Premier Outfit 54 Kit - Kontakt 5 Pack

*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