Look what the cat dragged in...

Author
Rain
Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 9736
  • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
  • Location: Las Vegas
  • Status: offline
2014/07/23 22:47:00 (permalink)

Look what the cat dragged in...


 
I'm hoping this one will make SD usable to me again. Every time I put together a demo, I'm reminded how much I love to work with EZ and SD.
 
Yet, every time I use the drums in a project, I can't seem to mix the song. Hence why I'd switched to Kontakt and the Abbey Road drums, but using Kontakt is a pain in the butt and in no way near as efficient and inspiring as the Toontrack stuff.
 
Since I tend to favour pre-80s type of drum sounds, I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to come up with something I like with these... At $75, I simply couldn't pass on the opportunity.

TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
#1

16 Replies Related Threads

    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/23 23:27:37 (permalink)
    Das ah gud juan Krist,
    #2
    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/23 23:29:53 (permalink)
    I actually thought you were gonna say CakeAlexS.
     
    Hyuk hyuk I crax me up.
    #3
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 00:43:54 (permalink)
    Installing it right now. Can't wait to test it.
     
    I don't think I'd installed software from a DVD since, uh, Superior Drummer.

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #4
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 00:43:59 (permalink)
    Duplicate.
     
    I wish changing avatars was as easy as creating duplicate posts...

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #5
    kennywtelejazz
    Max Output Level: -3.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 7151
    • Joined: 2005/10/22 06:27:02
    • Location: The Planet Tele..X..
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 00:44:38 (permalink)
    WOW,  your cat has a wallet and can buy stuff for you …..now that is pretty cool …
    note to self …I need a cat 
     
    Kenny

                       
    Oh Yeah , Life is Good .
    The internet is nothing more than a glorified real time cartoon we all star in.
    I play a "Gibson " R 8 Les Paul Cherry Sunburst .
    The Love of my Life is an American Bulldog Named Duke . I'm currently running Cakewalk By BandLab as my DAW .
     
    https://soundcloud.com/guitarist-kenny-wilson
     
    https://www.youtube.com/user/Kennywtelejazz/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1
     
    http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=427899



    #6
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 00:47:21 (permalink)
    kennywtelejazz
    now that is pretty cool … wow  your cat has a wallet and can buy stuff for you 
     
    note to self …I need a cat 
     
    Kenny




    Actually, I should thank the in-laws who did put the money in my account for my birthday earlier this month.  Paid for this and part of the new Mackie mixer. :)
     
    But cats are great indeed. ;)  We have 5 of them and I'd have a bunch more if we could. And dogs. And possums. And bats. Baby cows. And horses. And...

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #7
    kennywtelejazz
    Max Output Level: -3.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 7151
    • Joined: 2005/10/22 06:27:02
    • Location: The Planet Tele..X..
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 00:56:40 (permalink)
    Rain
    kennywtelejazz
    now that is pretty cool … wow  your cat has a wallet and can buy stuff for you 
     
    note to self …I need a cat 
     
    Kenny




    Actually, I should thank the in-laws who did put the money in my account for my birthday earlier this month.  Paid for this and part of the new Mackie mixer. :)
     
    But cats are great indeed. ;)  We have 5 of them and I'd have a bunch more if we could. And dogs. And possums. And bats. Baby cows. And horses. And...




    Hey Rain , it's all good I was only kidding around on account of the thread title ...
    congrats 
     
    Kenny

                       
    Oh Yeah , Life is Good .
    The internet is nothing more than a glorified real time cartoon we all star in.
    I play a "Gibson " R 8 Les Paul Cherry Sunburst .
    The Love of my Life is an American Bulldog Named Duke . I'm currently running Cakewalk By BandLab as my DAW .
     
    https://soundcloud.com/guitarist-kenny-wilson
     
    https://www.youtube.com/user/Kennywtelejazz/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=1
     
    http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=427899



    #8
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 01:13:27 (permalink)
    kennywtelejazz
    Rain
    kennywtelejazz
    now that is pretty cool … wow  your cat has a wallet and can buy stuff for you 
     
    note to self …I need a cat 
     
    Kenny




    Actually, I should thank the in-laws who did put the money in my account for my birthday earlier this month.  Paid for this and part of the new Mackie mixer. :)
     
    But cats are great indeed. ;)  We have 5 of them and I'd have a bunch more if we could. And dogs. And possums. And bats. Baby cows. And horses. And...




    Hey Rain , it's all good I was only kidding around on account of the thread title ...
    congrats 
     
    Kenny




    Yup - got that. I just couldn't help bragging about cats. :)

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #9
    Rimshot
    Max Output Level: -29 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 4625
    • Joined: 2010/12/09 12:51:08
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 09:43:00 (permalink)
    Rain, I would be interested to know how you like the snare and kick samples on your new SDX.  I am looking to add an SDX and was looking at your purchase vs. the Music City USA one.

    Rimshot 

    Sonar Platinum 64 (Lifer), Studio One V3.5, Notion 6, Steinberg UR44, Zoom R24, Purrrfect Audio Pro Studio DAW (Case: Silent Mid Tower, Power Supply: 600w quiet, Haswell CPU: i7 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads), RAM: 16GB DDR3/1600 
    , OS drive: 1TB HD, Audio drive: 1TB HD), Windows 10 x64 Anniversary, Equator D5 monitors, Faderport, FP8, Akai MPK261
    #10
    bapu
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 86000
    • Joined: 2006/11/25 21:23:28
    • Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 09:53:33 (permalink)
    Jimmy,
     
    Both are excellent libraries.
    MCUSA being a bit more modern sounding update of EZD's Nashville, IMO.
    #11
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/24 16:40:58 (permalink)
    I auditioned the kits last night and if the Toontrack stuff works for you, these are indeed very nice.
     
