Steven Slate Trigger and SSD4 super friggen cheap right now.

Yeah...those are crazy-low SSD4 prices! :thumbs up:
I already have way more drum sounds than I need from EZ Drummer, Superior Drummer and Trigger 1 & 2...but I may get it anyway at these prices! :p

I was just going to say that comparing SSD4 to EZD may not be the best comparison, especially now with EZD2, which is aiming at a different user base (songwriters) than SSD4 or Superior Drummer 2 (mixers).

It's probably more fair to compare SSD4 to Superior Drummer 2... for their sample packs and for their user interfaces.
Of course, the combination of both might be the best of all worlds. ;)
 
Is there any known way to combine the sample libraries of more than one of these pieces of software? Or do we need to wait until some Hacky Hackerson finds a way to do it? I can't imagine that it would be very fun to sift through all of the velocity layers of one of these libraries.
 
I don't think your can "combine" the sample libraries, as they are proprietary.....but you can easily break up your drums in the MIDI Drum Editor, and assign some things to SSD4, some to SD2...etc....like a Snare from SSD4 and a Kick from SD2....etc.
You can even get crazy and via MIDI Drum Editor, mix tow snares....one snare from SSD4 and one from SD2.

I've seen on other forums guys talking about using both SSD4 and SD2 in a single projects, and cherry-picking the best from each for their drum tracks. :)
 
miroslav said:
I don't think your can "combine" the sample libraries, as they are proprietary.....but you can easily break up your drums in the MIDI Drum Editor, and assign some things to SSD4, some to SD2...etc....like a Snare from SSD4 and a Kick from SD2....etc.
You can even get crazy and via MIDI Drum Editor, mix tow snares....one snare from SSD4 and one from SD2.

I've seen on other forums guys talking about using both SSD4 and SD2 in a single projects, and cherry-picking the best from each for their drum tracks. :)
Click to expand...

Hmmm, interesting. I'm still relatively new to messing with MIDI, and I hadn't thought of that. Now I'm definitely more interested in pulling the trigger on SSD.
 
I got a question for Jimmy or anyone that has both SSD4 and Trigger.....

I know with Trigger 1 and Trigger 2, even though there are a lot of similar (if not all) named samples, you still have to load both sample libraries on your computer, since Trigger 2 code can't read the Trigger 1 files (as I understood it).

I'm sure a lot of the Trigger 2 samples were pulled from the SSD4 library....but I'm wondering if SSD4 will also require the full sample library alongside the Trigger libraries, or will it share some.
IOW....hate the possibility of installing 3 libraries that have a lot of the same drums....so I was wondering if it's possible to have a combined/shared use of identical samples between Trigger 2 and SSD4....?

Jimmy is a bad influence on my wallet.....;).....I got Trigger on his props, and now I may do the same with SSD4. :)
 
Downloading this beast of library now...they must be hammered with traffic due to the sale. It's going rather slowly!
 
What's the size of the SSD4 library, and do you have the option of installing just the basic kit samples (close mics + OH mics) minus any of the additional room/ambiance samples....?

That's one thing I like about the Superior Drummer packs...you have the option to install basic or complete. The whole pack might be something like 15 GB, but you can install just the basic samples which might only need 4GB of space.
I haven't bothered installing any of the additional ambiance mic samples frpom any of my SD packs.
 
miroslav said:
I got a question for Jimmy or anyone that has both SSD4 and Trigger.....

I know with Trigger 1 and Trigger 2, even though there are a lot of similar (if not all) named samples, you still have to load both sample libraries on your computer, since Trigger 2 code can't read the Trigger 1 files (as I understood it).

I'm sure a lot of the Trigger 2 samples were pulled from the SSD4 library....but I'm wondering if SSD4 will also require the full sample library alongside the Trigger libraries, or will it share some.
IOW....hate the possibility of installing 3 libraries that have a lot of the same drums....so I was wondering if it's possible to have a combined/shared use of identical samples between Trigger 2 and SSD4....?

Jimmy is a bad influence on my wallet.....;).....I got Trigger on his props, and now I may do the same with SSD4. :)
Click to expand...

I don't think it is possible to share anything between Trigger and SSD4. Trigger 1 and Trigger 2 use much of the same sounds, but not sure if the libraries are exactly the same. I know I downloaded a new set with the update. That was free by the way. I actually prefer the simplicity of T1 and still use it most often for simple enhancement but likely only because I am a bit lazy and teaching the old dog new tricks when I just want to get things done....well...

I also have the 'Deluxe' upgrade, so that makes things a bit confusing. You cannot pull up the T2 triggers in Trigger 1 nor the reverse. But you can't get Trigger 1 anymore anyway so it really don't matter. lol

The sample libraries of Trigger and SSD4 are totally different. Likely some of the same samples (recordings) used I am sure. Why waste time fixing stuff that already works? :)

SSD4 is a completely different program that is made for a different purpose tho. Trigger has a proprietary format (.tci) that has multiple articulations made to 'replace-I hate that word' live drums by sending out a multiple of samples based on the dynamics (velocity) of a recorded drum. SSD4 is a drum programming tool with cymbals and HH that Trigger does not have anything to do with. I am not surprised that the libraries are totally separate.

Sorry for the bad influence. Now you need to get a bigger HDD for your drum samples. :D
 
Tadpui said:
Downloading this beast of library now...they must be hammered with traffic due to the sale. It's going rather slowly!
Click to expand...

Naw man, SSD4 is just a huge friggen library. You have 10 kits, and 5-20 versions of each. Including cymbals. Most kits have somewhere around 15 different HH samples (notes) per kit. That adds up to a buttload of info to download. About 500MB per kit.

