Author Topic: Drum VST Database 1.0  (Read 56783 times)

Offline vaikl

Drum VST Database 1.0
« on: March 31, 2011, 08:55:04 PM »
Exclusive and new - DMdrummer's drum VST database!!!

Thanks to the inspiration from our member inconn, here is a continuously updated, database-like listing of probably all the drum software plugins out there, how they integrate with all the electronic percussion products from Alesis and what experiences users have made with them.

It's organized as an expandable sticky thread, so the listing itself stays on top and will be frequently updated by moderators. DMdrummer members can post their input as normal, but please try to copy and use the empty form at the end of this post to let us keep an eye on comparability. And please focus on Alesis products first ;).

Feel free to comment on the structure of this listing, make suggestions or ask questions, add new software, experiences, details and opinions to make it a helping center for all your drummers with digital addiction to record and play with gigabytes of drum sounds :D. Here we go...

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Product name: BFD2
Version: 2.2.0
OS: Win/Mac
Manufacturer: FXpansion
Description: Complete drum software package with huge, carefully, mostly "dry" sampled libraries and a huge number of functions and options
Homepage: FXpansion
Price (official): 499 $ (MSP about 299 $)
Modes of operation: Standalone, VSTi plugin
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: 15 Expansion packs, Third-party products (i.e. Zildjian)
MIDI keymap: Yes (via user support, DM10 Pro map available here)
Continuous hihat: Yes
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules   
Trigger I/O: Yes
DM5: Yes
DM7: Yes
DM8: Yes
DM10: Yes
User comments: (vaikl) I like the "dry" recordings from FXpansion because they let me mix my own sounds with their software or my DAW.

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Product name: Addictive Drums
Version: 1.5.2
OS: Win/Mac
Manufacturer: XLN Audio
Description: Professional Plugin software with great library of drum sounds; very good for Rock and Heavy Metal
Homepage: XLN Audio
Price (official): 249 $ (MSP 99 - 199 $)
Modes of operation: VSTi plugin
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: ADpaks, Bundles
MIDI keymap: Yes (user map available from Tsints, Sonar editor map avail. from Oldsneakers)
Continuous hihat: Yes
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: Yes
DM5: Yes
DM7: Yes
DM8: Yes
DM10: Yes
User comments:

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Product name: Superior Drummer
Version: 2.2
OS: Win/Mac
Manufacturer: Toontrack
Description: Flagship from Toontrack, enormous library and tweaking options
Homepage: Toontrack
Price (official): 229 $ (MSP 199 $)
Modes of operation: Standalone (via Toontrack Solo), VSTi plugin
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: Dozens of libraries incl. the EZX ones for EZDrummer
MIDI keymap: Yes
Continuous hihat: Yes
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: Yes
DM5: Yes
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: Yes
User comments: (seeren) Superior does not support automation (yet)

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Product name: EZDrummer
Version: 1.2.1
OS: Win/Mac
Manufacturer: Toontrack
Description: The "little brother" of Superior Drummer. Plays sounds from a huge library with GM MIDI mapping and with an even big library of MIDI patterns
Homepage: Toontrack
Price (official): 179 $ (MSP 159 $)
Modes of operation: Standalone (via Toontrack Solo), VSTi plugin
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: Dozens of libraries
MIDI keymap: No (only via DAW drum map)
Continuous hihat: No
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: Yes
DM5: (not known)
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: Yes
User comments:

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Product name: Jamstix
Version: 3.1.2
OS: Win
Manufacturer: Rayzoon
Description: An awesome drum software for the producer with a "brain" supporting every aspect and feeling of a human drummer; also a good e-drum VSTi with lots of kits and the ability to load the other plugins from above into it!!
Homepage: Jamstix
Price (official): 99 - 249 $ (bare or with kit packs)
Modes of operation: VSTi plugin
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: Some own libraries and other VSTi libs
MIDI keymap: Yes
Continuous hihat: Yes, limited
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: (not known)
DM5: (not known)
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: Yes
User comments: (vaikl) I love that little jewel on the VSTi market because of it's sheer drummers-for-drummers approach and brilliant algorithms. Ralph Zeuner (the developer and one-man-show behind Rayzoon) is a very cool guy with a service/support attitude you'll rarely see elsewhere!


