4 SDX, 1 Song: Why there's still no such thing as "the best" (even though I have my favorite)

[@MikeLuke]

Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:56 How I prepared the comparison 5:58 Rooms of Hansa SDX 10:24 Decades SDX 14:47 Death & Darkness SDX 19:14 Legacy of Rock SDX 23:38 My conclusion

[@MetaITurtle]

very nice, your tutorials are very helpful. have a great day.

[@philippaulsen979]

Hi Mike! Thanks for the great content. Really helpful information. I was wondering. What SDX would recommend that has more tighter/smaller room mics? I have the core SD3 library and find the room mics sometimes to be too long and large for certain styles I’m doing. And I don’t always love the result when I tweak the envelope too much on them. Thanks!

[@MikeLuke]

@@philippaulsen979 Hi there! Well, there are some I‘d think of. Depends a bit on your musical style though: Custom & Vintage SDX: Warm, organic sounding drums that are not „hyped“. Recorded in a rather small studio in London. Indiependent SDX: Fantastic and round and also very warm and lush sounding. As the name suggests, a bit more tending into current and old Indie-style music. Decades SDX: one of the best sounding libraries overall and ever made. Rooms of Hansa SDX: As you have four different rooms to pick - from very huge to a small vocal booth sound. But honestly: You might want to consider going for the new EZDrummer3, too. You‘ll have the latest software, the libraries themselves work seamlessly in SD3, too - and it includes the same rooms like „Rooms of Hansa SDX“. You would kill two birds with one stone 😉

[@philippaulsen979]

@@MikeLuke Thank you so much for such a detailed response! So my musical style is more rock/hard rock/alternative rock Im looking for a SDX where I can achieve something in the style of queens of the Stone Age “song for the deaf” drum sound. Dry, small tight room and punchy sounding. I need something that sounds very up close/In your face and almost claustrophobic. Been looking at rooms of Hansa. Looks very promising. Would you recommend decades for something like that? Have you had a chance to try out the fields of rock SDX? Been looking at that one as well. Wow that’s great to know about the new EZ drummer 3! I’ll definitely look into that.

[@MikeLuke]

@@philippaulsen979 What I always recommend is going to Toontrack‘s website and check out their product pages per SDX. They usually put a lot of effort into providing all details. Don’t know if you’re a drummer yourself or a guitarist looking for a decent drum sound. Anyways, by checking Toontrack’s making of videos, you usually get a good idea of the recording process, you‘ll find a lot of sound examples and it’s always great to listen to the engineers and drummers included when they share their ideas on making that SDX. When it’s comes to rock, you might wanna have a look at the „Progressive Foundry“ SDX they released some years ago. This was always my first pick when I wanted something in your face. The drums they used for this are very punchy and modern, yet the room mics are not overbearing. Finally, some of those SDX usually go on sale twice a year, so you could save some money here. Summer sale at Toontrack usually starts in July, so you might wanna wait a bit before pulling the trigger. But this leaves you enough time to put your headphones on, check out Toontrack‘s website and their making of videos on KZbin, it’s always fun to watch 😎

[@65Drums]

I'm still fairly happy with the base SD3, SD2, and EZdrummer 2 instruments. I'm more of a simple guy, I stick with one kit for months at a time before changing it drastically. All of these packs sound great, and I'm sure they were all recorded in the same incredibly high quality standards Toontrack is known for. So like you said, it's not a matter of "best" here, just what kind of tone and sound you like. For me I really enjoyed hearing that kit from the Decades pack you featured.

[@MikeLuke]

Hey Justin, sorry, must have missed your comment. Well, SD3, SD2 and EZDrummer2 ... you‘d probably don‘t need any additional packs anymore. Especially the core library of SD3 is so versatile that you can literally cover any style of music. I should have included the core library here as well as a reference point. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. ;)

[@TheMarkness]

All neat, but that Silver Black preset from Legacy fit so nicely with the other instruments in that song!

[@FernandoLobo]

Hey !! for me... 1- LEGACY ( sound very natural, the sound of the mix is not super compressed nor "taped color" so if fits. ) 2 -D&D ( Its not a vintage sounding mix, so i feel the modern approach fits. ) 3- Decades ( its good but too natural, if you lo fi the rest of the track it might fit a bit better ) 4-Hansa, didn't like the sound, too compressed ? or too much tape, or the snare is not right. Just might opinion, they all sound great.

[@MikeLuke]

Thanks for your opinion! I didn’t want to change the sound of the drumless track to have a fair comparison between all SDX. If I would have mixed this song completely, I’d definitely add more stuff to the overall song.

[@FernandoLobo]

@@MikeLuke of course !! thanks luke.

[@mfournier01]

Hey Mike! Awesome example of what "works" for drums in a peticular song/style. Everyone has their own taste when it comes to what sounds "good". For me, I really enjoyed the Hansa twin shell kit though I would have tuned the snare up a tad for a little more attack...What I love about the SD3 products are the endless options of mics to choose from. There really is so much depth to the software from the ambience to the tuning and effects, and even the stack options! You could spend days re sampling one song from all of the libraries and find at least one kit from each that works. I think a kit from the rock foundry would also have filled in the gaps nicely too! Thanks for all you do :)

[@MikeLuke]

I totally agree. There is no „right“ or „wrong“ drum sound. I often find myself listening to old (and sometimes famous) songs and thinking „That snare could have been mixed better“ or „that kick drum needed more attack“. But after all, it’s all about the song, isn’t it? We tend to look at the drums of course, but in the end they are just a piece of a puzzle. Thanks for stopping by Mike. I always appreciate your opinion. 🙏

[@monkeyxx]

My favorites here were Hansa and Death and Darkness, followed by Decades, with Legacy Of Rock dead last for my ears, nice video!

