I use EZ Drummer and DrumCore.  I don't think I saw DrumCore mentioned. 
 
Take care,
 
 
 

KeithAdv


It surprises me that DrumCore doesn't often get mentioned. I have a bunch of drum software but I go to DrumCore a lot. Maybe people didn't give it a chance when it started life as a ReWire app but it's VST now, and a pretty handy one, I think.

Not Drumcore, but Kitcore, the version without the audio loops, used to be my goto. It's old but still very good and a bit like Sample Tank vs Kontakt it shows that an older and less fully featured program can in the right circumstances still deliver the goods with a much lower footprint.
 
The trouble is since Submersible sold to Wire Works all development seems to have stopped and the promised 64 bit versions never materialized, I need to use JBridge with Kitcore. With further development this could have been right up there with the big guns.
 
 There are some great MIDI loops in Kitcore by some very famous drummers. They are in a propriatory format so if you want to use them with something else you have to drag them out of an instance of Kitcore.
 
On another note:
 
Having just got NI Komplete, I must say I am impressed with the Abbey Road 60's Drummer in that package.

Chromaphone

synkrotron


I think that all of the options mentioned here are sample based drum/percussion synths. Does anyone know if there are any worthwhile physical modelling options available?

The only one that I know of, and I am seriously considering of getting it, soon, is Chromaphone, by A|A|S. I think, however, that it is mainly a "percussion" synth, as opposed to a full on drum synth.

The reason I ask, is I am developing an interest in physical modelling options out there, mainly because they appear to be a lot more efficient, in terms of memory and CPU usage, and the software install is much smaller too.

I tried the demo of Chromaphone and liked it but wasn't sure if I'd use it enough to buy it.


Forgive my ignorance but I must admit I'm not entirely sure what is meant by "physical modelling" in terms of drums but fxpansion have a couple
of instruments that might be something like what you're after.

depends on the music genre.

for electronic drums I use battery 3 and for acoustic drums superior drums 2 with the new root expansion.

check them out if you haven't already:

https://www.toontrack.com/products.asp?item=116
https://www.toontrack.com/products.asp?item=115

Skytron
What do you currently use in your drum arsenal?

Steve

synkrotron

twaddle


Skytron
What do you currently use in your drum arsenal?

Steve

Me?


Since I've moved over to soft synths, my first drum synth was Battery2, which I upgraded to 3. More recently, I've been experimenting with Session Drummer 3, and I've also since purchased BFD Eco.  Upgrade is currently £129.

I also use synths like Absynth to create my "drum" sounds too. It depends on what I am trying to achieve at the time. 

Have you checked out Eco's big brother BFD2? Upgrade price is currently £130 .
Obviously it's more geared to acoustic drums but there are some great expansion kits such as the 8 bit kit and the cocktail kit that lend them selves
very well to more contemporary sounds.

Steve

synkrotron


Yep, Steve, I'm seriously considering upgrading to full BFD at some point. I just need to manage my budget... With upgrading from Sonar 6 PE to X1 Expanded, buying a brand new (nearly 2g's worth) laptop, a QUAD-CAPTURE, and some additional soft synths, I've spent a fair bit already. And now X2 is on the horizon, along with Windows 8. This hobby can really but a strain on your resources lol

I feel you pain :)


Steve

Another you might check out is Spectrasonics Stylus RMX.. lots of great stuff in there and they offer ad-ons as well

http://www.spectrasonics.net/products/stylusrmx.php

synkrotron

Loptec


depends on the music genre.

Absolutely, or it least, it normally does. I, however, like to experiment and sometimes I will use acoustic drums in electronic music, and then I'll try synthetic drums in a heavy rock piece. Doesn't always work, I admit, but it's nice to try different things out.


I've just been browsing the Toontrack site. Impressive looking instrument, for sure, with a price to match. You could easily max out your budget at this site alone... Sounds great though.

yeah for sure! :)
experimenting with electronic/acoustic drums in different genres is great fun. also blending electronic and acoustic drum-sounds can sometimes give very interesting results :)

i just remembered i forgot to mention my favourit electronic drum-software (battery is nice for sampled drums, but this is GREAT for making your own crazy sounds) :)
(I read you sometimes do this with synth like Absynth and such)
The instrument I'm talking about is microTonic :)
http://soniccharge.com/microtonic 
edit: microtonic is just 32bit at the moment but a 64bit version will come out later this year (I've heard)

And also, about Toontrack Superior Drummer:
They may seem a bit pricy. Especially if you just check on their own site. You can find better prices than that though. On http://www.thomann.de/ for example (since you live in Europe) :)

Thanks for the link to microtonic Loptec, that certainly ticks all boxes as far as an electronic drum synth is concerned, and I reckon I would certainly use something like this over the sampled electronic drum sounds available in Battery, for instance. I will probably have this added to my arsenal by the end of the day, if not sooner.

Last night I purchased Chromophone. I've not had much of a chance to play yet, and I experienced an unfortunate X1 crash while trying to drive Chromophone with Step Sequencer. Prior to that, I was also experiencing some crackling problems, and I didn't have time to determine if it was digital clipping, audio interface settings or just part of the Chromophone patch/sound. It didn't happen  in every preset I tried, but it was still a bit worrying non the less. Some time today I will be doing more "tests."


What an excellent topic this has turned out to be 8^) for me in any case...


edit: Oh, I've just spotted the reference to the fact that it is only available in 32bit flavour at the moment, so I might have to hang on till the 64bit version comes out...

Ah... right. I'll have another look then. I'm not familiar with "bitbridge." Is that something that is done in the background by X1?

Just installed BFD Eco. For $50, a no-brainer.
Sounds pretty good!

To me it´s the same.I have the best and easiest results with Toontrack SD.
Years ago I started with Battery 2, but this is as static as the session drummer 3
(really like the Old Zep Kit) which is really toooo muuuuch work to make the drumclips
of it by handwriting the timing /expression so alive,that it sounds like a human drummer.

There have been some really good special deals so I got first the EZ drummer and than an 
upgrade offer which makes the SD drummer a no brainer .
  The velocity and humanizing features make my life much easier !