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Product name: Ocean Way Drums
Version: 1
OS: Win/Mac
Manufacturer: Ocean Way Recording Studios
Description: A really impressive and BIG library, recorded and mastered at the renowned Ocean Way Studios with all the experience and gear that made tons of hits during the last decades. Different library packages are available.
Homepage: Ocean Way Drums
Price : 369 - 1.795 $ (Sweetwater reduced prices)
Modes of operation: VSTi plugin, Standalone, both with NI Kontakt Player 2 (old version)
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: 9 up to 19 (Platinum package)
MIDI keymap: Yes (GM, I-MAP, Roland TD20 only)
Continuous hihat: No
Cymbal choke: Yes
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: (not known)
DM5: (not known)
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: Limited, by using the TD20 map
User comments: (vaikl) The sounds are brilliant, but not in all kits. You have a *lot* of sound tweaking options to put it in the mix, but you are restricted to Native Instruments Kontakt Player as the engine behind. The lack of MIDI customizing options or making your own MIDI maps for other e-drum modules as the TD20 is a big minus for me.

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Product name: Studio Drummer
Version: 1.10
OS: Win/Mac OSX
Manufacturer: Native Instruments
Description: Based on the well-known, free Kontakt Player sampler, this new instrument features three drum kits (from Pearl, Yamaha and Sonor) with a lot of articulations and a very comfortable GUI. It comes also with a big groove library, ready-to-go MIDI mappings and a subset of the latest NI effect plugins.
Homepage: NI Studio Drummer
Price (official): 74,50€ until end of march 2012, 149€ regular
Modes of operation: VSTi plugin, Standalone, both with NI Kontakt Player (latest version)
DAW incompatibility: Not known
Kits: 3
MIDI keymap: Yes (GM, I-MAP, Roland V-drums, DrumItFive, BFD, AD, SD2)
Continuous hihat: No
Cymbal choke: No
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: (not known)
DM5: (not known)
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: (to be added)
User comments: (vaikl) Absolute astonishing sound quality and playability, a fantastic looking GUI with simple workflow, mixer and groove library. The times when Kontakt or Kontakt Player was only a tool for sampling freaks are over, now we have a complete drum software solution with all necessary features from NI.

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Product name: Steven Slate Drums SSD4
Version: 1.07
OS: Win/Mac OSX
Manufacturer: Steven Slate Drums
Description: Steven Slate has developed the first plugin version of his best-graded drum library without the Kontakt Player framework from NI. The fantastic sound of it's predecessors is complemented with a lot of new kits and samples in two different versions. The all-new GUI comes with an own mixer and groove section and a handy MIDI mapping section.
Homepage: Steven Slate Drums
Price (official): EX: 99$, Platinum: 299$
Modes of operation: Plugin only
DAW incompatibility: Some crashes in Cubase, Reaper, Logic
Kits: EX: 25, Platinum: 100
MIDI keymap: Yes, but must be manually customized
Continuous hihat: Yes, rudimental
Cymbal choke: via Note Off
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O: (not known)
DM5: (not known)
DM7: (not known)
DM8: (not known)
DM10: Works with some limitations, eg. hihat CC
User comments: (vaikl) The sound quality is still impressive, but even if I had hoped to get a more flexible, versatile GUI other than the old Kontakt thing, I'm really disappointed with it. There's no standalone version, no sync-to-host feature, the mixer and MIDI mappings are almost lost between sessions or projects and some other bugs have left me with a feeling that the actual version 1.07 is in fact a 0.7, where official buyers are beta testers. There's also a serious lack of support, even if Steven himself is announcing many to-do's in his postings. Not well done, folks...