[@WaBoo78]

Hy Mike, another great video! you are absolutely right, you cannot say which sdx is better or worse! there is something for every genre! if I knew exactly how it works with a second racktom at LEGACY OF ROCK I would buy it! for 70s, 80s rock this is perfect!

[@SaS-Music]

I have enough trouble deciding which real kit to use/buy. In the virtual world it’s a whole new ballgame. Our ears and knowledge of style are vital and help resolve any doubts. We are blessed with access to so many great sounds in these SDX expansions. Great stuff!

[@ricklang_drummer]

I use all the libraries, but I always play them on a high end Yamaha e-kit (for releases). So even though I agree there is no "best" library sound-wise, there certainly is playing-wise, when you sit behind the kit and trying to feel all the nuances when playing an inverted blushda from pp to ff etc. SD3 and subsequent expansions were a huge change from SD2 in that regard. That said - my preferences: 1: Hansa - the rooms are the deciding factor (the Marble Room in my case). Sometimes overwhelming. Think this worked best here though, but I only listened through my Yamaha HS-80 speakers. 2: Death - This is my favourite kit behind the kit. The modern sound makes it appealing, but I can see why it may be to distinct here. Despite the DW Collector's kick used. 3: LOR - I like the expansion. The ambient Amber kit is addictive to play. Clearly focused on the 70s sound as advertised. The Silver kit works well, but a bit too muffled. 4: Decades - brilliant library. Maybe a tad too dry here for my taste, even though I usually prefer it dry.

[@OmegaStationMusic]

Hi Mike, this is a great comparison. I like all of the presets, especially because each one has its own character and I love SD3 for this reason

[@joseruiz9781]

For me I loved the Legacy Kick and Snare and the Hansa Toms, both sets of cymbals were great, so I have to say that I give Legacy AND Hansa first place, both are amazing. Decades was a bit too small sounding for the song and Death was just the wrong drum set. But let's not forget that this is MY opinion, many people will find any of the 4 to be the best based on their tastes. I have Hansa and Decades and I'm still downloading Legacy, maybe buy Death on Metal Month and I always find myself working with Hansa and manipulating a preset to make it work for a particular song. For me the Hansa library has the sounds that I love the most out of any library based on my tastes and type of music I listen and work.

[@ollid.5590]

First: Another EXCELLENT video, Mike, and I do share your view ... there is no best! Second: Lovely song you picked up! Third: After listening to your mixes, my spontaneous ranking was 1) Hansa, 2) Legacy, 3) Decades and 4) D‘n‘D Why? Because, I liked the roomy toms of Hansa SDX, the toms and cymbals of Legacy SDX and there snare of Decades SDX. Uff, I think I am going to dig more into how the stack the individual items of the drums :)

[@MikeLuke]

Haha, well, welcome to my world. ;) It's interesting to see how different al the answers are. Which just underlines my message that there is no "best" SDX. In the end, it's all about personal preferences.

[@timearchitecture]

Depends on the style/tone of song as well as the listener! My ears liked hansa the best on the this particular track for its spatial snare since the snare stands out way more with this groove. For me that sound matched well. I liked d&d’s toms the best imo too. For kick i find decades did really well.

[@Martos59]

I agreed immediately with your conclusions. I have legacy but don’t have Decades… I will be buying that asap. Love your reviews and standpoint Mike, as well as appreciating your talent as a musician!!

[@MikeLuke]

Cheers buddy. Appreciate your kind words.

[@shiftgears211]

Great video Mike. The easy answer is All of them lol. If you can afford it of course. I’m a guitar player by heart but dabble in drums this software has renewed my passion for making original music, so easy to get realistic amazing drums. Would be great for you to do videos that compare mixing “styles” of drums sounds for certain songs (like getting a big bass sound or snare) as that’s the tough part for me currently. I do love using presets though they get me through. Once again great video🤙

[@MikeLuke]

Thanks Jeff, appreciate your comment. And yes, this is a good idea for a video. Thanks for that!

[@fredmanteghian5913]

Before I read anyone else's opinion, or listen to your conclusion's Mike, I will say my favorite was (and I can't believe I'm saying this) was the Death & Darkness SDX. It fit 'inside' the mix nicely and the Toms and Cymbals, which are significant emotionally in this song, had the sweetest depth and cohesiveness. Second place was Decade which was just a little too subdued compared with D&D. Third place was Legacy of Rock, which was just a bit splashy and soft. Fourth place was Hansa because while it was the gutsiest, it didn't fit into the mix and seemed to stand outside it. This was a fun, but like you were saying at the beginning, "it depends" :) Thanks Mike!

[@MikeLuke]

Cheers Fred! Thanks for your comment.

