Synth / plugin file

Gearmulator MD/MM

Joe Landers / Free

Gearmulator MD/MM is a free, open-source plugin that runs the real Elektron Machinedrum and Monomachine firmware inside your DAW as VST3, AU and standalone.

Dubspot / verified plugin database
O veredito Dubspot

O veredito Dubspot

A free, open-source plugin that runs the actual Elektron Machinedrum and Monomachine firmware, front panels and parameter locks included, for anyone who can supply their own firmware image.

Ideal para Current and former Elektron owners who want the Machinedrum or Monomachine inside their DAW, with full parameter-lock movement and deep automation.

Pros

  • Runs the real Elektron firmware rather than a model, so behavior matches the hardware
  • Both the Machinedrum and Monomachine in VST3, AU and standalone
  • 416 and 348 automatable parameters, plus SysEx transfer and multi-output routing
  • Free and open-source under GPL-3.0

Cons

  • Requires a user-supplied firmware image; it cannot legally ship Elektron's ROM
  • Early alpha, under active development, so expect rough edges
  • Aimed at hardware owners rather than plug-and-play newcomers

Field notes

Visão geral

Gearmulator MD/MM is a free, open-source plugin by Joe Landers that brings two discontinued Elektron classics, the Machinedrum and the Monomachine, back into the DAW. Rather than modeling their sound in new code, it runs the machines' own firmware, so the front panels, menus, parameter behavior and sequencer, including parameter locks, match the hardware instead of approximating it.

It ships as a VST3, AU and standalone on macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) and as a VST3 and standalone on 64-bit Windows, and it exposes 416 Machinedrum and 348 Monomachine parameters to the host for automation. SysEx transfer and multi-output routing round out the feature set. There is one requirement: because Elektron's firmware is copyrighted, the project cannot include it, so you must supply a supported firmware image yourself before either machine will make a sound.

That makes it a natural fit for current and former Elektron owners rather than plug-and-play newcomers. If you want a legal, ready-to-run classic instead, a commercial emulation like Drumazon 2 is simpler. The project launched as an early alpha in September 2026 and is under active development. For the full breakdown, see the Gearmulator MD/MM feature.

Technical matrix

Especificações

Type
Firmware-accurate emulation of the Elektron Machinedrum and Monomachine
Formats
VST3, AU, standalone (macOS); VST3, standalone (Windows 64-bit)
Operating systems
macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows 64-bit
License
Free and open-source (GPL-3.0)
Sound source
Runs the original Elektron firmware, user supplied
Automatable parameters
416 (Machinedrum), 348 (Monomachine)
Sequencing
Elektron sequencer with parameter locks
Data transfer
SysEx send and receive; multi-output routing
Version at launch
0.1.0 alpha 12 (17 September 2026)

Última verificação 2026-09-20

Quick reference

Perguntas frequentes

Is Gearmulator MD/MM really free?

Yes. It is free and open-source under GPL-3.0. You do have to supply your own Elektron firmware image, which is not distributed with the plugin.

Do I need to own the hardware?

In practice, yes. The plugin will not make sound without a complete, supported firmware image, and that code is Elektron's copyright, so it is built for people who can legally source their own firmware.

What does it emulate?

Two discontinued Elektron instruments: the Machinedrum synthesized drum machine and the Monomachine multi-engine synthesizer, both running their original operating systems.

Comparison matrix

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