SDX idea. E-Drummer focused “Virtual” drum kit. Modern Session Drummer?

[Shen G]

I cluttered up another thread with this so trying it here.

Musing on how much SDX’s have improved over time and admiring how good I think the sampling in Real to Reel is, particularly with e-drum playability.  That the viability of using e-drums and Superior Drummer exclusively is greater than ever.  And guessing that the lack of cymbals sampled in RtR could be part of the reason that the kits, esp the snares, seem to have the most detailed sampling yet.  I joked that it’s the closest they’ve gone to sampling 127 different velocity hits, making them the most natural feeling snares to play imo.  Or perhaps all the space saved from lack of cymbals went to the tape samples, IDK.

It also came up that aren’t any other tools used/sampled (brushes/rods etc) or with snare wires off.  I remarked that when an SDX does have those they are usually not on the drums I want them on.  As a drummer it can be frustrating not being able to do some of the things we take for granted on a real kit.  Snare wires, tool use, different kinds and amounts of dampening, different head types etc.

With all that in mind I thought a paired back selection of drums/rooms could allow for a kit to be sampled so detailed and thoroughly that many of those limitations could be avoided.  Even if it’s a single kit, hopefully at least 7 piece, something high end and as versatile as possible.  3 or so kicks.  Snares, while you never really can have too many imo,  hopefully a half dozen of well thought out selection could give enough range to do most things.  Cymbals IDK, I guess they take up the most space and would need to be paired back, but I’m also fine with buying more storage space if need be 😉  Recorded clean and natural in a quality studio with a professional producer of course.

As much as I love and expect TT to continue with producer/genre packs, and they’re ideal for trying to get as close to sounds we’re are familiar with and love, perhaps drummers could come up with something that feels more their own identity.

Just putting it out there.  Keen to hear others thoughts/opinions.  Are there not that many e-drummers out there thinking this way?  Would it be too boring or restrictive for TT to make money?  Any other ideas on an SDX being the most customizable, do anything you want with it that you could do if you owned the kit/studio for real.

Cheers.

SD3 with Fields of Rock, Death and Darkness, Real to Reel, Legacy of Rock, Stories, Hitmaker, Decades, State of the Art, Stockholm, Jazz Sessions, Hansa, Rock Foundry, Area 33 (in order of preference). Plus a few older SDX's and EZX's.
Into: Reaper with Ryzen 5700x, 32GB RAM and assorted SSD's.
Through: Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 Gen2 USB Audio Interface
From: eDRUMin 10 + eDRUMin 8 with assorted Roland and Yamaha pads.

Topic

[Wolfgang]

I would second that to a certain extent. Having more options tool-wise instead of having to switch to completely different sounding kits would be a big benefit for e-drummers. Of course not in every style and with every drum. But let’s say with some of the favourites – a modern sounding DW, some vintage Ludwig, alltimers like a Recording Custom. Examples being the Songwriter Kit from Stories, the Modern Kit from the Jazz Sessions or the Hillside Kit from R2R.

I wouldn’t go so far as to switch head types or dampening, that would mean a huge amount of effort for too little effect. You can get pretty far with the velocity curves to shape attacks and releases.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.4.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

[drumjack52]

I feel where you’re coming from. Felt mallets for cymbal swells/rolls and not just sticks. Or felt mallets for rack and floor toms. Or how about an SDX that just has a plethora of cymbals and tools used. fxpansion did just that with at least one library with Zildjian cymbals. Yeah you could pull cymbals from the different SDX’s one owns but they’d all sound different because of where and how they were sampled. Would be nice to have a uniform sound.

You mention velocity levels – does anyone know how many levels are used in a typical SDX? Are they the same across all SDX’s?

Jack
aka musicman691 on other forums
Superior Drummer 3.4.1
Area 33 1.0.0
Death and Darkness 1.0.1
PT 2021.6
OSX 10.13.6
3.46 GHz hex core 2012 MacPro 48 gig ram

[pumpkinking]

When I read your request, I thought “isn’t that what Core is?”

Everyone is different, and I personally lean toward the SDXs with more personality and variety.  What I do most is play the e-drums, I don’t record often and I try to minimize the time I’m at the kit with a mouse in my hand (I get enough of that 9-5). So the SDXs with more “terroir” (borrowing a wine term) appeal to me.  I can quickly flip through rooms/kits that I have tweaked based on my own biases (darker cymbals, deep snares, resonant kicks) but all sound very different due to room shape, mic placement, dampening/tuning, sound path, etc.  I’m not talking about presets, I’m talking about the sound of an SDX “room” even with the default kit loaded.  Case in point: when an SDX is recorded with a “corridor”, “stairwell” or other remotely-located mic, I like bringing a little bit in – it is a colorful room sound that sounds better and is easier to use than complex reverb effects (for me, anyway).

I don’t use Core much unless there is hardware I’d like to try and my pile of SDXs do not have it (rods/brushes are a reason, although between Decades and Jazz Sessions there are some interesting options).  I find Core to be well recorded, but lacking in a unique sound, and it requires work to get it there.

To each his own, and I’m not discounting your request, merely offering my perspective on why the producer SDXs tend to provide me with a good experience.  With the myriad options of kit pieces, brands/styles, kit tuning/dampening, mic placement/hardware, sound treatment, etc, any SDX that was aimed at showcasing the e-drum dynamics of a single kit would have to make concessions that would be good for some but not for others, IMO.

Superior Drummer 3 version: 3.4.1
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

[Author]

Replies