[@SimonCarranza]

Out of the 4, Silver Legacy and Decades fit the track the better but with different moods. Great video! 😊

[@autowalter]

For me: 1 Hansa 2 death and darkness 3 legacy 4 decades

[@biekanez1]

Before I watched your conclusions at the end of this video, my favorite SDX is definitely The Rooms of Hansa, maybe I will buy it someday. I'm more interested about what do hate about the superior drummer software 3. It's not always that user friendly I think. I always have problems saving a user preset and using it lateron in a new project, I always have to do everything new again. Like choosing the cymbals and so on.

[@MikeLuke]

I was expecting that most people will pick the Rooms of Hansa, to be honest. Because nowadays all folks want the drums loud and big and punchy. For this song I feel they are just too much, I wouldn’t pick that SDX if I had to mix that song.

[@Vlog-jh1jb]

Thank you~ I will visit you often

[@EdmondM3]

Good Job buddy, for me I think 1 SDX with many drums kit can be tweaked as you want, but It takes some efforts for musicians who want "ready to go" they need to buy more SDXs. keep it up.

[@JeffStrickland]

Great video Mike, well done! Enjoyed ALL the sounds. My favorite was the Rooms of Hansa mix--but that may be because they were mixed the hottest of the four--the drums and cymbals just sounded bigger, more open and airy--which I thought suited your track the best--a nice, grandiose quality. Surprising to me (because I've always been a huge Al Schmidt fan)--I actually enjoyed the the Decades of SDX drums the least of the four, BUT I think that was more due to them being mixed quite a bit lower overall in the mix than the others. I find the cymbals of the Legacy of Rock and Rooms of Hansa kits to have a more silky, airy quality, which I really love--so my personal taste definitely draws me in there. Thanks so much doing all this--this is a huge help. Oh! I took your tip earlier and got "The Classics" SDX you recommended--and love it! Will likely pick up Rooms of Hansa pretty soon too. ;) Cheers!

[@rhythmantic]

Hey Mike, thanks for this fascinating and informative video. I'm with you on the matter of there isn't that is "best" epecially when it comes to musicians and drum sample software, for example. That's why in the beginning of my journey using edrums and drum software, I had a number of drum software programs, such as: Addictive.Drums, Steven Slate, Superior Drummer, BFD2, Abbey Road 60s and Modern Drummer, etc.,etc. I was so familiar with what each of these programs sounded like, that when I went to do a cover I knew which one of these software programs to choose and would work with the song. Also, just sampling the kits of any of these programs would trigger - no pun intended- what song it would mix well in. Anyway, regarding your demonstration, I like the Hansa rendition because I like the resonance and tonality of the kit. Decades and Legacy Of Rock sounded pretty much alike - fairly dry sound. No matter, each of these kits would have worked. Mixing is like cooking - it's a matter of taste. I recently purchased Legacy OF Rock from Sweetwater Music and it took 4 days to download the 180 GB of software. Next I will purchase Decades and Hansa, but I gotta say, that it is easy to get into purchasing new expansion packs, and can even be an addiction. In the end, how many different software kits does one need? I now consider SD3 to be able to cover any sound one may want especially with all the editing options one can edit the kit to sound like the desired one. BTW: I have the "bell" activated on your channel to receive notifications, but did not receive a memo notification of this video. YT can operate very oddly at times.

[@MikeLuke]

Hi Sal, thanks a lot for your comment. I always appreciate your view on things. Yes, I had followed your channel already before I even started mine and I remember that I always liked your different sounds and how you experimented with them. Well, talking about addiction ... that‘s a topic a lot of people talk about, like asking: how many of those expansion packs do you REALLY need? The answer ain‘t that easy though. Of course one could say „Just get the core library of SD3 and you‘re good to go“ and that would be probably true. However, it‘s about having options and being creative. Music is art and how we express ourselves in music. You used the right metaphor: Mixing is like cooking - and also in the kitchen you build your „collection“ of spices and ingriedients over time when you start cooking more seriously, don‘t you? But do you need 5 different types of pepper? Probably not, but that‘s not the point. Regarding the notification of the bell: I experience the same sometimes on other channels. I guess KZbin has a weird algorithm going on in the background.

[@rhythmantic]

Mike Luke But hey, I am so glad I purchased LOR and it sounds, triggers and feels like no other drum sample software I have and so, yes, I agree, that’s why we purchase additional SDXs and I will continue to do so. It isn’t an addiction like I previously commented, it’s a matter of having tools that are different from each other. I was just playing with LOR on my converted e-kit and I couldn’t stop- and that was just playing the default kit (with a few of my tweaks).

