What are you looking for in a drum sample pack?
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 1 posts since 24 Jun, 2017
Just an opinion based question. What kind of hi-hats, rides, crashes, cowbells, toms, kicks, snares, and pretty much everything else are you looking for? What makes it sound good to you?
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- KVRAF
- 3477 posts since 27 Dec, 2002 from North East England
Diversity and, most importantly, timbral variation.
I've got two absolutely massive Zero-G packs (10,000 Kicks and 10,000 Snares) but they all sound very 'samey', as though they've all been EQed in exactly the same way or run through the same 'one-size-fits-all' mastering chain.
I don't have that many sample packs, but the Wave Alchemy drum packs are fantastic. Tons of usable sounds, and each hit has been carefully processed to bring out its individual character and make it the best version of itself. Far more inspiring and usable than those Zero-G packs where the sounds are tactlessly bashed into monotonous timbral uniformity.
I've got two absolutely massive Zero-G packs (10,000 Kicks and 10,000 Snares) but they all sound very 'samey', as though they've all been EQed in exactly the same way or run through the same 'one-size-fits-all' mastering chain.
I don't have that many sample packs, but the Wave Alchemy drum packs are fantastic. Tons of usable sounds, and each hit has been carefully processed to bring out its individual character and make it the best version of itself. Far more inspiring and usable than those Zero-G packs where the sounds are tactlessly bashed into monotonous timbral uniformity.
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- KVRian
- 1077 posts since 21 Nov, 2005
I reckon Driven Machine Drums 2 is of similar quality to the Wave Alchemy packs (I own and use both).
Both DMD and WA are well-engineered and don't need much, if any, additional processing to make them sound good, which is pretty much ideal in terms of workflow.
Both DMD and WA are well-engineered and don't need much, if any, additional processing to make them sound good, which is pretty much ideal in terms of workflow.
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- KVRian
- 626 posts since 15 Jun, 2015
Best drum sample pack I've ever purchased has to be "100 Crashes" by Musicrow. I use samples from this pack on every track because there is so much incredible variety and flexibility. I would love to see the rest of the drum kit treated similarly... except the kick drum, which has been done to death imo.
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- KVRAF
- 25053 posts since 20 Oct, 2007 from gonesville
The beautiful luxury of having such samples is, I choose the drum or cymbal to truly fit the rest of the arrangement. I can be very picky. Most of it is BFD, today it's BFD3, which has 7 wonderful kicks, and compleat with brushes and mallets articulations. Joe Barresi, Jazz 'n Funk expansions.
Sometimes I have used VSL Concert Toms and their bass drums. And timpani.
Also see the 'Epic' type of product, eg., Cinesamples Drums of Doom (or War, or whatever. Cinetoms for sure. I got their whole 'Legacy Percussions' after contacting them regarding a defunct acct.). 8 Dio Frame Drums... Soundiron has some big (and small!) drums which are excellent.
Sometimes I have used VSL Concert Toms and their bass drums. And timpani.
Also see the 'Epic' type of product, eg., Cinesamples Drums of Doom (or War, or whatever. Cinetoms for sure. I got their whole 'Legacy Percussions' after contacting them regarding a defunct acct.). 8 Dio Frame Drums... Soundiron has some big (and small!) drums which are excellent.
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- KVRAF
- 2625 posts since 2 Jun, 2016
Depending on the type of project I'm doing, Drumdrops are top quality for 'live' feel recordings and Goldbaby / Wave Alchemy are top notch for drum machine-techno-hip hop samples.
I also like AD2.
Admittedly this post is more about my favourite drum sample companies than a direct answer to the thread question, but equally that's who sets the benchmark for me in terms of drum samples.
I also like AD2.
Admittedly this post is more about my favourite drum sample companies than a direct answer to the thread question, but equally that's who sets the benchmark for me in terms of drum samples.
