When Hexinverter Électronique closed its doors in 2022, it marked the end of one of the most beloved Eurorack drum lines in modern modular history. Their Mutant series had earned a cult following for taking classic analogue percussion ideas — think TR-808 and 909 — and twisting them into deeper, wilder, more patchable machines.
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But the story didn’t end there.
In a move that thrilled the modular community, Erica Synths stepped in to resurrect the range — keeping the heart of each module intact while re-engineering the hardware for reliability and performance in modern setups. This isn’t just a reissue. It’s a revival, a respectful remix, and in some cases, a total reinvention.
From massive kicks to snappy snares, crisp hats to crunchy claps — plus a sneaky good mixer — here’s a detailed look at the reborn Mutant Drum line, back in action and built to bang 🚀
💥 Mutant Bassdrum (KICK)
The Mutant Bassdrum is more than just an 808 kick clone — it’s a full-blown beast, rebuilt from the ground up by Erica Synths and charged with extra aggression.
At its core is a fully analogue drum circuit, delivering the iconic low-end boom that made the TR-808 a legend. But this version goes deeper. The addition of the batteryACID distortion circuit means you can drive your kick into fuzzed-out chaos — and not just kicks. External audio can be patched into the distortion input, letting you brutalise synth lines, basses, or anything in need of punishment 💣
Want to go clean? You can. Want to go nasty? Oh yes — just modulate the voltage-controlled Decay and Pitch, both shaped via optocouplers to preserve an all-analogue signal path.
Erica also swapped the original’s transistor amps for low-noise opamps, reducing noise while tightening up the punch.
When Hexinverter shut down, this design could have disappeared forever — but thanks to Erica’s intervention, it’s alive, well, and more ferocious than ever.
This is not a clone. This is a reimagined 808, ready to destroy.
🔊 Mutant Snare (SNARE)
Forget background percussion — the Mutant Snare wants the spotlight 🎤
Originally designed by Hexinverter and brought back to life by Erica Synths, this module uses dual bridged-T sinewave oscillators, giving you the classic 808 snap with heaps more control. A dedicated Tone knob lets you blend between the oscillators, while Shell Pitch shifts things into glitchy, metallic, or totally alien territory.
But the real magic happens in the Snappy circuit — a voltage-controllable noise section that runs through a resonant filter (high-pass or band-pass, your choice). Crank the resonance, and you’ll hit everything from classic tail to self-oscillating madness 🔥
It’s modular-smart, too. A rear jumper lets you choose whether your cutoff CV comes from the Snappy envelope or one of the oscillators — and attenuverters help you shape the response just right. Want even more range? There’s an external audio input for feeding the Snappy section new sounds.
This isn’t just a snare. It’s a synth voice in disguise — flexible, aggressive, and begging to be modulated 💥
👊 Mutant Rimshot (RIM)
Say hello to one of the most versatile “click” modules ever built.
The Mutant Rimshot starts with three bridged-T oscillators and a state variable filter, giving you tone-shaping control far beyond a standard rim or clave.
There are three oscillator modes:
Rimshot HI – classic 909-style snap
Rimshot LO – deeper, tom-like thud
CLV – bright, metallic clave pop
Switch to extended pitch range and start sweeping — it gets experimental real fast 🎚️
Filter-wise, you’ve got lowpass, highpass, and bandpass modes with adjustable resonance. Use the MOD DECAY envelope to control both the VCA and filter cutoff, or flip a switch and route the pitch oscillator into the filter for FM-style metallic sweeps.
Want to mash up your sounds even more? Patch into the VCF with external sources for wild layering options.
Erica Synths took Hexinverter’s original concept and rebuilt it with rugged, modern components — preserving the vibe, expanding the possibilities.
This one’s a sleeper hit — a rimshot with range 💥
👏 Mutant Clap (CLAP)
The Mutant Clap brings the 909 handclap into your rack — and then rips the rulebook in half 📄
Built around a voltage-controlled LFSR noise oscillator (think retro game consoles), it can dial in the classic clap or dive into chiptune bleeps, glitches, and even raw noise textures via the dedicated NOISE out.
The Sustain control can turn your clap into an ambient tail or synth layer. There’s also Drive for crunchy, overblown attitude, and a bandpass filter on the final output for tonal shaping.
But the real gem is the analogue reverb circuit — it’s not digital, it’s not gimmicky — it’s rich, warped, and voltage-controllable, with the option to process either internal or external noise. Want to send a vocal chop through it? Go for it 🌀
You can even patch in your own source to the clap’s audio input, meaning you’re not just triggering samples — you’re sculpting percussion from scratch.
It’s raw, playable, and full of character. A proper performance tool.
✨ Mutant Hihats (HI HATS)
Capping off the drum section is the Mutant Hihats — a dual voice module inspired by the 808 but built for 2025 and beyond 🛸
You get simultaneous open and closed hats, each with their own VCA Drive controls. From tight shimmer to scorched sizzle, the range is huge — and the old VCAs are gone, replaced by smoother OTA-based gain stages.
Want to control how the two interact? There’s a switch for that — choke or don’t, it’s your call.
The internal resonant bandpass filter is stunning. You’ve got cutoff, resonance, and CV modulation, allowing you to carve metallic textures or laser-like transients.
You can also bypass the internal noise source and patch in something totally different — like vcNOIZ, Jupiter Storm, or even vocals.
Every detail is thought through: low-noise opamps, upgraded internals, intuitive modulation.
These are not your dad’s hi-hats. These are modular hats on steroids 💪
🎚️ Drum Mixer Lite
You’ve got the drums — now glue them together 🧠
The Drum Mixer Lite is a compact but powerful summing solution made specifically for modular percussion. Six inputs give you plenty of room for kicks, snares, hats, and FX — each with its own signal LED for instant visual feedback.
The first three channels can be routed to the main mix or an aux send, which is killer for live performance — send just your clap and hats into reverb, or route your kick to a distortion.
But the real star is the vactrol-based compressor — tuned for percussion and capable of everything from gentle cohesion to smashed-up saturation. Amount and Decay controls let you dial in just the right amount of glue.
Clean, hot outputs make it ready for whatever’s next — interface, FX chain, or main mixer.
It’s not just a utility. It’s the unsung hero of any Mutant drum setup 🔗
The Erica Synths x Hexinverter Mutant Drum series is more than a revival — it’s a creative resurrection 🧬
These aren’t static modules. They’re performative, expressive instruments, designed for chaos, control, and character. Whether you’re building a full percussion rack or just adding some spice to your existing setup, every module brings something unique — from the brutal kick to the sculptable hats.
Hexinverter may be gone — but thanks to Erica Synths, the Mutants live on ⚡
