like…
If this happens to have a way to get the finished tracks off in clean loops, like SD card or USB, that would be just amazing.
I hope it will be available starting NAMM show end of Jan 2026.
I don’t think because NAMM is no longer a synth show for smaller companies. It’s more probably for Superbooth 26
Please tell me, where is the advantage of this concept compared to a classic Drum Machine?
Workflow.
Lol. I tell you the only advantage, it is Vermona’s advantage to implement only one voice, call it innovative and put a big, fat price tag on their product, like they always do. My 10 years old real Drum Machine from a Swedish developer is laughing about this “innovation”.
Vermona products aren’t expensive, they’re well worth what you get.
I have a 10 year old Elektron Rytm and 20 year old Vermona DRM1 and after using this one a bit during the show I can clearly see its advantages.
You have no idea what it’s costs or what’s inside, you’re just ranting about something you don’t understand
I’m not against Vermona, the PERfourMER MkII is a very cool synth. But since you own an Elektron Analog Rytm, you know all the things, that you will never be able to do with this DrumDing. The Synth Anatomy video also says, DrumDing will not be cheap. Sorry, I only see downsides compared to a real Drum Machine and if I want to work with Samples, I go to NI Maschine and have 1 billion perfectly trimmed Samples.
I wouldn’t argue with taste, but comparing features is a meaningless game people play on the internet often driven by consumerism, issues with decision making, economic status, or just plain dissatisfaction from whatever. There’s no actual practicality in it when you sit down with something and actually create music.
I played it at the show and heard many new and inspiring things I never got from my beloved Rytm And it felt completely different, it took me down entirely new paths.
So go ahead and compare instruments, features, and prices all you want. Call them “real” or “overpriced” without really knowing anything meaningful about them. It’s all meaningless when it comes to actually making music. A guitar doesn’t cover violin territory, and I’d argue these two examples are less different than these two drum machines. People see names like “drum machine” or “synthesizer” and think that makes them comparable. But if they sound different, act completely differently, and have a totally different workflow, then the name is really the only thing they have in common.
You describe the total opposite of my situation. I have very limited money and very limited space. Everything here must be spot-on and for me personally, Analog Rytm and Maschine is a really hard to beat drum combination. What else do I need?
I think it’s quite genius tbh!
It is!
Price will be the determining factor here.
The Akai MPCs have a multi-output drum synth, plus the ability to modulate tracks, reverse samples, use ANY of the many built-in and available effects.
WAY more polyphony, way more memory, velocity sensitive pads etc etc.
Plus the MPC has a whole raft of synth plug-ins that can be used.
If it costs more than a basic MPC, then it’s a hipster, luxury item.
Just saying.
Looks nice tho.
Wow, there are people who are paying 1500€ for an MPC which is basically a repackaged Linux-based computer with a mini screen and some pads and buttons plus needs updates for iron out bugs, plugin purchases etc 😉
Mmmmh better a 100€ pad controller and an iPad for 300€ or simply your phone that you already have 😉 just saying 😉
Have been really into this idea from the beginning, excited for the release. It seems to be designed around the same workflow I use for doing my drums but built in a more immediate/jammable way, and the voice already sounds better and more versatile than a lot of multi-voice analog drum machines. I also love that they gave it an aux input, would be fun to send my Plaits or Noise Plethora in there to make things even more interesting.
having to go back and reset all the knobs each time you want to adjust the raw sound seems like it will be very annoying. Initially it will be a fun unit but guaranteed the longer this is on the market, the more this will be voiced by users.
it always depends on the user’s workflow.
I think the purpose of the design is to make you commit to a sound and keep moving, this is great for certain workflows where you don’t want to get stuck constantly tweaking things.
Great idea but the sounds Oora was getting in that demo video were awful. If you’re going to have to create all your own sounds then the engine needs to be good. Either the engine is weak or the operator. In this case maybe both.
I do love this thing – a mix of old and new methods and having to commit to a sound is no bad thing. Would love if it could sample ext source as well, I didn’t read all your article, so it might be in there. Looking forward to seeing it at SB26, hopefully with a price by then as well.
I have the Perfourmer mk2 and DRM1 mk4 and those are absolutely banging synths. Im getting this one for sure.
I find the retro look inspiring. I have my eye on this as it sounds interesting. Not sure I’ll get it, might not be right for me to experiment with if it is too pricey. We’ll see…
I do like that they are trying something new.