Ocean Way Drums is coming!

[deastman]

U met RUSH?!!!

My friend's band opened up for Rush back in the 80's.

[drenndogg]

well played sir. i've got a little chunk of change saved up for something else i had in mind but you've got me leaning!!! i hope it's here soon..just.......can't.........take it.

[Squids]

oh sorry....another question. i have so many!!! are there any varied playing samples? brushes, hotrods, felt beaters, wood beaters, etc.?

thanks, mike

No problem. That's why were here. Ask away. To answer your question, there are some variations of felt/wood beaters but there are NO brushes or hotrods on this library. They weren't going for that kind of sound. They were going for more rock/pop drum sounds (such as the kind heard most from acts recording at Ocean Way). Most importantly, these kinds of high end products are often borne from some professional in the industry not being satisfied with what is out there in samples and feels like in order to have what he/she wants they have to do it themselves. Then if it is made into a product, everyone benefits from this effort. Miroslav's orchestra was done in this same way. He did it for himself. For that matter, most of the Sonic Reality sounds are sampled because I personally want to have those as samples to use myself! (That's why we have so many rare instruments that cost more to find and sample... but I love it so I do it anyway!).

So, Allen and Steven weren't after that sound. Good news, however, is that I am after EVERY type of sound and certainly every type of drum sound, character and playing style. So, within Studio ProFile series (individual Kontakt libraries dedicated to specific famous drummers and their kits such as Danny Gottlieb, Jerry Marotta, Ed Greene, John Blackwell and Nick D'Virgilio) have variations such as this. It depends. In Jerry's case he might be playing the drums with his hands. In Nick or Danny's case it might be hotrods and brushes...

I'd say between Ocean Way Drums, Studio ProFiles and yet another collection called "Infinite Drum Kits" all sort of bottle necking their releases around the same time give or take a few months we're covering just about every drum sound you can imagine wanting from a Bonham-esque sound to a Collins kit to a Ringo 60's Ludwig sound to a Motown Soul sounding kit... This is from sampling just about everything.

[Squids]

U met RUSH?!!!

My friend's band opened up for Rush back in the 80's.

That must have been fun. I saw the Signals and Grace tours. They were great. Their new tour and album is really good! I enjoyed it. I posted some pics on our myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/sonicreality

[stephenpaulharper]

All of this utilizes the brain of the TD20 and that particularly cool hi hat controller pad. I know some of the other kits don't even have that hi hat controller.

The VH-12 indeed only works with the TD-20. The more popular and remarkably similar VH-11 works with kits 6 - 20. Only real difference is that the 12 lets you change the pitch of the hh by pushing down harder on the pedal. No big deal - I'm just being lazy and trying to get you guys to do the leg work. Also, it's never a bad idea to remind devs that GM with hh CC#04 works for everybody, regardless of brand, kit, module, triggers - including the VH-12, TMI, etc. - even for keyboardists. So, it really wouldn't be a question of making all of these brand-specific maps. I will allow that the I-Map is better for keyboard drummers, however. Anyway, a little bird has told me that high-end drum-oriented software is forthcoming from two of the last huge companies on earth you would expect to have an interest in such things. The needs of edrummers are being given the utmost attention (nudge, nudge).

I on the other hand like to please everyone from the amateur to the pro.

I know - that's why I'm pestering you. Thanks again for the scoop.

Steve

[Squids]

All of this utilizes the brain of the TD20 and that particularly cool hi hat controller pad. I know some of the other kits don't even have that hi hat controller.

Anyway, a little bird has told me that high-end drum-oriented software is forthcoming from two of the last huge companies on earth you would expect to have an interest in such things. The needs of edrummers are being given the utmost attention (nudge, nudge).

I on the other hand like to please everyone from the amateur to the pro.

I know - that's why I'm pestering you. Thanks again for the scoop.