[@timbranniganmusic3458]

Hi Mike, thanks for another great video. For me, you are one of the very best channels regarding e-drums and I appreciate your hard work. I really need some help regarding my setup. I’ve been an e-drummer since the first Simmons sets became available. I even toured playing a Simmons kit in 1985. However, I have become confused about finding the right setup for my current needs. I exclusively use my kit fir triggering Superior Drummer 3, so I’m not very concerned about the onboard sounds. I recently bought an ATV EXS-5 with xD3 module from Drum-Tec. I live in New York and paid a lot of money for delivery from Europe. I’ve had terrible triggering issues with SD3, especially the hi-hat. I’ve been using my 20-year old Roland TD-10W and bought the ATV kit to replace it. The old Roland hi-hat works better than the xD3 triggering SD3, especially. Adjusting the hi-hat in SD3 is impossible with the xD3. It’s terrible. I think it’s because of the default setting Local MIDI Control on the xD3 is ON. ATV doesn’t allow the user to turn it off. I’ve communicated constantly with ATV since my purchase. I told them immediately that I was not happy. They’ve passed me around and around, constantly asking me to describe my issues over and over again. By doing this they’ve caused me to keep the kit for over a month. I complained about that m, telling them that it’s obvious that items need to be returned and items need to be purchased. I explained that I would spend more money to get what I need. and they said simply that I’ll need a Roland model for triggering SD3. Then the stopped communicating with me. They are not interested in helping me. That’s a shame because both ATV and Drum-Tec have excellent customer service reputations. What ATV did explain to me is that their modules just aren’t made triggering for anything except onboard sounds. The EXS-5 kit triggering their xD3 is very good and pretty enjoyable to play. I will say that I like the pads and cymbals. I think that the ATV Hats would be ok for SD3 with a different module. ATV’s Big Ride cymbal received pretty good reviews too. I feel like the best way for me is to add the Combination package from Roland that includes the TD-50, Digital Snare and Ride cymbal for around $3,200 US. Unfortunately, I’ll have to sell the xD3 module and ATV ride cymbal. I can use the ATV snare pad as an auxiliary input. I really don’t want to spend all this money, but the right e-drums is essential for my recording process. It’s how I begin for most of my recordings. I’m a very good programmer, but I hate it. I refuse to use loops though. Any advice you would share with me would be very much appreciated. I’m open to any possibility and it’s extremely difficult for me to explore every different combination of pads and modules to learn what’s a good one for triggering SD3. Are brands like Jobeky, Alesis, and Pearl modules even worth looking at for SD3? I’m not the type to ask for advice and then blame you if it doesn’t work the way I’d hoped. I understand how personal these choices are. I will say that I play within a very wide dynamic range. I don’t smash the drums, I can’t even stand to watch it. It’s a huge reason why you can’t get good demos of different manufacturers kits on KZbin. That and show off drummers who aren’t really demonstrating the kits at all. The ATV drummer is a prime example. No words, just a guy playing funk, linear drumming grooves over presets like Metal or Nashville or whatever. I think you know exactly what I mean 🤣 Thanks Mike, you rock! Keep up the great work, it makes a difference! Best wishes, Tim Brannigan [e-mail]

[@MikeLuke]

Hey Tim, thanks for reaching out. I am happy to help here. I can tell from my years of own experience and from dozens and dozens of feedbacks from drummers around the world that there is just one brand that provides decent trigger results using Superior Drummer 3 and that‘s Roland. Period. You don‘t even need the expensive TD-50. Try to get a used TD20x or TD30 together with a VH11 or (even better) VH12, which is discontinued, but you‘ll find tons of them on eBay. From the prices I know here in Europe, it‘ll be an investment of around $1,200 - $1,500 at max - when you sell your ATV stuff, it‘s even less. Don‘t think of Alesis, ATV, Pearl or Jobeky. Go for Roland. Believe me.

[@timbranniganmusic3458]

You are the man, Mike! I was amazed to hear from you, especially so quickly! I’ll find a TD30 because it has the most inputs and a VH11. Thanks very much for the advice! Happy New Year! Best wishes - Tim

[@MikeLuke]

Always happy to help buddy! Good luck & stay safe. Cheers

[@biekanez1]

For me it's always the hardest part chosing the wright drum kit, it always cost me a lot of time.

[@ojstrijbis]

I may have listened to this before and commented differently, but when I was listening to it tonight I preferred that Hansa preset. It has more character than the other presets.

[@morgan3149]

I must be biased but D&D sounds best to me, I would have loved to see The Progressive Foundry being reviewed here, absolutely a beast and one of the best sdx still yet for sure. For my taste, this sdx expansion pack has the best snares. very detailed and, lot of different tunings (compared to the Death one for example), the kits are nice too with lots of layering (2 kick hits have 2-3 different sound for a same velocity, so the toms) and very good rooms. The cymbals are a bit lacking though, I use mostly the Death ones, sometimes Darkness ones. Yamaha absolute Birch, Ludwig Black Magic or Sonor Designer (looks like a Sonor Artist bronze) from Progressive, Death Cymbals and some of Tue Madsen (Darkness) presets style and I am good to go ! Rendez-vous in November for Metal Month, maybe...

[@suttisak_n]

Thanks for very useful vid Mike. All those SDXs are awesome. Just get them all 😁

[@MaynardAndEuniceShow]

Thanks for posting this - and I agree, not only is the particular drum kit going to fit for individual songs, but also it's all so subjective. I recently purchased SD3 along with Legacies of Rock and I have been shopping around for another SDX and who would have thought that Eddie Kramer came in first for me! So the drums that I already have seem to be pretty awesome and I am now asking myself am I just buying another SDX because they have a sale before I have exhausted the TONS of stuff I already have? lol I was digging through tons of snares, kicks and the likes in the massive library I already have.

