Native Instruments has released Abbey Road Modern Drums, a new instrument developed together with the iconic British recording studios. Providing two high-end drum kits for use in the free Kontakt Player and the Kontakt 4 sampler, Abbey Road Modern Drums gives musicians and producers access to expertly engineered drum sounds for contemporary music production of any genre, with the highest possible level of fidelity and authenticity.
Abbey Road Modern Drums complements the previous 60s, 70s and 80s installments, and is based on two renowned drum kits that are a staple of modern studio productions – a Drum Workshop Collector's Series "White Kit" and a Pearl Reference "Sparkle Kit". Further expanded with various distinctive cymbals from Sabian and Zildjian as well as three snare drum options each, both kits were recorded with painstaking precision in Abbey Road's Studio Two and Studio Three, taking full advantage of the acoustic properties of these famous recording rooms.
Abbey Road Modern Drums utilizes both contemporary and vintage high-end recording equipment to achieve ultimate sound quality across all individual instruments of the kits. This includes selected Brauner and Neumann microphones from the studios' famed mic collection as well as exclusive SSL, REDD and EMI TG preamps. Classic and modern compression techniques were used on the basis of the legendary Fairchild 660 compressor and the acclaimed Empirical Labs Distressor. Additional specialities include a range of "splash on snare" sounds as well as bass drum samples recorded through a rewired monitor speaker for additional punch, further increasing the sonic versatility of the kits.
Up to 27 velocity layers per instrument with over 40,000 overall 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. The highly functional user interface offers convenient control over all articulation, sound shaping, mixing and routing functions. Advanced randomization can even add subtle nuances to the tone and timing to make it virtually indistinguishable from a studio-recorded drum performance.
Abbey Road Modern Drums is available for purchase in the NI Online Shop on DVD and as a download for $119 / €99.
A video documenting scenes from the recording process at Abbey Road Studios is available on YouTube.
Additional information on Abbey Road Modern Drums is available at www.native-instruments.com/moderndrums
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