What do you use for drums? (80s Electronic music)

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Instruments Discussion
Post Reply New Topic
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

I’ve primarily worked on rock music for years but lately have been getting into creating electronic music (Depeche Mode, 80s, synthwave, etc).

I have been collecting vst synths and I’m pretty well covered there, but what do you all use for drums / beat creation?

I have primarily been using Addictive Drums 2 with the Reel Machines ADpak. Also been learning XLN XO, but it seems a little “clubby” to me. I do have a lot of acoustic drums via EZdrummer 3.

So far though I’m having the most success using AD2 / Reel Machines and layering additional samples with XO as needed.

Just wondering what other people find best for 80s drum sounds and grooves.
Macs M1/M2 / Bitwig 4 / Studio One 6

Post

For electronic stuff I make my own sample-based kits in NI Battery 3 or Steinberg Groove Agent 5. (Am transitioning to Groove Agent since Battery 3 won't ever make it to VST 3.)

For tracks where I want a more realistic sounding kit I use the NI Drummer series kits or sometimes Toontrack EZ Drummer.

Post

Samples from old drum machines like the 707, Linndrum, Drumulator etc., with some EQ, non-linear reverb, compression and layered with noise or a high-passed acoustic snare sample or similar.

Post

If you're focusing on the early 80s stuff, then AdvancedFollows is right on the basics - samples of drum machines of the era. The 808, Drumulator, CR78, KPR-77, KR55B, 707 / 727, 606 Drumatix, Simmonds SDS-5, SP12, DMX and - most of all - the Linn Drum. You can't get enough Linn Drum samples - there were several vintages with a lot of customisation. The way the Human League used it in 1981 is very different to Prince in 1984. That thing got everywhere and was super-versatile. Add eq and appropriate vintage digital reverb to taste.

Later in the 80s other machines began to dominate, especially the once-forlorn 909 when for a while nothing else would do. The RX-5 got quite popular for short time, and the 808 got a whole new lease of life too.

I've always been fascinated by the shape of those trends - pre '81 = analogue, '81-'86 digital, '87 - '90 analogue. Broad strokes of course, and sampling mixed and matched a lot, with blatant thievery from other people's records ubiquitous. Loops became dominant around the 2nd half of the decade too, again blatant theft of mostly old soul and funk records. Some digital continued in the latter part of the decade though, the PWL pop hit factory stuck with the Linn 9000 as a bedrock for example.

Eraserfase, Goldbaby, Samples From Mars and Rhythmic Robot are all great sample collections for the drum machines. I have these organised into folders, so when working in XO I can do a fast search on any of those models and get instant results.

EDIT - jeepers, forgot the MPC drum sampler, huge in rap and hip-hop.
http://www.guyrowland.co.uk
http://www.sound-on-screen.com
W10, i7 7820X, 64gb RAM, RME Babyface, 1050ti, PT 2023 Ultimate, Cubase Pro 13
Macbook Air M2 OSX 10.15

Post

"Bring the 707 out..."

Post


Post

I just put wav samples on different audio tracks in my DAW and process the sound to taste. There's millions of free wav samples on the internet.
I wonder what happens if I press this button...

Post

Most drum machine (MPC style) plugins will have all the old drum machines covered in their factory banks. These are mostly pcm samples from the first couple waves of digital drum boxes. You can also go to companies like gold baby for kits that cover those bases. I would also recommend having at least one drum synth to make little percussive sounds. Microtonic is my go-to for that. I also use drumatic and drum computer here and there. The main sound of the 80s synth pop is the sound of short, low bitrate samples of real kits then run through regular mix processing. If you have only use synthesized drums (808 909 cr78 etc) You'll end up closer to an "electro" sound (also common in that era).
Don't F**K with Mr. Zero.

Post

Psychic Modulation PulseCode.

Post

UVI BeatBox Anthology 2

AceT 1 • AceT 2 • AceT 6 • AceT 8 • XR Ten • HR Sixteen • HR SixteenB • SR Drums • Amdk 100 • DrumBrute • MatrixBrute • Bhm Drums • D.Rythm 110 • D.Rythm 220 • D.Rythm 220E • D.Rhythm Five • D.Rythm Pad • Clap Machine • PT Seven • RZ One • OMB Two • DST • Dyn ADD1 • Drmlator • AnalogR • EMD • 8 Bit Box • EM7C • Drumstar • OMB Five • Organ Drums • Drumzmo • Transwave Drums • ETI Drum Synth • Drumaker • Drum Performer • Rythm Eighty • DK5S • R Hundred • XD Five • K-DDD One • K-DDM Hundred • K-DDM2 Hundred • KPR Seven 2 • KPR Three 2 • KPR Five 2 • Mini Pops 20S • Mini Pops 7 • K-MR Sixteen • UVS3200 • K-S Three • Gadget Beat • Kick Machine 2 • U1250 • L 9000 • L Drum • LM One • Optigan • Synsonic • Mini Pops • The Kit • TR Clone • Drum MX • P Drum X • P Fight • Concert Mate • Classic R-78 • Classic R-8000 • The 5o5 • The 55 • The 6o6 • The 626 • The 66 • The 7o7 • The 727 • The 77 • The 8o8 • The 9o9 • Sakata • DR Traks • SCTOM • MPD Forty • SMS Clap • SMS MTX • SMS 400 • SMS 800 • SMS 9 • SMS V • SMS Trix • Arranger Drums • SM305 • Tam Star 200 • Tam Star 500 • Tam Star 204 • Tom ED • Gadget 12 • UniVox • VerDrum One • VermoDrums • Ratck • Wers Drums • Wers Matic • YCS 20m • YDD Ten • YDD Eleven • FM 4OP • YMR Ten • YPT Eight • YQY Ten • YRX Five • YRX Seven • YRX Eight
Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

Post

Live Drum Rack with suitable samples ...

Post

I second the UVI BeatBox Anthology suggestion. There's a similar offering from Wave Alchemy but I can't remember the name (although I have and use it). Revolution, Evolution...something in that vein.

Reel Machines - not too shabby.

I mean, it's really important to mix them well, use proper verbs, gates if neccessary.

k

Post

Aw, Goldbaby has some killer sets as well.

Post

This is slightly off topic, but didn’t Battery 3 have a list of what was in each kit? I remember having that in either electronic form or in a manual for it, but now I can’t find it.

Post

Not necessarily strictly authentic or canonical but Psychic Modulation PulseCode will get you comfortably in the ballpark.
Image

Post Reply

Return to “Instruments”