Adpak INDIE Addictive Drums Expansion Pack

The Indie ADpak from XLN Audio is an expansion pack for XLN's highly regarded Addictive Drums virtual instrument. It is a great-sounding expansion pack for modern rock, featuring samples that were originally recorded to analog tape. There is a certain "sock" you get from really slamming a recorded drum hit to analog tape, a natural compression that has its own charm.

Some hardcore digital recording engineers will put on their Frank Zappa voice and say, "If you want a bump in the upper midrange and a soft knee compression, I can dial that in for you," but if you believe in magic, which a lot musicians do, maybe drums recorded to tape elude some of that precise quantification. Whatever your philosophy on the subject, the fact is that this plugin expansion pack sounds fantastic, and is an excellent choice for any production that needs real-sounding analog drums. The Indie ADpak samples capture the character of analog processing beautifully, and deliver detailed grit and charming room sound.

For this production the best components were chosen, from the choice of drumsticks, all the way to the choice of tape. The drums were tuned to get the most out of the room.

The snare is a Premier Keith Moon signature "The Spirit of Lily", part of the rare eight-piece signature kit. Cymbals chosen were a Paiste 2002 and a Signature series. However the hi-hat used was a vintage Zildjian K 15" that delivered the right amount of crispness. Also included are samples of a Ludwig Vistalite (Blue) 22 x 16" bass drum, a slightly shorter and deeper character drum.

A useful feature added to the ADpak's "Xtra" slot is a tambourine recorded with a right sweep, left sweep, and standard hit stroke in multiple layers and round robins, which makes it possible to play or program very realistic tambourine patterns.