SD2‘s X-Drums have been reimagined: as well as loading additional kit pieces into an abstracted column at the left of the interface, they can now also host external samples. Also included, incidentally, are 350 single-sample electronic drum sounds, which make a solid starting point for experimentation with SD3’s new-found layering capabilities. The love and care with which Massenburg and team have set up and tracked SD3’s core library is palpable in every sample, and it serves as a pristine, pure foundation on which to build your own kits. The hi-hats take the cake, though, with a whopping 27 articulations each. Crash and ride cymbals come with up to eight articulations kicks can be Open or Hit and toms can be struck in the centre, rimshot, or on the rim.

Supplementing those are a staggering roster of extra snares and kicks, and the 32 cymbals are provided by Zildjian, Paiste, Masterwork, Istanbul, Bosphorus and Spizzichino.Įvery snare drum encompasses eight articulations (Centre, Rimshot, Flam, etc), with the brushed snares upping that to 12. It comprises six full kits in 14 configurations: Ayotte Classic (sticks and rods), four-piece Gretsch Round Badge (sticks, brushes and rods, all with snares on and off, plus mallets), Ludwig (single- and double-headed toms), Premier Genista, Pearl Masterworks and Yamaha Beech Custom.

SD3’s 230GB library of raw drum samples was recorded (in 11-channel surround) by engineering demigod George Massenburg at Belgium’s state of the art Galaxy Studios.

This has to be done via the new search engine, rather than the right-click menu, but that’s not a great chore, and the search engine itself works well, utilising a text field and a comprehensive bank of filters. Unlike SD2, though, individual kit pieces can now be mixed up as you see fit across all libraries. Like SD2, as well as the kits in the core library, SD3 can also load any installed SDX and EZX add-ons. Size-wise, SD3 blows SD2’s 20GB library out of the water with 230GB of recordings downloaded in five separate bundles - the surround channels (which are very usable as additional ambience channels for stereo mixes) add up to almost 100GB alone.

The centrepiece of Superior Drummer 3 is its massive core library of multisampled drums and cymbals recorded by the legendary George Massenburg in true 11-channel surround (see boxout). The whole thing is freely resizable, too, with internal elements (text and controls) scalable from 70-250%, and all four tabbed sections able to be popped out into their own windows.

Toontrack superior drummer 3 review