    Me, I'll have to try them in context but these definitely have the Toontrack-ishness that I can't seem to make work for me. Not to say they're bad - there's plenty of great sounding music out there which make use of those. 
     
    How I wish I could simply use the Abbey Road 60's and 70's kits in Superior Drummer...
     
    To illustrate what I mean, let's say that the Abbey Road stuff is like Marilyn Monroe whereas the Toontrack stuff would be whichever current skinny, ripped, surgically enhanced, artificially tanned and photoshopped model. I'm definitely old school. 

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #12
    Rimshot
    Max Output Level: -29 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 4625
    • Joined: 2010/12/09 12:51:08
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/25 22:11:18 (permalink)
    I get what you are saying Rain.  I think I could tweek the raw audio fairly well based on my engineering experience.  I don't have enough budget to but several SDX's at this time.  So I may look for the killer sale on the Custom & Vintage SDX.  I am not too happy with the default kick and snares with SD2.  The vids of C&V show how the kits and cymbals might be of greater use to me.  
     
    Bapu, I have the EZ Drummer Nashville kit now and it is very good.  I just have grown to like playing with mic bleed in SD2 so I have prettey much abandoned EZ at this point.  Thanks for the feedback.

    Rimshot 

    Sonar Platinum 64 (Lifer), Studio One V3.5, Notion 6, Steinberg UR44, Zoom R24, Purrrfect Audio Pro Studio DAW (Case: Silent Mid Tower, Power Supply: 600w quiet, Haswell CPU: i7 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads), RAM: 16GB DDR3/1600 
    , OS drive: 1TB HD, Audio drive: 1TB HD), Windows 10 x64 Anniversary, Equator D5 monitors, Faderport, FP8, Akai MPK261
    #13
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/26 01:52:31 (permalink)
    I've just spent a bit of time putting together a new demo for my wife tonight and I tried to use C&V. I'm not all that enthusiastic about it.
     
    Here's a comparison that cannot be regarded as fair or scientific or whatever but I feel it illustrates why I have an issue with the Toontrack drums and why I love Abbey Road so much.
     
    Only kick and snare, solo'ed, no FX.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7AO5UdU9EM
     
    I tried using a 60's kit in each but obviously the point isn't to see to compare the drum sounds but the approach and amount of pre-processing. The same time of approach can be observed with the rest of the drums.
     
    For me, it's easier to work my way to a sound that I like using the AR than w/ TT.
     

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #14
    Rimshot
    Max Output Level: -29 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 4625
    • Joined: 2010/12/09 12:51:08
    • Location: California
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/26 12:12:59 (permalink)
    Wow, the AR snare is much more present.  I like the kick better from TT.  Do you think you could tweek the snare in TT to emulate that sound?  Did you also experiment with the velocity settings for the snare in TT?  That can make a huge difference in the sound.  

    Rimshot 

    Sonar Platinum 64 (Lifer), Studio One V3.5, Notion 6, Steinberg UR44, Zoom R24, Purrrfect Audio Pro Studio DAW (Case: Silent Mid Tower, Power Supply: 600w quiet, Haswell CPU: i7 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads), RAM: 16GB DDR3/1600 
    , OS drive: 1TB HD, Audio drive: 1TB HD), Windows 10 x64 Anniversary, Equator D5 monitors, Faderport, FP8, Akai MPK261
    #15
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/26 15:55:30 (permalink)
    Rimshot
    Wow, the AR snare is much more present.  I like the kick better from TT.  Do you think you could tweek the snare in TT to emulate that sound?  Did you also experiment with the velocity settings for the snare in TT?  That can make a huge difference in the sound.  




    I haven't got to try and tweak things much yet, but, as it does seem to be pretty much in line with all the other Toontrack kits I own, I'd be incredibly surprised if that first impression was to change.
     
    OTOH, I don't think I'd have a problem getting the AR kick to sound closer to the TT one.
     
    Every Toontrack kit leaves me with the impression that it's been run through something like BBE Sonic Maximizer - the mids are sucked out, the lows and high frequencies are exaggerated and things just don't breathe.
     
    It's a very tight and focused type of sound. And I love "loose" sounding drums, with plenty of air around them.
     
    Again, that's my perception of it - that's simply how I hear drums. And I'm a guitar player, so...

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #16
    Rain
    Max Output Level: 0 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 9736
    • Joined: 2003/11/07 05:10:12
    • Location: Las Vegas
    • Status: offline
    Re: Look what the cat dragged in... 2014/07/26 23:34:03 (permalink)
    As a quick comparison, here's what Logic Match EQ tells me I should do to in terms of EQ'ing to C&V for it to sound more like Abbey Road 60s kit.
     

     
    Which is mostly, cut off the bass and the ultra high frequencies and re-introduce frequencies in between. Or inversely, if you want to Toontrack-ify Abbey Road drums, reverse that curve.
     
    In my experience, that's pretty much the same type of analysis I get any time I compare Toontrack libraries with sound that I like (such as Platinum Samples or NI).
     
    Unfortunately, in terms of dynamics, there's not much one can do. Those samples are all gated pretty drastically, so you can't really get more meat from them.

    TCB - Tea, Cats, Books...
    #17
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1