There would be little point in hiring such a stunning range of drums and cymbals if the recording process wasn't comparable - but with Al Schmitt at the controls you get the very best. With someone of Al Schmitt's pedigree at the controls you would expect nothing less than outstanding audio quality, but Decades goes further by adding huge amounts of character to the drums. Recorded with both sticks and brushes, the cymbal configuration includes a number of Istanbul Agop models that have undergone a unique temperature treatment by Frank Gegerle, giving them a warmer, dryer tone that fits perfectly with the kit. So, if you've ever wanted that Jeff Porcaro sound, now you can quite literally have it.įinally, we move into the 1990s with the Modern Jazz Kit, another maple kit but this time from Yamaha, and featuring a medium to high tuning to give an open, light and jazzy sound. It's the actual snare used by Jeff Porcaro on the TOTO IV album (engineered by Al Schmitt), which helped to create the sound of such classic songs as 'Rosanna' and 'Africa'. This is already a classic snare drum and probably the most recorded snare in history (although the Ludwig Supraphonic 402 also included in the Decades SDX has a claim to that title too). Clear Emperor heads give the kit a bright and punchy sound that works well in combination with its warmer maple shells, and the 'default' snare drum is a 14 x 6.5-inch Ludwig Black Beauty. This prototype Pearl MX maple kit was originally owned by Steve Ferrone, who encapsulates the '80s pop and rock sound through his work with Duran Duran, Eric Clapton, Chaka Kahn, Tom Petty and many more. The 1980s Rock & Fusion kit comes complete with interesting associations. The Toontrack Product Manager application makes the installation process very simple, however, and within a very short time I was up and running.Īudio titled 04 - Decades SDX - 1980s Rock & Fusion Kit - Sticks by Sound On Sound The whole pack accounts for a whopping 98GB of data and, with my slow 'rural' internet connection, it did take a while to download. There are some real gems in this collection, including unique drums that have their own fascinating story.
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The pack comprises five full drum kits, 12 snare drums, nine kick drums, and a broad collection of cymbals and hi-hats, all supplied by the legendary Drum Doctors rental store in Hollywood. Kits With HistoryĪs the SDX suffix indicates, Decades is an expansion pack for Superior Drummer 3 so, just to clarify, you need Superior Drummer installed to use it. Since moving to Hollywood, Schmitt has almost exclusively worked at Capitol Studios, so the impressive space of Studio B, with its exceptionally crafted acoustics, was the obvious choice for recording Decades SDX. He has a wealth of experience that has been rewarded by the amazing total of 160 Gold and Platinum albums, 23 Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.Īl Schmitt's working life began before the equalisers and compressors we know (and often over-use) today were commonplace in studios, so his technique is based around achieving the best sound at source, using a skilful combination of microphone choice and placement, in conjunction with the best-sounding recording spaces.
Even from this short description it sounds like a pretty mouthwatering prospect - so does Decades live up to the hype? They Can Call Him Alīorn in 1930, Al Schmitt has had a career spanning six decades of classic recordings, from Frank Sinatra, Elvis and Sam Cooke through to Toto, Steely Dan and Michael Jackson. The latest addition to the SDX range is Decades, a collection recorded by the legendary engineer and producer Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios, and drawing upon the expertise of his 60-year career. Each one features exquisitely recorded drums and percussion captured in some of the world's most incredible-sounding studios. It's hard to imagine that the extensive library that comes with it isn't enough for any musical style or production, but Toontrack continue to produce an incredible array of SDX (Superior Drum eXpansion) packs, covering a multitude of genres and styles. Toontrack have been at the forefront of virtual instrument development for many years, and the release of Superior Drummer 3 (reviewed by myself and John Walden in SOS October 2017) raised the bar to a new level of authenticity and sophistication.
Recorded by Al Schmitt, Toontrack's Decades SDX is a tour de force.
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