SDHex FAQ

The basics

Is it finished?

No — SDHex is in alpha. The changelog on the product page is the record of what has changed.

Is it a sample player?

Mostly not. The drum voices are modelled from the original circuits — filters, envelopes, oscillators — rather than played back from recordings. The exceptions are the voices that the hardware itself played from EPROM chips, such as the cymbal and the digital clap, which play EPROM data exactly the way the originals did.

Which Simmons models are in it?

Circuit emulations spanning the SDS-3 through to the SDE. Every one of the 12 pads can use any of them, so an SDS-V kick, an SDS-7 snare and an SDE hi-hat can all sit in the same kit.

Do you use AI?

Yes, see our company statement.

Compatibility

What formats and platforms does it run on?

• Windows: VST3 and CLAP

Is there a Mac version?

Not yet. SDHex is Windows-only today — a macOS build is on the path to v1 but has not been built or tested, and there is no iOS or iPadOS version shipping either.

Using it

Can I send each drum to its own mixer channel?

Yes. SDHex has a stereo main output plus 12 individual mono outputs, one per pad.

Can I load my own EPROM sounds?

Yes. EPROM-based voices can load your own EPROM image as a .bin file, separately for each pad.