Richie Hawtin and Erica Synths expand the Bullfrog line into rhythm

Richie Hawtin and Erica Synths have added a rhythm instrument to their Bullfrog collaboration. Bullfrog Drums is a sampling drum machine built around seven sample-based voices across seven tracks, with an eighth track reserved for CV and gate signals. Each voice carries independent control over level, pitch, drive, decay, pan and loop length, plus a two-way filter for shaping sounds while a sequence runs.

Samples arrive over USB, through a line input or via an onboard microphone, so the machine can work with prepared material, live input and basic field recording. Its sequencer includes ratchets, probability, microtiming and parameter locks, offering direct ways to shift a pattern without starting from scratch. The CV and gate track points toward modular setups, while the per-voice controls push the instrument beyond a simple sample playback box.

The original Bullfrog, a compact semi-modular analogue synth from 2023, was designed around patching and swappable voice cards, aimed at making synthesis more tangible without losing studio or live usefulness. Bullfrog Drums carries that approach into sampling, placing Hawtin’s interest in adaptable electronic tools in a rhythm-focused form. It also sits within Erica Synths’ drum-machine history, including the Mutant Drum series made with Hexinverter, and follows the company’s earlier collaboration with Ninja Tune on the Zen Delay.