Ultimate Studio Drums II: The Sequel - GB Discussion Thread

[thenumber23]

I want all the SSD stuff (in addition to this GB), but I'm confused.

How many EX expansions are there (4, 5, or 6)?

If you get 'em all, do you effectively have SSD Platinum?

Where's the link on esoundz that I can click to make this happen?

[Squids]

I want all the SSD stuff (in addition to this GB), but I'm confused.

How many EX expansions are there (4, 5, or 6)?

If you get 'em all, do you effectively have SSD Platinum?

Where's the link on esoundz that I can click to make this happen?

I think they are having an issue with their servers so we'll wait until they sort that out and then start with it. I'll have more info at that time as well for that. Maybe at some point I can get them to do iMAP too. Although you can through EZ Player Pro. If this thing REALLY takes off (this GB) then we might open up that Download Code that lets you choose between EZ Player Pro or more Multitrack Kits again... this time with more choices of Multitrack kits. You never know. First we have to reach the lowest price. Then the festivities start to kick in! Spread the word!

[bronxsound]

0-20=========== $149.00
21-50======== $139.00<--- We are here
51-100========= $129.00
101-150======== $119.00
151-200======== $109.00
201 +========== $99.00
Number Currently Enrolled: 37
>>>>>>>JOIN HERE<<<<<<<
refer me @esoundz: lukianowicz

[Squids]

Good morning!

[DrApostropheX]

Good morning!

Guten tag, herr Squidster!

[Squids]

Good morning!

Guten tag, herr Squidster!

I don't play tag anymore. Unt! Just kidding. I have no idea what I'm talking about Doc! But top of the mornin' to ya! Let's get this party started!

[Reverend Rhythm]

I agree! How about some Squid Stories?

[Mr.Kus]

Do I need registered Infinite player if I have full version of Kontakt 4 or is it only needed with the player version?

You'll definitely need the Infinite Player to play these drums.

Damn. Probably can't afford this then.

Completely understandable. I guess there will be many people in pretty much the same situation.

Just a suggestion: Instead of buying the Infinite Player alone for $50, I would consider paying $50 more and getting (1) 13 Ocean Way Drums DL mix kits, (2) 15 Drum Masters 2 Signature Drum Kits, (3) Ambient Impulse Responses, (4) 150 Bonus Midi Grooves and (5) 50 additional hybrid kits in addition to the Infinite Player - by buying the The Ultimate Studio Drums Bundle I.

And yeah, the SSD sale is quite tempting, I guess many here (including me) couldn't resist...

Matt

epointz ID: MattH

EDIT: Sorry, I was wrong assuming that the Infinite Player is still included in the first group buy bundle (please see posts below from todd_r and DarkStar).

We'll make a special KVR-only offer which is for anyone who purchases Ultimate Studio Drums Bundle 1 AND joins this Group Buy they can have Infinite Player for FREE (so a $50 gift just for seeing this post! Not bad). There is no concession for anyone who already owns it though - that was the part about the last group buy (or one of the things) that made it confusing. So, this time you have the option of getting BOTH bundles from say February 15th through March 30th (yes, we'll keep the Bundle 1 going at least until then but cannot promise it will still even be available at ALL after that) - and in that case we'll sport you a free Infinite Player (with FREE Deluxe Piano which itself is worth $50! A nice 300 meg C7 Grand).

How to get it? Simple. Just purchase Ultimate Studio Drums Bundle 1 and then join this Ultimate Studio Drums Bundle 2 Sequel Group Buy and then email allen (at) esoundz (dot) com and tell him you want the "FREE INFINITE PLAYER" Squids mentioned on KVR! That's it. (You guys can feel free to quote that offer in upcoming pages in this thread if you want or elsewhere... but it won't be something mentioned on the main product page... so it is kind of a fun secret offer).

By the way, if you want SSD then that $20 is good but we've got something even better for those that REALLY collect. Today we're going to be offering SSD EX plus an expansion of your choice for only $49.95 (That's basically $20 PLUS half off on the expansion). On top of that we're going to have ALL of the SSD expansions exclusively for half-price ($30 each) at www.esoundz.com However, that price is ONLY for people that either join this group buy OR have purchased the Ultimate Studio Bundle 1... which you can still do! Otherwise we will still have a general good deal on SSD (also Platinum) but it will be a little higher than that is all. Not bad! We've got connections... Anyway, if you are a collector of great drum "favors" and you want to expand it all in Kontakt then we've got you covered!

Oh no. Yesterday I thought that 99$-139$ for STD bundle 2 + 50$ for infinite player is too much for me to spend on drums at the moment (I didn't think it's not worth it just that I don't have enough money). Today I'm seriously thinking about buying both bundles and maybe SSD EX and some expansions as well. It's your fault if I can't afford to eat this spring.

[Reverend Rhythm]

It's your fault if I can't afford to eat this spring.

That's Squids for ya!

[Squids]

I agree! How about some Squid Stories?

Okay, let's talk about the drummers in this because they are really amazing. Danny Gottlieb was the first drummer to be in Drum Masters. A mutual friend named Stephen Dewire introduced us (and also he introduced us to Jerry Marotta as well). As soon as I met both those guys we hit it off.