[@timbranniganmusic3458]

I agree about Decades, it’s lovely.

[@dinmentor]

Great comparison! I like all of the in different ways Mike, do you tune the kit to the key of the song in general?

[@MikeLuke]

No, not regularly or always consciously, to be honest. I mix pretty much by ear and heart. When it „feels“ right, it is right. And when I mix for clients, it’s always their decision in the end. ;)

[@gregthegroove]

Silver black is bad ass my man! Loved it.

[@jabelardo]

For me comparing the resulting mixes for this particular song: 1 decades, 2 rooms of hansa, 3 legacy of rock, 4 death & darkness. I think for me the main difference is the character of the ghost notes on the snare, I don’t own any of the new sdk, and been a hard rock composer I was thinking about getting either D&D or RoH, but after this comparison I think I am going to get Decades, and that was totally out of my radar as something I could want to have before this comparison. Thanks

[@MikeLuke]

Hi Jose. Yeah, the Decades is very much underrated in that sense as people often refer it to more swing and jazz (and they work amazingly well with those genres). However, that Pearl kit I used for this video sounds so expensive and round and the Ludwig Black Beauty snare is the actual snare drummer Jeff Porcaro used for the Toto album „Toto IV“. And yes, because Al Schmitt has his roots in jazz and big band, they very much took care of all possible nuances during the recording.

[@mpfisher69]

Hiya Mike! yet another helpful video, thank you so much! Legacy of Rock for me...

[@pablomartinez3610]

Amazing video, my favourite are those four too but Rooms of Hansa is just great!

[@XiyuYang]

Obviously different libraries have different shells, cymbals and instruments selections, but to me there's another factor - the room. The room plays a huge part in the tonality of a drum recording. Personally I love the drum room of Death, also Legacy.

[@MikeLuke]

Agreed. Nothing more important than the room.

[@buddyalbert5808]

I really like the Decades on this song. Although the Toms are fantastic sounding on the Legacy kit. Thank you very much for this extremely helpful video.

[@MikeLuke]

Cheers buddy! Thanks for stopping by and watching

[@jetset9561]

I thought the Legacy was the best - bias because that's the only one of the four I own perhaps but for me the Decades kick was kind of lost compared to Legacy so I would swap your 1 and 2 around.

[@johnhummer1064]

Your mentality is spot on. Well done!

[@novaaxe]

has anyone had the sl-avatar directory missing instruments, when using superior drummer custom and vintage sdx. peter henderson preset

[@sergio_grez]

Mike! Great video as always!

[@colindias4820]

The comparison defintely helps .. but the review has to be unbiased as well.. then it would help anyone to .make a decision when buying it . .it took me a while before deciding to go for the ssd 5.5 as well as blackbird drums and it works pretty decent and I love it .. and fits the budget. And I checked your comparisons as well as others .. but I think finally it's only when u get the product and figure how best to use it .. which really depends on your experience and understanding .. great video as always .. 👍

[@MikeLuke]

I fully agree on this. Unfortunately, not many companies offer a 14 day demo of their products to test them properly.

[@todddammit4628]

Toontrack is fucking CRUSHING IT with these latest SDX's. Like I actually feel bad for all the other companies doing drum libraries now...

[@auxorion]

I'm curious what you think about the "Fields of Rock" SDX that recently came out. I'm looking for a good rock library but I am really apprehensive about getting anything that has a signature sound sort of approach. I have Rock Foundry but it's unabashed Bob Rock. Not that I have any issue with Bob Rock, but trying to branch out with that library can be challenging.. it sort of has a caked in signature that is hard to escape (I'm really not into Metallica or any of that kind of stuff he has produced, though I do like Bush, Offspring, etc) My hope is that Fields of Rock is a more focused library for general use, especially given their comments in the 'making of' video. Sounds like they were going for something general use, which is what I wanted. But I notice you don't have any videos on it. Was it just a pass for you?

[@MikeLuke]

I haven‘t tested this SDX yet, but from what I can hear and saw from the „making of“ video is the same verdict like you. It seems to be a more well-balanced library with more sound options for all styles and genres. Usually SDX‘s are raw and unmixed, so you can shape them the way you want. The „Rock Foundry“, however, has been heavily processed by Bob Rock, hence the sounds are baked into the samples already. For certain applications it works fine that way, but you are stuck to the sound Bob Rock created. ;) There are some other great SDX. The „Death & Darkness“ can be used for almost all genres, too. Don‘t let yourself fool by the names of those expansions. Even the old trusty „Metal Foundry“ might work. But yeah, „Fields of Rock“ seems to be a great overall expansion.

[@stonelark]

For me: 1) Legacy; 2) Decades; 3) D&D; 4) Hansa.

[@ARDrummer]

My fav: @ Rooms of Hansa SDX

[@jonchorba8835]

Spot on. It's ALWAYS about the song!

[@MikeLuke]

Cheers Jon. Glad you agree. ;)

[@klausagerbo7213]

Great comparison, Mike. Any chance that you might share these presets? I really dig the way you mix drums! :-)

[@MikeLuke]

Check the video description. ;)

[@klausagerbo7213]

@@MikeLuke oh sorry. 😄 Thank you so much! 👍🥁

[@StevenMikel1]

I like the song,it seemed to put me in a better mood.I liked Decades and Legacy equally but,I'm 52 so,those sounds are familiar to me.