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Free form to add your input

Product name:
Version:
OS:
Manufacturer:
Description:
Homepage: http://
Price (official):
Modes of operation:
DAW incompatibility:
Kits:
MIDI keymap:
Continuous hihat:
Cymbal choke:
Overall compatibility with Alesis modules
Trigger I/O:
DM5:
DM7:
DM8:
DM10:
User comments:
« Last Edit: February 06, 2012, 10:52:12 PM by vaikl »

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2011, 09:01:48 PM »
So, of course that's not all ;). It's the beginning and I hope and wish that you can expand this little gem to a well-known resource for e-drummers.

Sticks up!
vaikl

Online Hellfire

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2011, 09:57:36 PM »
I like the way you got it set up. Do you think it would be helpful to have product pictures (of the VSTi software) similar in the way we have in this topic?:

Manuals & Tech Data links for DM10, Trigger I/O, DM7, DM6, DM5, DMpro, & D4

Maybe it would just be over kill? I just thought I would put it out there.

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2011, 10:20:42 PM »
I like the way you got it set up. Do you think it would be helpful to have product pictures (of the VSTi software) similar in the way we have in this topic?:

Manuals & Tech Data links for DM10, Trigger I/O, DM7, DM6, DM5, DMpro, & D4

Maybe it would just be over kill? I just thought I would put it out there.

Hm, it's a bit of overkill when you compare it to a hardware snapshot. Shure could I include a single image of some page of the plugin, but that would be a very shortened, not comparable description because of the many windows such a plug normally has.

If SMF supplies a kind of intergrated image gallery like in AppStore (with a single window and a slider to walk through) - ok, that wouldn't harm the listing setup.

But let the users decide.

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2011, 10:52:13 PM »
Just to make an example of possible user comments (see sticky post above):

Product name: BFD2
User comments: I like the "dry" recordings from FXpansion because they let me mix my own sounds with their software or my DAW.

Offline inconn

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2011, 03:51:32 AM »
I'm interested in Steven Slate drums, anyone have any experience with that?

Offline Guinness

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2011, 03:17:32 PM »
AWESOME THREAD!   

Well done Vaikl!!!

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2011, 04:13:54 PM »
Guinness, thank you!

inconn, for your SSD request: I could only judge about a "ripped" version of SSD with only one single kit. I've tested it some months ago, but the use of my ram-hungry Kontakt as the VST plugin and the lack of MIDI/keymapping features hold me back. But the sounds are really great.

Hope that someone here could tell us more, hopefully by using a complete SSD 3.5 (which I think is the latest version).

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2011, 07:53:51 PM »
User comment:  Superior does not support automation (yet).
Imac 10.5.8; DM10 w/ easy mesh mod; Superior Drummer; Addictive Drums; various DAW's; toe jam

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2011, 08:30:13 PM »
User comment:  Superior does not support automation (yet).

Thx, done!

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #10 on: April 03, 2011, 04:07:32 PM »
Added EZDrummer entry, some small corrections/completions.


Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2011, 09:33:53 PM »
Added Jamstix entry and new "OS" field for compatibility with your comp's. Some small updates.

Online Hellfire

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2011, 10:26:40 PM »
Added Jamstix entry and new "OS" field for compatibility with your comp's. Some small updates.
Cool!

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2011, 05:37:59 PM »
I'm interested in Steven Slate drums, anyone have any experience with that?

Hey Inconn,

I bought SSD EX about two weeks ago and I'll give you my impressions so far. Keep in mind I haven't tried other programs, and my  drumming experience is limited.

The drum sounds are spectacular. The clarity and responses are excellent, and the ability to mix 2 different studio drum rooms (NRG and the Slate rooms) give you an amazing alternative to using the reverbs or e.r. in your DAW or impulses.

I am having a bit of difficulty loading a single piece of the kit and getting it to sound as good as the multi kits do (lack of experience rearing ugly head on that though) as there is alot to learn about the attack/release/eq/effects/comp/etc and they are loaded dry.

The multi kits can just be assigned to your midi track and slight tweaks are all that are necessary. This is a good and bad thing for me though, as when I go through Kontact 3 in stand-alone to jam with friends, it seems almost too processed and CD like. Sometimes I'd like to hear some raw drums and crank the distortion if you know what I mean.