Danny is so passionate and such a work-o-holic. He's always busy drumming or teaching (now he teaches at a school up North as does Rod Morgenstein who is a friend of Danny's).

Anyway, we originally set out to sample Danny Gottlieb's Cymbal Collection because it is HUGE. He has some rare jazz cymbals that belonged to Joe Morello (one of his main mentors) including the ride cymbal that was used on Brubeck's Take Five (which we sampled) and also cymbals from legends Mel Lewis and Don Lemond... including one that I have mentioned before that sounds INCREDIBLE but in real life if you take it out of the cymbal bag you can get SICK! It has some kind of mold or something you can't remove and makes you sneeze... or it is haunted. Either way it's better and safer to use the sample! Then he has all of these rare Paiste cymbals including a bunch that John Bonham used (if not the exact ones he used at least the same models). There were china splashes with rivets and all sorts of Instanbul and Zildjian prototypes and one-offs... plus there's his signature Flat Rides and other cymbals Danny used with Pat Metheny Group (I am a BIG fan of PMG).

So, in 2004 we set out to do this and at the time he was living in Orlando and we had a studio in Ft Lauderdale. He piled in about 300 cymbals into his car... I think I have a picture of the car. Yeah here we go: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonicreali ... 748639778/

...and drove down South! It just so happened that there was a HURRICANE! So we had to work around THAT. The second time he came down there was ANOTHER hurricane! It was pretty difficult with those handicaps but we did it (and there's only some slight wind in the background of the samples... just kidding, there's none of that!).

We had hallways and the studio lobby lined up with cymbals and hats galore. Here's a few shots of that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonicreali ... 748639778/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sonicreali ... 748639778/

If you keep on clicking next on that Flickr page you can even see some of these cymbals one by one. We sampled ALL of them!!!!! It's all going to be finally released for the Infinite Player. I think we ARE going to do one title just dedicated to Hi Hats (50 different hi hats!) and one dedicated to Rides and Crashes OR one just for Rides and one just for Crashes/Splashes/Chinas. Not sure yet but the first one will be the hi hats because there is so much talk about hi hats and... well, we went to all this trouble to do a special script just for hi hats too so we might as well make use of that!

Anyway, if you look at that second picture you'll see a blue cymbal case. This had Pat Metheny Goup backstage passes from the tours he was on. Danny actually GAVE me that cymbal case! That is how much he loved Sonic Reality. What a guy. He's come down a few times to do midi sessions as well (we're going to eventually have midi grooves from all of the Drum Masters drummers... we already have Bruford's and Blackwell's, some of Danny's and more). We'll be doing a new sample session with him soon as well... I hope to get our video streaming action together by then. We're setting up a multi-cam operation at the SR studio in Miami so you could even do a remote session there and watch all the musicians.

A tame Squidstory for you. It doesn't involve actresses this time or anything crazy.

[standalone]

So you went through a hurricane with 300 cymbals!, who else?.

You sample everything......

[Redhawk1]

I want all the SSD stuff (in addition to this GB), but I'm confused.

How many EX expansions are there (4, 5, or 6)?

If you get 'em all, do you effectively have SSD Platinum?

Where's the link on esoundz that I can click to make this happen?

Sorry if I'm being dumb here but I'm confused over the offer pricing for SSD.. could anyone clarify for me please...

thanks in advance ... paul..

[Squids]

So you went through a hurricane with 300 cymbals!, who else?.

You sample everything......

I just had an image of the door flying open and 300 cymbals wisking through the air. That would have been the end.

By the way, I think during Hurricane Katrina at my old house (when I was married) there were these double doors in the front and there's this little pin that wasn't into the ground so they could fly open. The EYE of the hurricane was passing over and the doors were buckling and I couldn't open it to put the pin in so I tied it up as best I could and HELD it like SUPERMAN or something (probably more like Sienfeld when he talks about the guy in the car with the matress on the roof holding it with one hand "I got it, don't worry... with my HAND!"). Anyway, whether I was really doing anything or not it was incredibly scary. At ANY moment those doors could have flown open and EVERYTHING (Squids and all) would have burst into a storm of who knows what! That too would have been the end and that would mean NO MORE eSoundz Group Buys, no more discount coupons for other company's products, no more Squidstories... knock on wood but things in South Florida have been relatively calm for a few years.

You want to know the craziest thing? I was just telling the Gottlieb story and he just called out of nowhere! Burning ears. Anyway, we're setting up one final session for his collection to happen in April. Plus we're going to do some killer Drummer Tracks and play alongs (Music minus the drums too) so that will be fun. Let me know if there's any PMG tracks you'd love to play along with. I might be able to get Jeff Berlin and/or Mark Egan in here. We're going to start recording some cool jazz albums at SR studio soon with guys Danny and some of the other drummers play with. Should be fun! Nothing like MUSIC to record! What's better?

[standalone]

Absolutely looking forward to SR Jazz!.

In the meantime, let me share what I'm loving right now:

[Squids]

Absolutely looking forward to SR Jazz!.

In the meantime, let me share what I'm loving right now:

That's cool. She sounds like Fiona Apple a bit. Great sound on the drums too and that piano is just mellow ethereal... good stuff.