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The principal reason for normalising drum layers is that we need some degree of consistency of level across our samples, because having a mish-mash of loud and quiet clips in your library will slow you down when you need to use them. Having 'referenced' gain values also helps us when controlling sample-layer gains using faders or dynamics. Besides hundreds of excellent drum presets and samples, there is a full synthesis engine onboard for shaping the sounds with parametric EQ, filters, LFO’s a full effects engine and a mixer for the six drum parts. A clever Easy page lets you alter the synth characteristics of all six drum layers at once.
Softube’s Heartbeat – instrument sectionOne last thing: remember not to rule out drum plugins that superficially may only seem appropriate for a different style of music than your own. These tools could turn out to be exactly what’s needed to take your music in an interesting and innovative direction if used creatively beyond their typical or intended use. Noisia and many modern Drum & Bass prodicers cite Superior Drummer as key to their sound, for example; equally, there is a long history of rock bands, from Krautrock to Nine Inch Nails to Radiohead, employing vintage electronic drum machine sounds to create a pleasing tension between metronomic rhythms and their human playing. So keep an open mind and don’t discount any of the options based on arbitrary genre rules – it’ll help keep your music fresh and interesting.With that in mind, whether you’re new to producing or want a percussive upgrade, spend a little time with a selection of the plugins featured below that catch your eye, and see which you “click” with (yes, drum puns, I went there)The 25 Best Drum Plugins – The ListIn a nutshell: Beat Production System. In a nutshell: Flagship drum synth/sampler/sequencer from the respected synth designer.Key features / differentiators: First-rate drum sounds generated by synth engines optimised for percussion; great effects as you would expect from a respected designer of synths; despite the flexibility of the interface and range of sounds provided, well thought-out presets allow you to get up and running very quickly.Particularly good for: Trance and EDM producers looking to sculpt modern electronic beats with a high degree of control and nuance. Armin van Buuren is a fan.
Where are you sourcing your drums, and which tools do you like for putting together kits and crafting drum tracks in your productions? Do you mostly chop up loops and single hit samples, or prefer to record or synthesize your drums from scratch where possible? Do you lean towards the tried and tested sounded of the classic drum machines, or are you looking for fresh sonic ground to explore? Leave your comments and share your tips below so that others can benefit from your experience! To make the most of your drum samples and plugins, proper knowledge of the fundamentals of compression, EQ and reverb is crucial. For more tips and techniques for getting the most out of all of your plugins and studio gear and giving your tracks the weight, clarity and focus they need to stand out, don’t forget to check out:If you found this post useful, you’ll probably also be interested in some of our other related posts.
Much appreciated as always, but disappointed the REX files weren't included since they are FAR, FAR more desirable than WAV for drums/percussion as the tempo can be varied in any DAW without loss of quality, whereas normal time-stretching turns to crap after a few BPM away from the original.It seems a lot of sample companies bad the size of their releases by including, WAV, ACIDized WAV, Apple Loops etc. Which are pretty redundant, but REX files are extremely useful, especially as they are small in size.