I am having a little trouble getting the toms to stand out from the kick, but once again that is inexperience with my eq/limiter/release and would just come from knowing how to make a track not muddy.

All said and done, I'm more than happy with the results, and will be purchasing the expansions.

I will also upload something I'm working on to youtube in 720p so you can hear them in action.

Cheer's,
Josh
DM10 Studio with 2 extra 12" cymbals - Roland Mesh - Tama Iron Cobra HP900 double - Steven Slate 3.5 - Resolve A5 Monitors - KRK 8400  - Ibanez H.R. Giger (EMG 81/85)- Dean 7 String Razorback - Line 6 HD500 - Sonar X1 Pro

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2011, 08:26:49 PM »
I am having a little trouble getting the toms to stand out from the kick, but once again that is inexperience with my eq/limiter/release and would just come from knowing how to make a track not muddy.

Some basic tips:

Even if the single instruments "sound" dry, they are all recorded with special mics and outboard gear to sample their characteristics (that separates good from bad libraries ;)).

So a kick drum is located in a different frequency band as the toms (or other instruments). Don't try to "bend down" the toms to more bass power or "kick sound". This way you would mash them up with the kick drum and the result will be: mud.

Get a graphic equalizer VST, let the toms play solo via MIDI (don't separate them, treat them like a unit) and use a single, small "bell" curve point on the graph (mostly a corresponding "Q" parameter can customize the dome size of the bell) in the range between 1 KHz and 3 KHz and move this bell curve in this range to get the best resonance point of the toms. You'll hear it, I'm sure ;) Increase this point for about 1 or 2 db's plus.

When you're done with it, you could do the same procedure with any other instrument in it's own frequency band (using cymbals as an unit, too). After that check all your single instrument tracks to balance the new volumes right. And only after you are finished with that, go to a master track that sums up all drums on stereo and experience slowly with compressor, a little bit reverb and limiter (at last) on the mix.

It's a short primer, but you could learn something about frequency specifications and relations of drum instruments in the mix.

(I've forgotten to post a link with a list of so-called frequency domains for different instruments: http://recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php)
« Last Edit: May 18, 2011, 08:45:06 PM by vaikl »

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2011, 02:00:54 AM »
A Question to all users of Jamstix... How do you setup / use the hihat with the Jamstix? Out of the box it doesn't really work like it's supposed to be.

It's almost random in operation although i think i read a more detailed description somewhere... lol. Having something to do with the way Alesis hihat operates compared to other hihats. To people who don't know / haven't tried it's either open or closed but doesn't really seem to respond to the hihat controller (in a controlled manner that is... ).

Any ideas?
User of: Reaper, Jamstix and Alesis DM-10 studio.

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2011, 07:25:55 PM »
Thanks for the great list vaikl!

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2011, 09:31:40 PM »
Thanks for the great list vaikl!

You're welcome!
(Reminds me to make some updates soon ;))

Offline Sharkuel

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #18 on: July 28, 2011, 04:23:25 AM »
http://www.oceanwaydrums.net/

I have found this neat vst software. Have anyone tried it? I am interested, i find it quite interesting, dont you think? =)
Megadrum 32 inputs with positional sensing add-on.

Cone centered DIY triggers in snare and toms.

8" racktom
10" racktom
12" racktom
14" floortom

Roland VH13
Lemon Cymbals

"Life is short, death is near, but one's word lives forever

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #19 on: July 28, 2011, 07:43:37 AM »
http://www.oceanwaydrums.net/

I have found this neat vst software. Have anyone tried it? I am interested, i find it quite interesting, dont you think? =)

Voilá ;) It's in the database now.

In addition to my comment, you can run into trouble if you already own Native Instruments Kontakt sampler (or Kontakt Player) with their latest updates, because OWD was made in 2008 and since then NI has made big changes on the underlying engines.

And the audio demos on OWD's website are really crappy; the real sounds are much more impressive - if your PC is fast enough. The requirements for a PC system are nearly the same as for BFD2.

