Beatmaker 3 vs Redrum

Beatmaker 3 is a virtual drum machine for building beats from ready-made kits, rhythmic phrases, and built-in effects. It brings the Beatmaker titles a user owns into one plugin with unified controls. Its browser can search by mood, genre, or BPM and preview kits and loops from titles the user does not own. Each title includes 10 genre-specific drum kits and rhythmic phrases that can be triggered in real time. The mixer offers per-track volume, pan, filter, ambience, saturation, and individual output routing. MIDI can be dragged into a DAW for editing or layering with other instruments. Beatmaker 3 supports 64-bit VST 2, VST 3, AU 2, and AAX; AU 2 requires Logic Pro X or newer, and AAX does not have native Apple Silicon support. It is listed for iOS, macOS, and Windows, with Windows 10–11 and macOS Big Sur 11 through macOS Tahoe 26 listed as requirements. Individual titles cost $49 as a one-time purchase, while the 17-instrument bundle costs $99.50, paid once. A free 7-day trial is available; there is no free plan.

Redrum is Reason’s pattern-based drum machine, with a drum-computer design inspired by classic 1980s machines. Its 10 stereo channels load, edit and play samples, either from users’ own collections or from included preset kits. The sequencer provides 32 patterns across four banks, with up to 64 steps per pattern. Redrum can play its own patterns, be triggered from Reason’s main sequencer or receive MIDI. For routing and control, it has individual audio and gate outputs, plus gate and CV inputs. Redrum is included in Reason 14 and the Reason subscription. Reason Rack is offered as a VST3, AU and AAX plugin and is described as compatible with major DAWs. Reason itself runs only on Mac and Windows computers. Listed plans include Reason Rack 14 at €159, paid once and Reason 14 at €239, paid once. Reason+ is billed annually and includes a free 7-day trial, but its annual price is not displayed.