Be patient. Wash a dog or somethin. lol
 
Yeah....I have enough HD space, just didn't want to double up on any samples if it was possible to share them. I know Trigger and SSD4 are different things, but I thought maybe they might have some identical samples....but no big deal either way.

Oh...does SSD4 give you to option to only load the basic kits without the optional ambiance stuff...or do you have to load it complete...?
Like with SD2....I really have no need for all the ambiance stuff, so there's no point in piling it up on my active HDs. It's always there offline if I ever want to load it.
 
It's 4 2GB files and a 5th 1.6GB file. I'm on my 3rd attempt to download them. Chrome is apparently not on board with my desire to play drums tonight. I paused the 1st attempt so I could watch Netflix over dinner. All 5 files cancelled instead of resuming. Attempt 2 resulted in 5 corrupt files downloaded.

I've got a 1TB drive just waiting for the files, if the fuckers would actually complete!
 
miroslav said:
Yeah....I have enough HD space, just didn't want to double up on any samples if it was possible to share them. I know Trigger and SSD4 are different things, but I thought maybe they might have some identical samples....but no big deal either way.

Oh...does SSD4 give you to option to only load the basic kits without the optional ambiance stuff...or do you have to load it complete...?
Like with SD2....I really have no need for all the ambiance stuff, so there's no point in piling it up on my active HDs. It's always there offline if I ever want to load it.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, it is all or nothing.
 
Tadpui said:
It's 4 2GB files and a 5th 1.6GB file.
Click to expand...

jimmys69 said:
As far as I know, it is all or nothing.
Click to expand...

Under 10 GB, that's not too bad....I thought it might be a lot more.
I've got single SDX packs that are more than that. They include a LOT of ambiance samples (I think they even put mics in the bathroom :D).

I have several drives in my DAW, and one had a partition for SD2 and Trigger, and that's where I would drop SSD4.
I've got 6GB free, but I can clear the other partition and then use it entirely for drums samples, so it will work out.
I'm going to prep that first...and then go for the SSD4. :)
 
edit: Never mind, got it sorted. Had a touch of the 'tard going on this late at night.

If you use an e-kit and need to remap things...do you really have to reload the kit mapping every time you change kits?
 
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Yeah, I had to create my own mapping for my DTX400 (not too bad since they already had a DTX500 map, which was pretty close). I saved it, but any time I switch kits it gets rid of the mapping and I have to reload it from file. I even hit the "save as default" button, but apparently that does something else. So as I'm auditioning kits, I have to do it without the crash, hi-hat and mid tom. Not catastrophic, but annoying.

Any favorite kits or combinations that you fellas recommend checking out? You know how it is when you first get a large sample library...it's a little overwhelming. After the first several kits, they all start to sound the same!
 
So far by tinkering with a majority of the samples, my impression is that SSD4 is actually even more heavily processed than EZD when it comes to the samples, mainly with compression. The toms all have an unnatural attack to them. The overheads have way too much room ambiance on them for my tastes. And the room mic sounds like its on the other end of the building from the kit. I think that the room where they recorded the samples was way too lively. Or there is compression on the overheads/room mics that make the room reverb tails louder relative to the level of the initial hit.

I have found a couple of snares and a few kicks that sound really good, although it'll be a while before I get the hang of adjusting overhead and room mic levels for every piece of every kit that I construct. I like one of the hihats and a couple of the crashes over anything in EZD.

So far SSD4 Platinum has crashed Reaper 4 times. That last time was me intentionally recreating the error so I can send it to the developers.

Needless to say, it's been a frustrating road so far with SSD. I can see the potential, but the player/editor is downright pissing me off. Having to reset my e-kit mapping every time I audition a new kit is beyond annoying. And it works from a philosophy of samples from a library instead of pieces of a kit (the latter is how EZD views it). So if I load a new sample for my snare, I have to reset all of the routing/level/attack/release/velocity curve that I'd carefully constructed for the previous sample that occupied the snare drum slot. And I have to totally redo the multi-output routing each time I load a new kit. I just feel like they should spend a little more time on the user interface, because they have a pretty good sample library behind it.
 
I am sorry, but I have to ask something. And I do not wish to come across as offensive in any way.

What of this sounds processed? Sample Below. It sounds like natural close micing of good sounding toms to me. Maybe a bit better in their controlled environment with great mics than I can get in my studio, but nothing I would call 'heavily processed'. In fact that sounds exactly like a tom without any processing whatsoever to me.

Again no offense, but have you recorded live drums before or have you only worked with samples? I ask because this sounds quite natural to me.
 

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No offense taken whatsoever, jimmy!

I've only recorded live drums a couple of times, and it's been a long while. And I wasn't very good at it even then. But there's just something about the attack of those toms that sounds off to me. When I listen to the fellas in the clinic that record their own drums, the toms sound AMAZING to me. Deep and throaty...like I associate with the sound of a tom in rock music. These just sound weird to me...the attack seems exaggerated and the ringing note too...I dunno...tuneful? If I were to put a compressor on a similar sound and set the attack not quite at the fastest setting, and the release pretty quick, I'd expect something similar: the initial whack being relatively loud, and the ringing note coming through more as the compressor let off. Maybe it's just me and I need to hear these in the context of a mix before I make any final judgments.

Are those the Pearl 12, 14 and 16" toms? Those were the least offensive to me. A couple of the others really has a nasty attack "smack" to them.

EZD's toms bother me too, but in a different way. On those samples, it's less the attack and more the ringing note that bugs me. They just sound artificial, like a caricature of a tom. That's on the pop/rock kit, at least. The vintage kit in EZD2 has toms that sound like empty coffee cans being banged by a stick.
 
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