Drumdrops

This kit is the 3rd I've bought from Drumdrops and I wasn't disappointed.

Captures the vintage soul sound really well (a must for anyone interested in dry compressed sounds ie Flaming Lips, Tame Impala) but I could see it working in a lot of genres.

Didn't think I'd find a kit that could top their Ludwig kit but the kick on this one is so weighty! Couldn't choose a favourite between the two.

Have a listen to the Royal Drops sample library. It was made with the same kit and I think it's a good indication of what you'll be getting.

Just bought this pack last night. AMAZING! I've been looking for this sound for years. I own a lot of commercial drum libraries which I still find useful (Studio Drummer, Abbey Road, Ezdrummer2 + various EZXs), but none of them come close to this for a vintage Ludwig sound. What I like best is the fact that you can get a really nice dry sound as well. The kick and snare are perfect. If you're signing up with a new account make they offer 20% off with your first purchase also. Also should mention that the Kontakt scripting is very similar to the Native Instruments drum libraries so it will be familiar if you have used those products.

Very happy.

*Disclaimer: I'm a songwriter, producer, and educator. My writing style may read like a billboard ad, but my user review is sincere and authentic. I only appraise a product I consider extraordinary, hence the high rating. I don't work for the developer. In fact, I rarely work at all. :-) I hope you find my review useful. — Tommy Zai

I am not a adverspammer! LOL

Intro

The 1965 Ludwig Super Classic Kit by DrumDrops is an excellent drum sample library and rhythm workstation that provides a detailed patch for Kontakt. The Pack contains up to sixteen velocities per articulation and 5 round robins that total over 8000 individual samples. The kit sounds great out-of-the-box and it is easily customizable and adjustable. Ludwig's Super Classic model was a standard configuration for the industry and used by many top drummers, including the one and only Ringo, who served a song without dominating it! The '65 kit had a simple, compact configuration; yet, it was powerful enough to drive some of the greatest bands in the history of pop, rock, jazz, soul, etc. I love having "Ringo in a box, " but even if I weren't a Beatle-maniac I would buy this sample library for the pure sound of the kit. There is something very special about it! This library is everything I sonically hoped for — authentic, warm, tight, punchy, alive, and personal without any unwanted room ambience. I'm not sure what microphones, preamps, drummers, and engineers were used to create this sample library, but whatever and whoever they are — they did a sweet job. Until now, I had been constructing my pseudo Super Classic Kit by cannibalizing bits and pieces from various sample libraries to approximate the sound I was after. Sadly, coming close was not good enough. In addition to the authentic sound, DrumDrops has created an interface that serves as a rhythm workstation. It comes with a Groove Player, featuring 800 or so MIDI patterns created by real drummers and an eight channel, 32-step per channel Step Sequencer. There is also a Groove Slicer that I have yet to explore. The beat creation aspect of this pack allows me to finally ditch some of the other subpar sample libraries that I've been holding onto that have a groove player.

Drum Specifications:

• Kick Drum: Vintage 1965 Ludwig Super Classic (14" X 20").
• Snare #1: 1960s Rogers Dynasonic Wooden Snare (5.5" X 14).
• Snare #2: 1970s Ludwig 402 Snare (5" X 14").
• Rack Tom: Vintage 1965 Ludwig Super Classic (13" x 9").
• Floor Tom: Vintage 1965 Ludwig Super Classic (16" X 16").
• Ride: 1970s Zildjian K Medium Heavy 20" Ride.
• Crash: 1970s Zildjian K Dark Medium Thin 18" Crash.
• Hi Hat: 1970s Zildjian K 14" Hi Hats.

My Favorite Features:

• Simple, powerful interface.
• Easy to process according to taste.
• Randomization feature for tuning, velocities, EQ, etc.
• Sequencer and Groove player.
• Microphone blend – ability to vary the balance of the different microphones at their respective positions.
• Eight channel mixer (Mute, Solo, Phase Reverse, etc.) with excellent routing to DAW.
• Built in buss compressor and tape saturator.
• Useful mix presets.
• Responsive, innovative developer.

Value for the Price:

• Excellent quality vs. price ratio when compared to other vintage packs.

