The months-long uncertainty over the future of Native Instruments has ended with a deal that will reshape a significant corner of the music software world. inMusic, the Rhode Island-based group behind Alesis, Akai Professional, Moog Music, Denon DJ, Numark, Rane and M-Audio, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Berlin company, bringing an end to an insolvency process that...
Toontrack has released the Drumology EZX, a new expansion for EZdrummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 built around four vintage kits drawn from renowned session drummer Jeremy Stacey’s personal collection. The pack targets producers and songwriters working in vintage and modern pop, fusion, rock and grunge who need sonically authentic drum sounds spanning four decades. Each kit is a genuine...
XLN Audio has released a new expansion for Addictive Drums 2, introducing the Progressive Metal ADpak, a collection designed to capture the nuance and power of modern progressive metal drumming. At the centre of the release is Waltteri Väyrynen of Opeth, whose playing drives the expansion. The ADpak was recorded using Väyrynen’s personal Pearl Reference Pure kit, delivering detailed articulations...
By Raul Rodrigues, founder of Upbeat Studio Two years ago, I started building the Drum Coach app because of something that had been bothering me. I’d watch drummers sitting in front of more material than any generation in history, and still feeling stuck. More videos didn’t fix it. More gear didn’t fix it. I had a hunch the problem wasn’t content. It was the absence of a...
Native Instruments has entered formal insolvency proceedings in Germany, the latest development in the financial crisis that digitalDrummer has been tracking since January. The Berlin-based company, maker of Kontakt, Maschine, Reaktor and Traktor, and parent to iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, filed for preliminary insolvency on 27 January, triggering a court-supervised restructuring...
In part one of this series last month, we worked through the hardware fundamentals — what to prioritise when buying or configuring a system for drum VSTs, and where the conventional wisdom tends to mislead. For part two, we went straight to the people who build this software. We sent the same set of questions to a number of VST producers including XLN Audio (Addictive Drums 2), Toontrack (Superior...
Roland last year continued its strategy of flowing flagship technology down the product range with the launch of the V51 and V31 modules, both derived from the V71 brain. The company also built two kit configurations around the new modules — the VAD acoustic-look shell packs and the more traditional TD pad-style kits. digitalDrummer tested the TD516 after spending time with the other variants...
We’ve had a few reader enquiries about Unlock e-cymbals, especially in the wake of our exhaustive reviews of rival Lemon cymbals. After various attempts at sourcing review samples, we finally got hold of a new 20″ three-zone ride (CY20R, with no logo or branding on the top) and a Lightning Series 14″ hi-hat. By way of background, Unlock is a relative newcomer to the e-drum...
British music technology maker Novation has introduced the Launch Control XL 3, a redesigned compact MIDI control surface aimed at producers and performers seeking hands-on control over DAWs and external gear. The new model updates the long-standing Launch Control line with a mix of physical controls and workflow enhancements while retaining a focus on broad compatibility and flexible...
Antoine Fadavi — a 2018 finalist in the digitalDrummer E-drummer of the Year awards — has released a short masterclass on sampling pads through Drum Channel, reflecting the rapid growth of multipads among both electronic and acoustic drummers. The 20-minute lesson, Getting Started with Sampling Pads, covers the practical essentials: mounting options, connectivity, MIDI integration, backing tracks...
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By electronic drummers,
for electronic drummers.
FROM THE EDITOR
Electronic drums have come a long way since the 1970s and are now seen alongside their acoustic siblings on stages around the world. They also draw crowds at music trade shows and attract strong interest on the floors of music shops.
As an electronic drummer, technology enthusiast and professional writer, I know first-hand how hard it is to be taken seriously when your kit needs a powerpoint and amp. That’s why we launched digitalDrummer in 2010. I wanted to create a communication channel dedicated to this vibrant market and the musicians who are so enthused by the digital opportunities.
Because it is aimed at a niche audience of dedicated enthusiasts, digitalDrummer is able to explore drum technology in great detail, but it is written for drummers, not techno-geeks.
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Allan Leibowitz
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