Native Instruments has announced the release of Abbey Road 70s Drums, the second instrument developed together with the iconic British recording studios. Providing two expertly engineered classic drum kits for use in the free Kontakt Player and the full Kontakt 4 sampler, Abbey Road 70s Drums delivers "the essential punch and flair for typical Seventies sound aesthetics and various modern music styles".
At the heart of Abbey Road 70s Drums are two sought-after drum kits of the Seventies, a Premier and a Ludwig, both painstakingly recorded in Abbey Road's legendary Studio Two renowned for its unique acoustic properties. While the Ludwig kit provides the typical big and roomy sound that is a hallmark of many classic rock songs of the Seventies, the Premier kit was recorded in a deadened environment within the famous studio to create a tight and punchy tone that also lends itself to R&B, disco and other contemporary genres. All samples were captured using Abbey Road's engineering expertise and arsenal of vintage equipment. Classic microphones from the studios' famed collection, the exclusive EMI TG mixing desk, an analog 2-inch tape machine and other authentic outboard gear all contribute to the "charismatic and genuine" sound of Abbey Road 70s Drums.
Up to 34 velocity layers per instrument with up to six additional variation samples guarantee ultimate authenticity both for rhythm programming and for real-time MIDI-controlled playing, with a selection of different MIDI mappings accommodating the established layouts of various popular electronic drum kits and third-party drum libraries. Separate "vintage" and "modern" microphone setups provide a choice between classic and contemporary tone, with the Ludwig kit also offering an optional "Glyn Johns" configuration, a technique used for some of the most acclaimed drum recordings of the Seventies era.
The user interface of Abbey Road 70s Drums makes full use of the advanced GUI features of Kontakt, providing convenient controls for articulation, sound shaping, mixing and routing. Advanced randomization can even add subtle nuances to the tone and timing to make it virtually indistinguishable from a conventional studio-recorded drum performance.
Abbey Road 70s Drums is available for purchase in the NI Online Shop on DVD and as a download for $119 / €99.
A video explaining the recording process at Abbey Road Studios is available on YouTube
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