Engineers. They work behind the scenes on pivotal records, ensuring that every subtle nuance, note and syllable of an artist’s performance is captured and presented to perfection. You see their names in the liner notes, but rarely do they step into the spotlight.

One engineer whose sonic fingerprints can be found across an extraordinary body of music is Niko Bolas. Over the course of a remarkable four-decade career, his approach to the art of recording has helped shape seminal works by artists across the musical spectrum – from rootsy singer-songwriter and pristine AOR to loud, uncompromising hard rock. In this SDX for Superior Drummer 3, Niko brings that lifetime of experience to the fore, realizing his vision of the ultimate drum expansion: nine carefully selected kits, many personally owned by some of the most iconic session drummers in the world, captured with the detail, character and uncompromising curiosity that have defined his work for decades.

When it comes to drums, the room plays as much of a role as the instruments themselves. For these sessions, Niko picked his absolute go-to spot on the LA session map: The Village. Having hosted everyone from legends like The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan to contemporary giants like Lady Gaga and Coldplay, its rooms have been the setting for landmark sessions since the end of the 1960s. After careful trials, Niko settled on three key locations in the main room of Studio D: the piano area, the studio floor and the riser. He also placed selected kits in a sealed-off vocal booth for a fourth, completely contrasting flavor. To capture it all, he employed an extensive array of microphones, even recording the ambience of the strings resonating inside the studio’s grand piano for an extra dose of retro, on-the-floor vibe.

Finally, what would a drum recording be without to-die-for kits? Paying homage to some of the iconic session players he’s worked with over the years, Niko called in a few favors to get his hands on personal sets from Kenny Aronoff, Steve Jordan, Denny Fongheiser, Charley Drayton, Anthony LoGerfo, Russ Kunkel and Stella Mozgawa. The end result is a broad palette of drums ideal for anything from subtle jazz, acoustic pop and rootsy singer-songwriter to edgy rock.

If you’re looking for session-ready drums recorded by a man who defines the very word, you’re in luck. And if next-level takes are what your next session calls for, this is your new go-to.