Starsky Carr’s Hexdrums Deep Dive: Analog Mayhem in a Box

Classic Vibes, Modern Muscle

The Erica Synths Hexdrums doesn’t just nod at the classics – it grabs them by the collar and drags them into the present. Starsky Carr wastes no time showing how this box can swing from bossa nova to full-on techno filth, all while keeping things dead simple. If you’ve ever touched a drum machine, you’ll be banging out patterns on this in seconds.

But don’t let the familiar layout fool you. Under the hood, Hexdrums is packing some serious sonic muscle. The 909 and 808 references are just the starting line – with two kicks, a machine voice, and a master distortion section that’s nastier than a warehouse toilet, this thing is built for modern sound design chaos. Starsky’s approach is all about exploring those boundaries, not just ticking vintage boxes.

Ten Voices, Infinite Attitude

Each of the Hexdrums’ ten voices has its own flavour, from the punchy 909-style kick to the crunchy hats and sample-based cymbals. Starsky Carr takes us on a whistle-stop tour, tweaking, muting, and soloing his way through the lot. The machine voice, with its dual oscillators and noise, is a particular highlight – it’s as happy doing cowbell weirdness as it is adding digital grit.

What stands out is how these voices are tuned for both the studio nerd and the live performer. You get individual outs, flexible pattern lengths per channel, and enough filter and modulation options to keep your inner tweakhead busy for hours. If you want to go from clean to absolutely mangled in a heartbeat, this box is ready to oblige.

"It really does get fat and thick and dirty very quickly."

© Screenshot/Quote: Starskycarr (YouTube)

Distortion and Patterns: The Techno Toolkit

The Hexdrums’ master section is where things get rowdy. Starsky dials in the drive and compressor, turning polite patterns into a wall of analog aggression. The distortion isn’t just a gimmick – it’s a core part of the sound, fattening up everything from subtle shuffle grooves to full-on rave destruction.

Pattern building is equally slick. Live recording, step programming, ratchets, probability, microtiming – it’s all here, and it’s all fast. The workflow is designed for hands-on abuse, letting you go from idea to dancefloor carnage without menu-diving. If your techno needs to hit like a drunken horse, this is the toolkit.

Performance Tricks: Live and Unfiltered

Starsky Carr doesn’t just demo features – he shows how to weaponise them in a live set. Mutes, solos, accent tricks, and exclusive hat fades all get the spotlight, making it clear this box is built for spontaneous groove surgery. The ability to set probabilities and microtiming on the fly means you can inject chaos or keep things tight, depending on your mood.

Watching Starsky jam, you get the sense that Hexdrums is less a drum machine and more a street weapon for the stage. The performance features aren’t just tacked on – they’re baked into the workflow, letting you twist and mutate patterns in real time. If you want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, you’ll have to watch the video – some tricks just don’t translate to text.

From 808 Purity to Distorted Mayhem

"They're all the tones. They're what they sound like and that's how you play with them."

© Screenshot/Quote: Starskycarr (YouTube)

The hands-on sound demos are where Hexdrums really flexes. Starsky moves from crisp, classic 808 and 909 tones to full-on bit-reduced, distorted madness, showing off the box’s range. The kicks can be subby or snarling, the snares go from tight to filthy, and the hats cut through any mix – if you’ve got the speakers to handle it.

But it’s not just about brute force. The Hexdrums can do subtlety too, if you’re so inclined. Still, let’s be honest: you’ll want to crank the distortion and let this thing rip. For the full impact – and to hear just how hard it slaps – you need to watch the video and let your ears take the hit.