[@MikeLuke]

Gotcha, same here. I'm 42 and grew up with those sounds.

[@tendingtropic7778]

Hi Mike! I am looking for a tight kit of high quality, relatively dry toms, but a full (high tuned and slightly ringy) snare drum, for funky music (a la the roots, james brown). Any recommendation on what expansion SDX to go for? and, whats your opinion on the newer ones (field of rock, stories)

[@MikeLuke]

One of my favorites (and often underestimated) is the „Custom & Vintage“ SDX. Very warm, very natural sounding drums, recorded on the legendary EMI TG mixing console, on which „Abbey Road“ or „Dark Side of the Moon“ had been recorded with. A very unique collection of vintage snares, definitely worth checking. (You‘ll find audio examples on Toontrack‘s website). I haven’t tested the new ones yet.

[@tendingtropic7778]

@@MikeLuke Thanks for taking the time to answer! I reckoned because its one of the old SDX and not many gb that it would not be so good

[@benirodriguez9516]

I'd be glad to own anyone... or better yet ALL of them (and many others). Every song is different, so it has to have different kits... then of course, there's a lot one can do mixing too... so, maybe even owning one, would be more than enough.

[@ReginaldKSon]

Hansa - hands down winner IMHO.

[@jophilippi1378]

The main thing I see here is, how difficult it still is to transfer cymbals into a midified and digitalized world.. I think all the cymbals of all SDXs are always just okay, but they still don’t sound real.. plus I’m sometimes confused.. you have a 20” Paiste Crash. It should be massive, but on the SDXs it rather sounds like a tiny thin piece of brass. In every programming I need to layer sounds and fiddle around like hell with the programming to get this to sound right. And it’s the same here. In all the expansions the crashes sound weak a little bit. Still Decades always wins for me too.. it’s like Mike says, while mixing everything just falls into place easily.

[@MikeLuke]

Agreed. Well, the Paiste do have a certain sound to them. Even the bigger ones don‘t sound that massive, they are always a bit sharper and brighter than a usual 20“. But I see your point. The reason many sampled cymbals sound „weak“ is because on acoustic recordings your have cymbals bleeding in all other mics. Even when you try to gate them out, they are everywhere. So they sound fuller in a mix. With software like SD3, people just have the Overheads at their disposal and maybe the room mics (because no one consciously enables the mic bleeding). I‘ve talked with Toontrack about the results of this comparison and they weren‘t surprised either, because they said: „While all other engineers wanted to create THEIR OWN drum sound, Al Schmitt just wanted to record damn good sounding drums. Hence mixing it‘s easier.“ - I cannot agree more on this and that‘s the reason I like Decades so much.

[@jophilippi1378]

Mike Luke ... and of there’s anyone who can do this, it’s Mr Schmitt :) I always have the bleed enabled on all channels but I still feel cymbals remain weak 🤔 I miss the crispness. And the variety of sounds would be too demanding for any hard drive 😃

[@MikeLuke]

Jo Philippi I see you fully understand the obstacles and basic principles of sampling drums. People sometimes do not realize how much effort Toontrack puts into their recordings - hence the size of their packs, e.g. sampling just one pair of HiHats the way they do takes one full recording day. Additionally, of course it comes down to the way the actual drummer hits a cymbal. Listen to some of the more heavy metal orientated expansion packs. You often clearly hear more initial stick attack. Three of the last four released SDX have been sampled by Norman Garschke (who sampled the core library as well) and he’s not only a jazz educated drummer (hence the better technique while hitting), but he really cares about sampling cymbals instead of just hitting them. Long story short: I still think you can make them sound fuller by using EQ or bleeding, you can even further shape the sound using the envelope or tuning feature within SD3. And I think the sound we are used to hear nowadays on modern recordings is often created by layering different cymbal samples.

[@jophilippi1378]

Mike Luke what can I say? I fully agree :)

[@Martos59]

@@MikeLuke I generally feel the more semi open to fully open hats are hard to make sound as natural as I’d like. Not much chance of obtaining John Bonhams Rock & Roll hats feel. I often tend to play tambourine along with the programmed drums when the hat feel is loose to give it more life. But we are blessed to have these drums when so many of us don’t have a great human drummer to play with in a great studio!!

[@holzi2k]

Hansa for this Song. Thanks for Sharing this

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Any suggestions on what drum library has that high tuned nu metal/90s funk snare sound, most metal kits are way too tight modern metal and there isn't very many fleshed out funk and reggae kits that have a more modern sound. The main kind of snare sound I am thinking is Limp Bizkits 2nd and 3rd albums but its all over nu metal and post grunge tracks of that era, I believe its mainly normal width but shallow snares tuned slightly high, every rock kit Ive heard goes for that huge deep snare.

[@MikeLuke]

The core library of SD3 has a nice sounding 13“ piccolo snare and the Rock Foundry has a very cracky high tuned 12“ snare that has the sound you are looking for.

