Tag: VST

Samples

BFD offers free VST pack

digitalDrummer was among the first to test BFD’s new free VST offering, BFD Player. BFD, previously owned by ROLI in 2016, has released its first new product since its April 2020 acquisition by inMusic, the owner of Alesis. The new BFD Player represents a new direction in drum plug-ins, with BFD describing it as “the simplest, fastest path to great-sounding drums”. That’s shorthand for minimal bells and whistles – which is exactly the request we often hear at digitalDrummer. Better still, the Player and Core library are totally free. What’s in the box Like pretty much all software these days, there is no “box”. Instead, BFD Player is a digital download – 4.9 GB containing a stand-alone player and stock […]

VST

New pack from NI

Native Instruments has released a new pack in its Play series of virtual electronic instruments, Karriem Riggins Drums. Inspired by the multi-faceted jazz drummer and hip hop producer Karriem Riggins, the pack contains kits, one shots, and MIDI grooves reflecting his work with J Dilla, Slum Village, Talib Kweli, The Roots and other hip hop stars. Designed to be used with NI’s free Kontakt Player, the pack contains 193 sounds in 16 kits and is sold as a 2.65 GB download.

Performance

How I use e-drums: Nick Roberts

Solo musician Nick Roberts uses electronics to layer virtual instruments over the drum kit. I use the stage name Chordsplitter for my solo performances of songs in which I layer up virtual instruments all over the drum kit and sing along to produce synthy soft-rock music. My arrangements feature overdriven guitar chords on the crash cymbals, washy sustained synth arpeggios on the ride, staccato synth chords on the hi-hats, rubbery synth bass on the kick and a whole manner of different instruments/textures across the snare and toms. These are all combined with my vocals, vocoders and harmonisers while I drum live. I am part of that cult-like community of Sensory Percussion drummers. What drew me to the technology was the […]

Samples, VST

New kits for MODO DRUM

IK Multimedia has released an update for its MODO DRUM drum sampler. MODO DRUM 1.5 has three new kits, taking the tally to 13. The Silver Kit is a six-piece vintage maple kit, designed as an all-round and versatile solution with open sounds. The new Brit Custom Kit is a four-piece birch kit with a warm and rich sound, ideal for styles like indie-pop and indie-rock. It’s coupled with the 2022 cymbal collection that includes a 20″ ride, 18″ crash, 16″ crash and a new  hi-hat. Finally, there’s a new eight-piece Metal Kit with a fat, dark character. MODO DRUM 1.5 is available for download at a cost of $/€299.99, while existing owners can upgrade/crossgrade for $/€79.99 for the full […]

Samples

Toontrack goes dark

The Toontrack rock onslaught continues with the release of the Into the Dark EZX expansion for EZdrummer 2 and Superior Drummer 3. Like the Fields of Rock SDX reviewed in our November edition, this sample pack is also a collaboration between producer/engineer/mixer Tom Dalgety and Iggy Pop drummer Mat Hector. The blurb claims this pack is designed for “any production that calls for an extra bit of that grisly, ghastly and raw tint of dark rock, post-punk and goth”. The Into the Dark EZX comes with three full drum kits as well as a bespoke set of cymbals and extra instruments derived from the Fields of Rock SDX. The Goth kit is a 1980s Sonorlie, the Futuristic kit is a […]

Gear, Samples

Three new sample packs

Three new sample packs have been released in recent weeks: Steven Slate has dropped its Patrick Carney Expansion Pack and Toontrack has added the Singer-Songwriter EZX while Drumforge has released a Savior sample pack. Patrick Carney Expansion Pack Slate’s new expansion pack for SSD and Trigger features the vintage collection of Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney. This pack features two highly prized drum kits –  the ’61 Round Badge Gretsch and a ‘70s Ludwig Vistalite. The Gretsch was the go-to kit for jazz legends for decades, while the Vistalite is brighter and packs a serious punch with its acrylic shells. Both kits feature a 1960s EMT 140 reverb plate recorded in stereo. The pack sells for $79.   Toontrack Singer-Songwriter […]

Gear, Review, Samples

Praise SD for new EZX

Toontrack has added another expansion pack to its already huge drums VST range – Superior Drummer Gospel EZX. digitalDrummer loaded it and tried it out. THE NAME OF the new pack is somewhat misleading – its application goes way beyond Gospel music, as we quickly discovered. What’s in the box As usual these days, there is no box: the samples are delivered via digital download, and thanks to the Toontrack Product Manager, download, installation and authorisation is a walk in the park. Also, because this is an EZX (as opposed to the more detailed SDX packs), it is a modest-sized download that can be completed pretty quickly with a decent Internet connection. Once everything is installed and authorised, you can […]