Steve

Yeah, I've heard a little of that too. But, you know, there's two important aspects of a sound product. The specs and the sound. On the specs, sure there are all kinds of things that do this and that. We went the extra mile. I know other high end companies that would also go the extra mile too. I can imagine who. But, the one thing none of the other companies have is the Ocean Way sound. I mean, to have Allen Sides and Steven Miller's TIME to work on essentially a sample library???? These guys are busy TODAY recording and mixing Dave Matthews Band and Mary J Blidge... why they'd take time out from doing hit records to sample thousands of drum hits then sit there and mix it in Kontakt WITH Sonic Reality (not us on our own but sitting there with those guys at Ocean Way... if this wasn't done with the OWNER of Ocean Way I don't even want to know what it would cost THEN... scary) is a fluke! Luck.

I'll start showing you guys what I mean by the extra mile soon. Videos, screen shots, demos... it's all coming within the next couple of weeks and around AES time where Ocean Way will have a booth shared with GCPro running Ocean Way Drums through an SSL. Yes, that's what GCPro wants use to demonstrate a 90,000 dollar console. (Cool huh? Also, SSL just dropped one off for us to use in Studio C for a while. That's Ocean Way for ya.)

There's actually a cool project going on at OW that I can't say anything about. It's a musical project and a combination of two unlikely talents. But, maybe after the album is out. I couldn't talk about Rush mixing their album at the time either until later. It's a general rule respecting the privacy of sessions. But, literally every week there is someone interesting recording there. Plus, this is where Jack Joselph Puig and Dr. Dre have their permanent studio rooms. JJP has one of two Focusrite consoles in the world and Dre has one of the largest SSLs in the world (over 100 inputs). What a crazy cool place to be around.

Where was I? Haha. Oh yeah. So, as I was saying, capturing and reanimating/programming audio is an art not that much different than photography or cinematography. It's going to come out a certain way depedending on who recorded it, with what equipment and where. The who is Allen Sides and Steven Miller. To have THEIR ear and plus Allen's knowlege and collection of microphones is priceless. The WHERE is the same place where McCartney, Radiohead, Green Day, Jon Brion, T-Bone Burnette, Stones, Clapton and so many others like to record their drums for albums, the equipment includes a one of a kind console built by Bill Putnam that was called "the fastest console in the world" by George Massenburg. This is because the slew rate and accuracy of the frequencies captured is more time aligned than any other console on the planet apparently. Allen explains the console in detail in the video interview coming out soon.

So, with all of this one of a kind stuff it just stands on its own for what it is. There might be other great products out there too. There already are! But they're different and there's no way to make them be the same no matter what any other developer does. They don't have the who, the where and the same equipment. You know what I mean? It isn't just that it is "high end". It's that it is the real deal Ocean Way recorded and mixed drum collection by the guy Mix magazine goes to for the definitive book about microphones. It's about a guy who GCPro goes to so they can resell Allen's studio monitors that go for $65,000 a pair (and Dr Dre has these wall to wall... the loudest control room on the planet). Sure, there are other famous producers, engineers, drummers etc. that are also interesting too. Sonic Reality is even working with a lot of them as well! But, even our own products such as those in the Studio ProFile series will be great on their own but the won't give you the same sound as OWD. It's proprietary. If someone wants just "high end" then take your pick of what's out there. But if someone wants a piece of what everyone loves about Ocean Way and Allen then... you know where to go.

There are so many good things to convey about this that I'll likely be on my soap boxes and singing this studio and these producer/engineer's praises because I am totally honored to be working with them and to be lucky to have these guys themselves give you THEIR work in the sample industry as opposed to just doing their magic on records with million dollar budgets.

[Rainman]

Wow. About a year and a half ago I stepped back from the whole music industry for a much much needed break. I think my last post here was something to do with Ocean Way drums just after they were announced. I've just gotten back into my studio and am re-aquainting myself with a lot of technology, I seem to have forgotten a few things. Looking forward to OWD big time.
Rainman

javascript:emoticon(':band2:')

[Squids]

Welcome back Rainman! Good to see you Gaucho!

[Squids]

Here's a little sneak peek screen shot. Shhhh.