[@JimijaymesProductions]

​@@MikeLuke Thanks for the quick reply I didnt like the piccollo in sd3 typical piccolo sound but not to my taste but havent heard the rock foundry one though so I'll check it out but being a 12'snare probs not what I am looking for which is a 14"but very shallow large snare, I think John Otto used I think is 14x3.5" with a fairly high tension. It does seem like drum libraries like to stick with the 14x5 or bigger snares.

[@MikeLuke]

JimijaymesGuitarist Gotcha. That 12“ snare from the rock foundry SDX is 6“ deep though and when I remember correctly, I once used it for a cover of a Pearl Jam Song to match that cracky and funky style from the early 90s.

[@mcgarnacle21]

Hey Mike, thanks for the backing track. Do you have the midi file to share as well?

[@MikeLuke]

Yes, I can share it as well as my presets if anyone’s interested 🤷‍♂️

[@mcgarnacle21]

@@MikeLuke That'd be awesome. Thank you.

[@MikeLuke]

@@mcgarnacle21 Check the video description

[@mcgarnacle21]

@@MikeLuke Legend man, much appreciated.

[@musicmight7334]

For all Styles & Good Mix Presets start with the SDX Core Drums

[@edrumsense]

4 SDX, 1 Song... That sounds explicit xD

[@MikeLuke]

Hahaha, true. Well, KZbin haven‘t blocked me so far. ;)

[@UncleBookey1]

Hello Mike this is Carter and I had a Q. about Superior Drummer3. I've been searching and searching, which is how I came across your videos, on how to change out a cymbal and use a different type of cymbal in the same kit. What I mean is how can I, or can I use two ride cymbals, set across from each other in the same song that I'm working on. I'm not that great with tech stuff and I can't stand reading, thus why I'm always watching KZbin for quick answers. If you can help me out or educate me with an answer, I'd appreciate it... Thanks

[@MikeLuke]

Hi Carter. Yes, you can. Just use the „add instrument“ feature in Superior Drummer 3. Then right-click on the new ride you add, go to „Route Microphone“ (not sure about the actual wording), create a new microphone channel, pan it to wherever you want, here you go.

[@philfyphil]

Decades sits in the mix best for me.

[@MikeLuke]

Agreed, same here.

[@Illiyinmusic]

Rooms of hansa snare was perfect for that

[@BrandonRodriguezGuitarCovers]

I can buy two expansions, which ones are your recommendations? For rock, punk, pop punk, and a bit of metal and metalcore (also, my ssd has only space for two sdx)

[@MikeLuke]

I‘d say go for the „Death & Darkness“ in any case as this expansion will pretty much cover all your needs. The „Rooms of Hansa“ will give you very distinct and unique sounds while the „Legacy of Rock“ covers all needs for classic vintage rock sounds like Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones.

[@BrandonRodriguezGuitarCovers]

@@MikeLuke Thanks Mike! I'm subscribing right now. Also I'm getting the death and darkness, but I don't know which other to buy, is there another suggestion between all the existing sdx? (like legacy of rock, metal machinery, rock foundry, etc.)

[@MikeLuke]

Well, that‘s always very subjective. If you go for the Death & Darkness, you probably won‘t need another rock or metal expansion, but that‘s just my 2 cents. In the end it‘s more about your ability to create and mix your own sound. Some metal guys I know consciously pick a non-metal expansion just to add new flavors to their arsenal. There are tons of videos online about all the other expansions and I always recommend checking Toontrack‘s website as they provide sound examples, specs and additional information about all their stuff. You might even consider buying one or two expansions for EZDrummer (as they‘ll work within Superior Drummer, too.)

[@gregwilliams2764]

Legacy of rock is mine on payday. Hi Mike

[@marekvoosen]

Great video, but missing the core library. Maybe no one needs more and more stuff, but this video implemented this in some way.

[@MikeLuke]

If I’m honest, my initial idea was to add the same song using the core library. And no, no one needs more and more stuff, with the core library you can achieve almost any drum sound you need. Truth is, however, that a lot of folks are interested in new libraries or already bought them.

[@LocaliLLocano]

Marek Voosen the core library is great because it gets you up and running. Practicing on core library alone has taken me 30 hours in the last 40 days. I think I am getting value from it. Sure I maybe using using the stage Gretsch but I am putting hours into it with playing and learning. I know the Toms, cymbals, snares, etc. from the library so well that I already have an idea of how to write backing tracks to a song. I also figured out how I will setup my practice sessions too. All these things get overlooked when there’s a shiny new toy.

[@marekvoosen]

Mike Luke Thanks for this honest answer. And yes people like buying and buying, me too, but at the end we’re not making music anymore, cause we end in trying and changing all the time and never finished something, cause we’re thinking there could be a better sound. Limitations is the answer as always, but it’s hard these days.

[@marekvoosen]

Mike Luke one more question about the core library. Do I need to install the surround sets, also if I’m doing no surround? Or do I missing sounds at the end?

[@MikeLuke]

You don’t need to install them. They are basically not even surround mics, but just another pair of stereo room microphones.