Quality of the Sound:

• Unmistakably the real thing. Sound is phenomenal, and with very little imagination I can feel and smell the mahogany.

Questions:

• Can I add my own MIDI drum patterns to the Groove Player?
• What revisions and updates are projected for this library?

Summary

This is a bittersweet day for me as a songwriter and producer. Sweet, because I finally have one complete, authentic, great sounding, industry standard 1965 Ludwig Super Classic Kit; Bitter, because I no longer have any excuses. My muse is looking me and asking, "Well, are you going to chew gum or bang out some beats?" Now that I have this drum sample library, it's time to create some music! I highly recommend this kit to any eMusician, producer, sound designer, film or video sound-tracker, video gamer, DJ, etc., who digs the vintage, yet timeless mid-60s sound. Tommy Zai gives this fine Kontakt 5 Pack two hard-hitting rim shots help up high! Thank you, DrumDrops, for resurrecting and breathing life back into my ultimate dream kit.

*Disclaimer: I'm a songwriter, producer, and educator. My writing style may read like a billboard ad, but my user review is sincere and authentic. I only appraise a product I consider extraordinary, hence the high rating. I don't work for the developer. In fact, I rarely work at all. :-) I hope you find my review useful. — Tommy Zai

Premier Outfits 54 Kit - Kontakt 5 Pack by Drumdrops "is a must have for anyone wanting the sound of a classic sounding British 1960s kit." They weren't lying. How could I pass up the chance to have the authentic drum sounds that launched Beatlemania? * I couldn't and I have no regrets. The vintage tone is all there, and it's packaged in a really clean, user friendly, yet powerful Drumdrops Kontakt interface. The kit sounds great out-of-the-box and it easily customizable and adjustable. To quote a review featured on Bedroom Producers Blog, "I really like the fact that Drumdrops decided to include impulse responses of the studio room which was used during the recording process, as well as some cool vintage reverb units such as the EMT 240 plate reverb and the Fairchild 659A spring reverb."

THE KIT

• 20" x 14" kick drum.
• 14" x 5.5" snare drum.
• 16" x 16" floor tom.
• 12" x 8" rack tom.
• 14" Zildjian New Beat Hi Hats.
• 22" Zildjian K-Custom Medium Ride.
• 8" Zildjian K-Dark Thin Crash.
• 16" Zildjian and CIE Vintage Crash.

FAVORITE FEATURES

• Nice GUI with mixing section (EQ, reverb, Transient Master, etc.).
• Randomization feature.
• Recorded in London, using vintage gear, not recorded in someone's garage using the latest stuff.
• Authentic, timeless well-balanced sound with slight, tight, warm, pleasing room ambience.
• 16 velocity, multiple round robins, and lots of samples.
• Inspiring.
• Fantastic quality vs. price ratio when compared to other vintage packs.
• Excellent developer (communication and frequent updates).

THOUGHTS

• I now have one of my dream kits. If I ever find a Ludwig and Gretsch kit I will run out of excuses for not making music.
• If Drumdrops added a groove library to this drum pack, I would probably play so much that my fingers would fall off.

CONCLUSION
Over the past couple years, I have written several VST user reviews, but rarely a sample library review. Back in the day, I was somewhat of a sample guru. As a result, it takes a lot to impress me. You could say I'm a bit of a sample snob. However, this library not only impressed me, it caused me to have more than one sleepless night. I couldn't wait to get up, load up, and play! I highly recommend Premier Outfits 54 Kit to any eMusician, producer, sound designer, film or video sound-tracker, video gamer, DJ, etc., who digs the early 60s Brit Invasion sound. You don't need to be a vintage rock buff to slide these fine drums into a track. They will sit well in the mix without overpowering the other tracks. Ringo served a song; he didn't dominate it! This kit is also well suited for funk, soul, folk, country, hip-hop, etc. Tommy Zai gives Premier Outfits 54 Kit - Kontakt 5 Pack two loud rim shots! Thank you, Drumdrops, for resurrecting and brings back to life one of my dream kits.

* Ringo originally purchased his Premier drum set in 1960 (Hamburg, Germany) and later used it during the early Beatles performances and recordings. For more info, go to: http://web2.airmail.net/gshultz/drumhist.html