Battering Ram

RAM Building Guide

Kick it!
The Battering Ram by Shakmat is a bass drum synthesizer rooted in an original design by Marc Nostromo. Whether you're sculpting seismic sub-bass or gritty techno pounders, this module offers precise, musical control over every critical parameter—decay, tuning, click, drive, and depth—all with finely mapped sweet spots for effortless dialing.

Its dual drive section morphs between warm compression and brutal clipping distortion. Add to that an amplitude envelope output (with inversion), velocity sensitivity, pitch tracking, and octave quantization, and you’ve got a deep, playable module that sits perfectly in the heart of any modular rhythm setup.

It also includes advanced options like preset storage, gate mode, a switchable 30Hz high-pass filter, and CV control over key parameters. All of this in a compact form that supports both traditional triggers and dynamic performance inputs.

The Battering Ram is available both fully assembled and as a DIY kit for hands-on builders.

Key Features

• Full-spectrum kick drum module based on Marc Nostromo’s original design

• Rich sonic range: from clean 808-style thumps to ferocious distorted kicks

• Selectable drive modes: subtle folding or heavy clipping distortion

• CV inputs for V/oct pitch tracking, decay, drive depth, and more

• Envelope output with inversion for dynamic modulation options

• Velocity input for dynamic phrasing

• Pitch locking feature turns tuning knob into an octave selector

• Switchable 30Hz high-pass filter (3-pole)

• Gate mode support

• Store and recall panel parameters

• Select Bus compatibility with 16 preset memory slots

• Skiff-friendly and built with premium DJTechTools rubberized knobs

• Available as Assembled Module or DIY Kit

Applications

• Punchy electronic drum synthesis

• Modular drum machine setups

• Live performance with dynamic CV control

• Deep techno and distorted bass programming

• Studio design of bass drum tones
  Built for the stage. Tuned for the studio. Yours to command.