[@firegoggles]

I get what your saying and this video proves you correct. But still within context .. pretend the answers is horseshoes game or something what answer is the CLOSEST for example. I play old school heavy metal and modern metal of allllll sorts but I don't do speed metal or death metal. What would be the best 1 or even pick 2 expansion that would be the closest to perfect for what I described? IF you can't answer that given the packs are created with genre in mind and you seemed to have own a bumch of them that would be kinda odd? It would seem you could point us in the right direction without such a lengthy lesson in how to be a versatile open minded person although don't get me wrong I agree with what your saying as a life lesson of sorts but.. BUT .. eh .. I really just need a straight answer! Do the best you can... lol!

[@MikeLuke]

Well, if I HAD to name two expansions for you, I‘d probably say „Death & Darkness“ (for all modern metal) and „The Metal Foundry“ (for old school metal). With these two packs (and of course the core library of Superior Drummer 3), you won‘t need any other expansion.

[@firegoggles]

@@MikeLuke Excellent! Thanks I was thinking along those lines and this answer at least makes me feel better my next purchase! Thanks for your patience with folks!

[@MikeLuke]

Always happy to help!

[@ericadrum554]

👍👍

[@earldrum]

Hi Mike ... its great to see you teaching your passion for Superior Drummer! I hope all well my friend!

[@MikeLuke]

Thanks Earl. Sometimes I feel like a one-trick pony though ;) Hope you and yours are safe. Take care my friend

[@aeiplanner]

You can take any of these libraries and just tweak to match the ambiance of the song. Some of the presets used in this video were in my opinion inappropriate for the song. LOR with a little more room on the snare, and perhaps a different snare or some more buzz on the snare would have been perfect.

[@markt8517]

hey mike whats the best spx

[@kenkorade547]

I like Legacy the best out of the 4. Decades sounds a bit quieter than the others, maybe that's why it didn't grab me.

[@MikeLuke]

I mixed the Decades slightly lower in volume as I thought it fits better to the song. But yeah, Legacy of Rock sounds amazing.

[@kenkorade547]

@@MikeLuke I didn't realize I liked the Legacy of Rock kit so much, until I heard the way you mixed it! You made it sound more modern, now I am going to dig into it. Thanks, these reviews are so helpful!

[@PendelSteven]

I think Rooms of Hansa sounded like Snow Patrol. So if you need that drumsound, I guess there's your answer.

[@WaBoo78]

Hy Mike, würdest du deine presets von diesem Video teilen?

[@MikeLuke]

Guck mal in die Videobeschreibung

[@WaBoo78]

Mike Luke 🤦🏻‍♂️ Danke 🙏🏻

[@MikeLuke]

Versprich Dir aber nicht zu viel davon. Die Presets sind genau auf diesen Song abgestimmt.

[@JorgeParagliding]

I have The Rooms of Hansa and I wanted it to be the “Winner” but after hearing this particular song and the mixes, I am thinking I need to add Decades as my second SDX purchase. I was waiting for Legacy but for the kind of music I play and like to record (mostly covers) I feel Decades will give more enjoyment. Maybe Legacy will be my third SDX at some point though.

[@TheRobGuard]

I wish kind of that drum sounds was as easy getting as guitar sounds. You want ACDC guitar sound, okay use a gibson sg with a marshall this and those pedals, theres your acdc sound. Doesnt seem to work the same with drum sounds though... its constant experimentation getting drum sounds. Why invent the wheel over and over?

[@hind33r]

Legacy of rock .tuff

[@murrayalexandre]

Legacy of Rock fit better into the mix

[@ronnyadrian3350]

Cooler Song ... noch ein paar Gitarren 🎸 rauf und Gesang ...

[@MikeLuke]

Fühl Dich frei :) Du kannst den Song kostenlos downloaden.

[@jeffreblanco9552]

For me, if I rank the 4 according to my taste: 1. Rooms of Hansa, 2. Legacy of Rock, 3. Decades, and Far 4th is D and D - not much a fan of metal.

[@skythemusic]

To me Decades and Legacy sounded the best for this song. Decades felt the most natural and fit the rest of the music best. D&D sounded bad to me and Hansa didn’t fit.

[@Illiyinmusic]

see i thought decades didnt fit very well. hansa and d&d were my favorite.

[@TheDigitalMD]

Really disappointed in LEGACY of Rock and Rooms of Hansa. Most of the presets are simply unusable and many are just horrible. Guess the engineers ran out of ideas and just threw in juck for filler. AND.. Why did they cheap out on the number of toms in the kits? I understand the Amber kit is a recreation of Bonham's Amber Vistalite so ok, but why so few toms in the other kits? They have dozens of mics and channels so you have 52 (lol) channels of surround sound (God knows why that matters) and 3 drums. ? Really? You got the mics , the studio, the experts , record a couple more drums in the set just in case I need them, because I probably will. These last two SDX offerings are losers.

[@BukanIbuMu]

Learn to mix ffs

[@doug_I_do_not_consent]

I was surprised by the amount of people mentioning the core library. I was thinking the same thing but the point was to compare recent SDX releases. It seems to me that a major benefit of the SDX releases is not only the samples but also the expertise and vision of the artists known as producers. I personally thought the Legacy of Rock meshed with the song best.

[@stupidusername38]

for me the Legends of Rock works best for this kind of generic middle of the road rock.

[@MikeLuke]

„Middle of the road rock“ - that’s it! I was constantly thinking how to describe this song. 😎