Back in the late ’70s, the original SDS‐3 was released which became one of the first drum synthesizers to appear on the market. And what a drum synth it was. With the ability to trigger effects with any audio signal, the original SDS‐3 could effectively turn any mic’d up drum into a cool percussion synth instrument. In today’s synth landscape, the original machine is somewhat of a unicorn, but that isn’t going to stop us. We want to bring back this classic and a fun, unique way to add percussions to your songs. This is the Behringer BDS‐3.
BDS‐3 is an authentic reproduction of the original circuitry from the ’70s which means it’s got all the same quirks and characteristics that so many musicians loved with the original release, but Behringer naturally had to update some features to make it compatible with lots of various modern setups.
BDS‐3 features 4 identical drum channels that have controls for adjusting different elements of a beat. You can add a click at the start of a sound, adjust decay, bend a note up or down, change the pitch of a signal coming through as well as the range of LFO and effects from the Master/Effects section. The most fun way of triggering the channels is by mic‐ing up a drum to each of the channels and just playing. The inputs are even velocity sensitive and responsive to your playing dynamics.
Designed to handle the rigours of life on the road or in the studio, SDS‐3 can easily be transferred to any standard Eurorack case for the perfect integration into your setup. If you’re looking for a great way to add more character and spice to your beats, then SDS‐3 promises to add a truly unique flair to your percussions.