Offline Sharkuel

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #20 on: July 28, 2011, 09:45:50 AM »
http://www.oceanwaydrums.net/

I have found this neat vst software. Have anyone tried it? I am interested, i find it quite interesting, dont you think? =)

Voilá ;) It's in the database now.

In addition to my comment, you can run into trouble if you already own Native Instruments Kontakt sampler (or Kontakt Player) with their latest updates, because OWD was made in 2008 and since then NI has made big changes on the underlying engines.

And the audio demos on OWD's website are really crappy; the real sounds are much more impressive - if your PC is fast enough. The requirements for a PC system are nearly the same as for BFD2.

Cool! Maybe i shall spend a little money on this ;) just saw a vid in youtube and i think that it has really great sounds. It is a worthy investment, but the platinum package is a little off my cachet... :S

On the DM10 Pro vids i saw that the DM10 was compatible with OWD. Misleading propaganda?! :S Hope not, but the logo pops out when they are showing examples of VST's.

Dan could answer me this, it would be nice of him =)
« Last Edit: July 28, 2011, 10:20:50 AM by Sharkuel »
Megadrum 32 inputs with positional sensing add-on.

Cone centered DIY triggers in snare and toms.

8" racktom
10" racktom
12" racktom
14" floortom

Roland VH13
Lemon Cymbals

"Life is short, death is near, but one's word lives forever

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #21 on: July 28, 2011, 11:01:31 AM »
On the DM10 Pro vids i saw that the DM10 was compatible with OWD. Misleading propaganda?! :S Hope not, but the logo pops out when they are showing examples of VST's.

It's compatible in a way that it generally works with the DM10, but if you have more or less pads/cyms than the typical TD20 setup, other customized settings for the triggers or MIDI notes, you'll have to do some work on the module and the OWD interface doesn't support you much.

It's one of those libraries with the keyboarder/producer in mind, not the e-drummer.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2011, 11:03:12 AM by vaikl »

Offline Sharkuel

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #22 on: July 28, 2011, 11:27:27 AM »
On the DM10 Pro vids i saw that the DM10 was compatible with OWD. Misleading propaganda?! :S Hope not, but the logo pops out when they are showing examples of VST's.
It's one of those libraries with the keyboarder/producer in mind, not the e-drummer.

Those scaliwags! :X Darn it :S they have such good libraries... Its a shame :( Oh well maybe one day i will have the chance to try out.

Megadrum 32 inputs with positional sensing add-on.

Cone centered DIY triggers in snare and toms.

8" racktom
10" racktom
12" racktom
14" floortom

Roland VH13
Lemon Cymbals

"Life is short, death is near, but one's word lives forever

Offline vaikl

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #23 on: July 28, 2011, 04:56:34 PM »
Those scaliwags! :X Darn it :S they have such good libraries... Its a shame :( Oh well maybe one day i will have the chance to try out.

A workaround could be to import the OWD sample files into BFD2 via the import function. There's a good chance to get really nice kits, because OWD - like BFD - comes with many sound layer variations for an instrument.

But it's not the real deal. It's a hell of work to do and the price for OWD doesn't sounds like DIY or tinker-your-own...

Offline Sharkuel

Re: Drum VST Database 1.0
« Reply #24 on: July 29, 2011, 10:44:55 AM »
Those scaliwags! :X Darn it :S they have such good libraries... Its a shame :( Oh well maybe one day i will have the chance to try out.

A workaround could be to import the OWD sample files into BFD2 via the import function. There's a good chance to get really nice kits, because OWD - like BFD - comes with many sound layer variations for an instrument.

But it's not the real deal. It's a hell of work to do and the price for OWD doesn't sounds like DIY or tinker-your-own...

Yup that is a lot of money involved, too much for screwing arround with in experiments... :S A happy world is a freeware world! :D lol or that or me, a multimillionaire ::) it would be nice also...
Megadrum 32 inputs with positional sensing add-on.

Cone centered DIY triggers in snare and toms.

8" racktom
10" racktom
12" racktom
14" floortom

Roland VH13
Lemon Cymbals

"Life is short, death is near, but one's word lives forever