Drum Sampler Recommendations Please

[vocalize]

Hello,

I'm looking for a professional drum sampler plugin to use acoustic drum sounds only. Something that has the most amazing true ac samples only.

I've been using Sampletank and Reason, but it still hasn't quite got what I'm looking for.

Any suggestions?

Thanks a million!

[Kenny Gioia]

The programs aren't the Problem.

It's the Samples.

Get a really good Acoustic Drum Sample CD and use either of these programs with it.

[pockets745]

Check out BFD from FXpansion.com. Ocasional issues with interface, but otherwise, AWESOME!! Amazing level of authenticity. I've fooled pots of players.

Jimmy Nichols
Nashville

[Treble Hum]

I second the BFD from Fxpansion. I also have Drum Kit From Hell Superior. All though DFH is pretty killer too, I think BFD is more user friendly. But beware, BFD had a ton of bugs, but as soon as I updated, the bugs went away. Well, at least most of them. I've got tons of drum samples that I bought as well as made some on my own, and even though they work pretty well with the Reason Sampler, it still doesn't compare to BFD or DFH. Just my 2 cents.

[Homebelly]

FXpansion also has a beta up of BFD that will load the DFH Superior samples,,
I third the advice for BFD,,,

[tomhartman]

I just got Superior today.

I was not knocked out by either the complexity, or the sounds.

I haven't tracked yet, so I haven't heard the drums with compression or EQ, but I am very unimpressed with the kicks and cymbals.

Real Giga Drums is much better, and more practical, I think.

Doesn't anyone make a drum sample library that actually sounds like what is on hit records....?

I haven't heard a kick drum like I hear on records in any sample libary

[Vaporhead]

The drums in DKFHS are unproccessed so that you can treat them just as you would treat a real drum performance. Real drums can sound pretty good in their unproccessed version, but rarely sound anything like what they end up sounding like after they have been proccessed for the final mix of a hit record. I suggest trying some EQ and compression before you give up on an incredibly usefull tool such as DKFHS. The fact that BFD has taken the time and effort (which means; spent the money) to make it possible to import DKFHS sounds into their program should not go unoticed. Anyway, I highly reccomend DKFHS if you have experience with tracking, and consequently proccessing real accuostic drums.

[kittonian]

DFHS is a fantastic tool for getting amazing drum sounds. The samples are far and aware the best I've heard and the way they do the room sounds and mic bleeds is second to none (IMHO). The thing about using this software is that you really need to know how to mix drums. DFHS will give you a ton of tracks to work with and allows the ultimate in flexibility. However, that being said, if you have no clue what you are doing mixing great drums (just as if you mic'd the drums in a great room and recorded all the separate tracks into the DAW) then DFHS is going to be very dissapointing. They are not mastered samples in any way. They are great sounds from an actual drumkit, played by an actual drummer, in a great facility. They are not processed in any fashion which leaves you the enginer the ability to make them sound however you wish.

[tomhartman]

DFHS is a fantastic tool for getting amazing drum sounds. The samples are far and aware the best I've heard and the way they do the room sounds and mic bleeds is second to none (IMHO). The thing about using this software is that you really need to know how to mix drums. DFHS will give you a ton of tracks to work with and allows the ultimate in flexibility. However, that being said, if you have no clue what you are doing mixing great drums (just as if you mic'd the drums in a great room and recorded all the separate tracks into the DAW) then DFHS is going to be very dissapointing. They are not mastered samples in any way. They are great sounds from an actual drumkit, played by an actual drummer, in a great facility. They are not processed in any fashion which leaves you the enginer the ability to make them sound however you wish.

Well I've only had it a day or so. No experience with it. But here's the thing. This program sounds like it would be great for someone with LOTS of time on their hands, and no deadlines.

Let's see if I have this straight.

1 I open Pro Tools
2 I open DRUMMER from Superior
3 I choose the beater on the kick, and whether the drums are played with sticks, etc
4 I load up a kit.
5 Oops, the kick is not available. I have to go back one screen, and try a different beater.
6 Ah, there, now the kick is available.
7 I turn "Cache On' so I can hear what I'm doing.
8 I start programming the sequence. It sounds like the system is about to explode as the samples are loaded, one by one, into RAM. Now I click one of the little LEDS onscreen to "clear" it. Now I can play and it doesn't sound like it's exploding.

9 Now I go through, and eliminate all the nuances this track may not need, to save RAM.
10 Finally, I play the entire sequence back, and bounce this to disk.
11 There are now many new audio tracks on my drive, that I get to import back into Pro Tools.

Probably someone's idea of a fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

I think the samples sound fine. I don't think they sound any better though than many others out there. The cool thing must be the whole leakage thing (which engineers spend ages trying to eliminate, most of the time)

I think I have to look into BFD. When the tech guy at Superior told me the program was "not meant to be dumped directly into Pro Tools" and that the bounce and import thing was the way to go, it kind of sealed the deal for me. They should have a large notice on this product that says "THIS DOES NOT WORK LIKE YOU THINK IT WILL" and I would have saved 300.00.

JMHO.

[kittonian]

tomhartman, you are correct. DFHS is not a two second slop it together really easy drum solution. It definitely takes some time. With regards to the kick drum not being available, only certain kick drums are available depending on the beater type you choose. DFHS does not emulate the beater it actually plays a sample of that specific drum using the beater you chose.

If anyone is considering this program you might want to read the DFHS rewire tutorial I spent quite a bit of time working on with the lead tech person at Toontrack.
It's on our website at http://www.audiolot.com/proaudio/sal...ts/dfhs/rewire

The main goal with DFHS is to provide the ultimate drum sounds (i.e. real samples, real bleeds, choice of beaters, choice of tools (stick, brushes, etc.), and the ability to choose exactly which drums/cymbals/etc. you wish to use. Once you program your drums you need to bounce (this is not the same as bouncing to disk inside PT or any other software). DFHS plays your midi information through DFHS and outputs WAV files into a specific location that you designate. Once you have these files created (and there are quite a few of them) you need to import them into your session (create each track and drag them all in). It's not a quick and dirty process but I would think of it as someone sending you the exact drum recording that you want for your song in WAV format with everything separated. If someone did this you would have to import them into your session and begin mixing. This is the same thing that DFHS does.

Once you get used to this process and setup your templates so you aren't spending tons of time creating each individual track for every song you see why it has gained so much respect. It's very powerful if you take the time to do everything you need to do with it in order to start mixing.