The claim you’ll hear most is that the drum kits are well laid out, complex and perfectly mixed, and for the most part it holds up. At $75, Techno 1 is a drum-first expansion for producers who already run VPS Avenger and make Techno, Tech House or Minimal. Everyone else can stop reading.
The catch isn’t the sound. It’s the paperwork.
Owners report way more hits than misses, which is rare for an expansion pack. Most packs have a dozen good patches and a hundred fillers. This one doesn’t read that way.
But the licensing is a genuine tax on your patience. We’ll get to it.
The Claim
Vengeance Sound pitches Techno 1 as a full techno toolkit for Avenger. The headline is 40 drum kits, described as well laid out, complex and perfectly mixed.
Beyond drums, you get 128 presets covering basslines, sequences, pads, plucks, leads and FX. Add 40 drum sequences, 36 arp patterns, 30 granular samples, 70 multisamples, 40 osc-shapes and 20 wavetables.
Manuel Schleis and Andy Hinz built it. The target is Techno, Tech House and Minimal.
That’s a lot of numbers. The question is whether the drums and presets carry the weight, or whether the rest is padding.
What Holds Up
The drums. Users say the drum sounds alone are worth the price, and that’s the strongest endorsement an expansion can get.
Think about the scene. It’s 1am, you’ve got a rolling bassline and nothing underneath it. You open a kit that’s already balanced, and the kick and hats sit together without you reaching for an EQ. That’s the satisfying part of a kit that’s been properly mixed.
The preset side backs it up. Owners call the 128 patches inspiring across basslines, sequences, pads, plucks, leads and FX. A sequence preset that already moves is a brilliant starting point when you’re stuck on a loop.
The extras matter too. Twenty wavetables and 40 osc-shapes give you fresh oscillator material to build your own sounds from, not just presets to browse.
What Doesn't
The licensing is annoying. Users report a 90-day relicensing cycle, and Codemeter copy protection is a recurring source of frustration.
Picture it: you’re finishing a track on a deadline, you open Avenger, and the license wants attention first. That’s the wrong moment for a dongle-style dialog. I hate this kind of friction in a creative tool.
The dependency is the other limit. Techno 1 does nothing without VPS Avenger v1.8.0 or later, so this isn’t a standalone purchase. It’s also 64-bit only, which rules out older systems.
And it’s a specialist. The sound is built for Techno, Tech House and Minimal. If you make ambient or pop, a lot of it will sit unused.
Who It Suits
Here’s the breakdown by user type.
The working techno producer
You already own Avenger and you need drums that sit in a mix without surgery. This is your pack. Buy it.
The sound designer
The 20 wavetables, 70 multisamples and 30 granular samples give you raw material to resample and mangle. The presets are a bonus. Buy it, but expect to use the oscillator content more than the patches.
The beginner
You’ll love the ready-made kits and sequences, since they get a track moving fast. But you need Avenger first, and the licensing will test you. Wait until Avenger is installed and stable.
The producer outside techno
Skip it. Nothing here is built for you.
The Verdict
Buy Techno 1 if you own Avenger and make Techno, Tech House or Minimal. The drum kits justify $75 on their own, and the presets are a solid second reason.
Hard pass if you don’t have Avenger, and a firm wait if you can’t stomach a 90-day relicensing routine.
The sound earns its place. The protection scheme is the only thing standing between you and a clean recommendation.
Specs & Technical Details
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Vengeance Sound |
| Price | $75 |
| Plugin Format | VST3 / AU / AAX (VST2 also supported) |
| OS Support | Mac / Windows (64-bit only) |
| Activation | Codemeter copy protection, relicensing every 90 days |
| CPU Usage | N/A |
| Trial Available | N/A |
| Version Reviewed | Requires VPS Avenger v1.8.0 or later |
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.5/5 | Owners call the drum kits well laid out, complex and perfectly mixed |
| Value for Money | 4.5/5 | Users say the drum sounds alone justify the price |
| Ease of Use | 3.0/5 | Great content, undercut by the 90-day relicensing chore |
| Features | 4.5/5 | 40 kits, 128 presets, 20 wavetables, 70 multisamples and more |
| CPU Efficiency | N/A | No CPU figures available |
| Overall | 4.2/5 | Excellent techno content held back by Codemeter licensing |
Alternatives to Consider
Serum
A wavetable synth people reach for when they want to build sounds from scratch. Pick it if oscillator design matters more to you than ready-made drum kits.Massive
A preset-focused synth, so it covers similar ground to browsing Techno 1's patches. Pick it if you want a synth-first workflow instead of an Avenger add-on.reFX Nexus 2
Another preset-focused option. Pick it if you want a broad preset library across genres rather than a techno specialist.Final Call
Techno 1 is a $75 bet that great drums are worth a licensing headache. For Avenger owners making techno, we think they are.
Buy it if the genre fits and you can live with relicensing every 90 days. Skip it if you don’t own Avenger, if you work outside Techno, Tech House and Minimal, or if copy protection makes you want to quit a session.
The kits are the reason to buy. Codemeter is the reason to hesitate.
Related reviews: Zampler Expansion · Can All In One InstaComposer Presets Replace 3 Bundles?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need VPS Avenger to use Techno 1?
Yes. Techno 1 is an expansion for VPS Avenger and won't run without it. You need Avenger v1.8.0 or later installed first.
What's included in Techno 1?
You get 40 drum kits, 128 Avenger presets, 40 drum sequences and 36 arp patterns. There are also 30 granular samples, 70 multisamples, 40 osc-shapes and 20 wavetables.
What's the catch with the licensing?
The expansion uses Codemeter copy protection, and users report needing to relicense every 90 days. Owners find it frustrating. Factor that in before you buy.