Toontrack Superior Drummer 3 news

miroslav

Cosmic Cowboy
Toontrack just announced SD3 to be released in early September.
This like like it's a monster revision of SD2...and they George Massenburg to do the drum recording and provide input for the user interface! :thumbs up:

Check out the couple of promo videos.

Superior Drummer 3 Announcement

$209 for the upgrade from SD2
 
Last edited:
Toontrack just announced SD3 to be released in early September.
This like like it's a monster revision of SD2...and they George Massenburg to do the drum recording and provide input for the user interface! :thumbs up:

Check out the couple of promo videos.

Superior Drummer 3 Announcement

$209 for the upgrade from SD2

Saw this earlier, they emailed me. Pretty cool. Any details on the usefulness for the surround sound files? For things we do, is it a bonus...or wasted space?
 
Check out 5:00. It now has MIDI detection. I actually made a post about this around 6 months ago. I wanted to know if there was a way to have the drum notes plotted via MIDI automatically for, say, a cover song whose solo drum tracks I had. Now I can...sweet.
 
I may download all the surround files and ambience stuff (when I decide to buy SD3, which I probably will as soon as it's out)...but TBH, I have little use of all those optional miking samples...so I may not actually stick them on my DAW drives, but rather just keep them offline, like I already do with the extra stuff on the sample packs that came on CD. They're always there for me to install/add to the DAW...but I don't bother since I won't use them with any regularity.

I knew they were going to this 100% download sales model...which is OK for a gig or two...but it's pretty annoying that they no longer want to sell boxed versions. I spoke to them about it on the last purchase-go-round when I bought some SDX packs, and they're pretty large. I'm still on DSL in my area...so my download times are not super fast...I usually do the big stuff later, at night, and leave it run while I have other stuff to do....or I do them at work where we have a much faster network.
I guess it is what it is...they want to minimize production costs...but how cheeky of them to offer a loaded SSD with all the files for an additional $200. No thanks...I'll do the PITA download. I already have plenty of drives.

AFA the MIDI thing...yeah, that's their "Tracker" software. Several years back they use to have a standalone program called "Drum Tracker"...and then for some reason, they pulled it. Something about the designer/owner of the algorithm didn't want to stay in biz with them or keep updating it...something like that.
I was bummed out...because Drum Tracker (I think that was the name)...was pretty cool looking.
So I was forced to go with Slate Trigger 1/2...which is pretty good, but TBH, I always thought the GUI was pretty old-school crude, and of course, you ended up using the Slate samples..etc...so that meant using a separate app for drum replacement stuff, but I didn't really want to get into the whole Slate thing....I liked Superior Drummer much more, and already had a lot of add-on packs.

So now...SD3 brings it all together in one complete Drum sample tool, and it's all working as one...and I will probably never bother with Trigger again...not that I used it all that much...mostly 'cuz I just didn't care for the interface and having to leave SD to use it.
I'm not saying Slate stuff sucks...just saying that I'm a Superior Drummer users, and love the fact that they now have the sampling, the grooves, the drum replacement...all as one app.
That said...looking the the SD3 promos...I think this is a major release that will put Slate drum stuff on its heals a bit. I mean, with Slate you still have to deal with two apps...SSD4 and Trigger.
 
I'm also not interested in all the extra surround intended content. I like what I saw in the extended demo, but I'm fine with SD2 for now. Maybe they'll have a sweeter upgrade deal in a year or two since I'm in no rush.
 
Maybe they'll have a sweeter upgrade deal in a year or two since I'm in no rush.

Do you know what the upgrade was last time around? I'm not sure those budge very much. A new purchase, yeah that'll go down, but I don't know about the upgrade fee. Think it's usually around $150-200, even much later.

Ah, he wrote $209 in the OP. I don't think it'll move that much a year from now.
 
Toontrack tends to be real tight when it comes to sales and deals....

I always buy from re-sellers who usually beat Toontrack prices...and also, when they put out a new sample pack, they'll hold it at the regular price for a couple of years almost before they include it in their occasional sale pricing.
Like they introduced the Progressive SDX almost two years ago...and on the last sales pitch, they were still holding out on that one SDX, while all the rest were on sale.

So...I get the feeling that this SD3 upgrade, with all the major changes, and the huge included library...is not going to drop in price for some time.

That said...the best time for Toontrack sales is November/December, when the Black Friday/Cyber Monday stuff kicks in....though I still don't think the prices will drop on SD3 considering it's just coming out in September...hopefully I'm wrong, and they do. :)
 
Yeah, can't count the times I have wasted money on the 'shiny toy' of the year plugin. A few I still use but easily more money spent on bullshit crap...
 
Just excited about a larger stock kit collection. Think I saw 6-7 full sets in the orig library. Your SDX and EZX will plug right in too, FYI.
 
Yeah...the first question I asked on the Toontrack forum when I got the email was...will SD3 open all of my old EZX and SDX packs...and yes it will. Plus, it will also open all the MIDI packs too.

Unlike many other updates, where I'll lay back and wait to see how others are liking it and if it's all stable...etc...
...I think with this SD3 release, I will get it right away.
Looking at the new features and workflow options...the benefits will be immediately felt. I've gotten pretty use to SD2 and can work within some of it's quirks and minor limitations...but SD3 looks like it totally kicks open all the doors for drum track production.
I'm sure with the likes of George Massenburg pimping it for them, and taking a major part in the recording of samples, and providing input on what makes for a good user interface experience...this looks like it's going to be solid from day one...so no need to lay back. I've got some mixing to do, but then I'm planning to start some new tunes and may need to kick out new drum tracks if I ain't got anyone on tap to play my studio kit.

Honestly...I actually enjoy working on MIDI drum grooves. I mean, recording the kit with a live drummer is cool too...but working with SD, I can really experiment and get pretty picky about how I want a groove to be. With a live drummer, you might do a few passes, but you're not going to sit there for days trying out all kinds of grooves and tweaking shit...unless he's motivated and has the time....which is usually neither. :D

Oh...and really, for $209 upgrade, you get that HUGE new sample library of new kits. You would need like 3-4 SDX packs to get that much...so it's not a bad price for a brand new completely overhauled app plus all those new samples. :)
 
I saw more in-app processing too. Thought I saw some plugins they didn't have within the program before, like tape distortion etc... it'd be nice to not have to bounce everything out if you want a sep reverb on your snare or whatnot.
 
Do you know what the upgrade was last time around? I'm not sure those budge very much. A new purchase, yeah that'll go down, but I don't know about the upgrade fee. Think it's usually around $150-200, even much later.

Ah, he wrote $209 in the OP. I don't think it'll move that much a year from now.

Maybe not, but not being in any hurry or have an immediate need, I mind as well wait right?
 
Yeah, can't count the times I have wasted money on the 'shiny toy' of the year plugin. A few I still use but easily more money spent on bullshit crap...

I find myself coming close to falling into this trap, I still have the entire Soundtoys suite to get more acquainted and no new work to do it with so I'm putting a hold on any music production related expenditures.
 
I still have the entire Soundtoys suite to get more acquainted and no new work to do it with....

And your point is....? :D

Toys...who doesn't want more toys...?...because they're better than the other toys...because these are new toys.
:laughings:

They sent me an email today about getting the whole Soundtoys suite for 50% or something...and once again...I held out, and refused to buy any more plugins. I'm a fucking rock.

Oh...but I bought another guitar amp a couple of days ago. :facepalm:
 
Back
Top