Published 21/7/08
Drumkit from heaven?
Superior Drummer 2.0 is, according to developers Toontrack, “a complete overhaul of the original DFH [Drumkit From Hell] Superior”, a virtual drum instrument that we first reviewed back in SOS March 2005.
Back then, we applauded the virtual instrument for its realism, drawing particular attention to its “meticulously recorded acoustic kit sounds” and the “extraordinary level of detailed editing” available to the user. Now, with the release of Superior Drummer 2.0, Toontrack have raised the bar, and added new features that may well have users soiling their studio chairs.
Firstly, they’ve updated the graphical user interface (GUI), making it more intuitive for the user. The Construction page, where the drum kit is displayed and samples can be loaded, now features an amplitude envelope that lets you set the attack, decay, sustain and release of the individual drums. Versatile ‘X-pads’ allow further samples to be loaded into the virtual kit.
A new Mixer page enables the instruments selected in the Construction window to be mixed, and new processors, designed by UK plug-in developers Sonalksis, can be applied to the different drums. These processors — a five-band EQ, hi- and low-pass filters, a noise gate, a compressor and a transient shaper — appear (and can be inserted) like DAW plug-ins, but only work inside Superior Drummer 2.0.
The software instrument ships with a library of top-class drum samples called the New York Studio Legacy Series Vol.1, which includes samples of GMS kick drums and toms, and Ludwig, Slingerland and Rogers snares, as well as numerous Sabian cymbals.
Volume two of the sample set, which has been recorded at Allaire Studio in upstate New York, will ship early in 2009, and comprises a variety of Gretsch drums, along with further offerings from Rogers, Ludwig, GMS and Slingerland.
Superior Drummer 2.0 works as a plug-in inside VST, Audio Units and RTAS hosts, and also runs as a standalone application. For further information, visit the Toontrack web site.
Time + Space +44 (0)1837 55200
www.timespace.com
www.toontrack.com
Superior Drummer 2.0 is, according to developers Toontrack, “a complete overhaul of the original DFH [Drumkit From Hell] Superior”, a virtual drum instrument that we first reviewed back in SOS March 2005. Back then, we applauded the virtual instrument for its realism, drawing particular attention to its “meticulously recorded acoustic kit sounds” and the “extraordinary level of detailed editing” available to the user. Now, with the release of Superior Drummer 2.0, Toontrack have raised the bar, and added new features that may well have users soiling their studio chairs.
Firstly, they’ve updated the graphical user interface (GUI), making it more intuitive for the user. The Construction page, where the drum kit is displayed and samples can be loaded, now features an amplitude envelope that lets you set the attack, decay, sustain and release of the individual drums. Versatile ‘X-pads’ allow further samples to be loaded into the virtual kit.
A new Mixer page enables the instruments selected in the Construction window to be mixed, and new processors, designed by UK plug-in developers Sonalksis, can be applied to the different drums. These processors — a five-band EQ, hi- and low-pass filters, a noise gate, a compressor and a transient shaper — appear (and can be inserted) like DAW plug-ins, but only work inside Superior Drummer 2.0.
The software instrument ships with a library of top-class drum samples called the New York Studio Legacy Series Vol.1, which includes samples of GMS kick drums and toms, and Ludwig, Slingerland and Rogers snares, as well as numerous Sabian cymbals.
Volume two of the sample set, which has been recorded at Allaire Studio in upstate New York, will ship early in 2009, and comprises a variety of Gretsch drums, along with further offerings from Rogers, Ludwig, GMS and Slingerland. Superior Drummer 2.0 works as a plug-in inside VST, Audio Units and RTAS hosts, and also runs as a standalone application. For further information, visit the Toontrack web site.
Time + Space +44 (0)1837 55200
www.timespace.com
www.toontrack.com