[Rainman]

@ Squids "Welcome back Rainman! Good to see you Gaucho!"

Thanks Squids, it's good to be back. That's a drooable screenshot of OWD. Did you say that for Kontakt 2 owners (soon to be Kontakt 3 I guess) that they'd be able to get this without the default audio engine?? [/quote]

[Squids]

@ Squids "Welcome back Rainman! Good to see you Gaucho!"

Thanks Squids, it's good to be back. That's a drooable screenshot of OWD. Did you say that for Kontakt 2 owners (soon to be Kontakt 3 I guess) that they'd be able to get this without the default audio engine??

[/quote]

Not sure yet. Maybe. There might be some kind of version that is sounds only but it's mainly with the engine (although works like library in K2 or K3 anyway.

[K-Slash]

Here's a little sneak peek screen shot. Shhhh.

Tasty GUI .

Hope to have a tasty sound too ^^.

[Squids]

Oh it's tasty! Wow it's powerful though. I mean, it pushes the envelope big time. It really does require a nice computer set up to run. We've been testing it on a variety of hard drives and performance does vary. There are so many mic layers depending on the kit (more than BFD or anything else out there) and with the alt switching and tons of velocity layers it is a MONSTER (especially at 96K). I mean, you can't even run the 96k from a regular firewire or USB 2 drive. Maybe the 48k. Internal or esata definitely helps as does firewire 800. Plus messing around with the polyphony management and disk streaming buffer depending on your computer set up. We'll detail that in the docs and go over some tips here as well when people have it in their hands. But, boy is it worth it though! I mean to have such open air in the high end and the variety of timbres. Plus, it's not like everything is perfect and sterile either. Remember these guys make all kinds of records from Switchfoot and Dave Matthews Band to Phil Collins and Mary J. Blidge. They know how to keep it sounding like a real kit still with the various artifacts like resonating kit noise which are all apart of what we hear as a real drum kit. You have options of the snares rattling when you hit the kick and toms or not. The ones without that sound cleaner but the ones with just have that realism because of course when a drummer is playing toms and his snares are on then you WOULD hear that! So it isn't that it is a clinical "under the microscope" kind of scientific approach. If anything, it's more of an artist approach from engineers and a studio that has made hit records for the past 25-50+ years.

I am excited about this product. Sonic Reality was really lucky to be able to pull this together and we would not have been able to do it if everyone at Ocean Way wasn't as passionate as they are about it. They've made a huge sacrifice to do this as have we. When you put that much into a project there's that much more people can get out of it.

[multree]

Ocean Way Drums? .....NICE.....

I just read bunch about it in the manual of my new toy

and have been a big fan of Jack Joseph Puig's stuff for a long time... he, T-Bone Burnett, Butch Vig and Gil Norton shaped the sound of so many records I love....

he didn't actually produce Ocean Way Drums though did he???

[Squids]

JJP? No. But they all have their studio rooms at Ocean Way. Jack, Dr. Dre in the Sherman Oaks studio and the main Studio B recording room in Hollywood, where OWD was done is where so many people like to record including Jon Brion recently. This was produced by Allen Sides, the owner of Ocean Way Studios and the Paramount Sound Stage who has worked on over a 1,000 albums in his day and just won a Grammy for Mary J Blige's album. Allen writes the definitive book on mics for Mix magazine. He's one of the most respected engineers in the world. Ocean Way Drums was co-produced by Steven Miller and myself. Steven is another fantastic engineer who has recently been recording Dave Matthews Band (in fact, that's why he couldn't make the NAMM show... it is amazing we got Allen there! These guys are busy!). Steve also recorded the Switchfoot record and he's also done a lot of jazz records. He recently recorded Kitaro at Ocean Way. There's a cool picture somewhere of the two of them in Studio D where Rush mixed their latest album. Honestly, it's fun just hanging around this studio. So many great things happen there. There's now a dedicated room to check out Ocean Way Drums there with a V-Drum kit in Studio C. Some incredible drummers have stopped by just to get an advanced trial of it.