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If you need the utmost flexibility, SD3 can do it all. Of course, you can also import your own samples as well. Engineered by George Massenburg, SD3 comes with 7 different drum kits and over 350 electronic drum sounds. They were arranged in a surround configuration for an “immersive” sound. One of the really cool features with SD3 is the inclusion of an extra 11 room mics used to record the samples. SD3 comes with a daunting 230 GB of raw samples, so get that dedicated hard drive ready! Superior Drummer is designed for in-depth, ultra-realistic drum programming. It includes all of the key features that make a great drum VST, including an intuitive 16-channel mixer, MIDI groove library, and customizable key-mapping.
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On the very affordable end of the spectrum is Room Sound by The Blasting Room! For just $89, you can piece together the perfect drum kit for your needs by selecting from 25 different pieces. SSD includes 77 snares, 84 kicks, 58 toms, 11 hi-hats, 14 crashes, 6 rides, 4 splashes, 3 chinas, 9 percussion instruments (clap, tambourine, cowbell), and 4 sound effect instruments. SSD5 is the latest and greatest, with a brand new user interface redesigned from the bottom up and a reworked routing/mapping system. Steven Slate’s plugins are incredibly popular, but he actually got his start in 2006 with his drum samples. This is an introduction to some of the most popular options for drum VSTs at different price points, including some free ones at the end! SSD5 | Slate Digital These virtual kits include samples performed by professional drummers in top-of-the-line studios, and also include pre-made MIDI grooves to get the ball rolling quickly.
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As a matter of fact, the software has gotten so good that it isn’t uncommon for solo artists to release finished albums with entirely programmed drums. Drum VSTs are one of the quickest and easiest means to lock down your song’s backbone.
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