Looking to get SSD Platinum?

[mirflee]

Hello,

I'm looking to buy SSD Platinum but I've got a couple of things that's kinda pulling me away from getting it.

I'm currently using Addictive Drums and I love how dynamic it is. The user interface's good but I feel I've gotten to the point where it's getting pretty limited in terms of tone. The Snare samples in particular seems to be a hit or a miss for me in a mix and Toms feels like there's only a single sample triggered for every hit, which makes it feel a little bit unrealistic.

I've always loved drum sounds that's dry but punchy as well, thick snare tones and a beefy kick. Drum sounds in Periphery, Architects and some of Joey Sturgis's older stuff. I'm hoping SSD will get me that but so far, the demos have been fairly disappointing. Also, the sample tracks sounds really off in terms of playing (or maybe its just me).

Would love to hear some inputs on this?

 

[The StabbinCabin]

I have SSD EX and I think it's pretty shit now with the samples it's given. The overheads are shit and can't choke properly which has made me regret my purchase entirely. The way the overheads are routed in the internal mixer are kind of gross too with assigning midi values- it just has you with a stupid workaround.

But mainly the overheads are shit- I'd go Toontrack.

 

[SethTheGreat]

I just bought SSD Platinum and Metal Machine over black friday and so far I think I like SSD quite a bit more... I'll see if I can put a comparison together..

 

[mirflee]

The StabbinCabin

I hear you man. Thanks for the heads up.

SethTheGreat

I'd really appreciate that.

Ironically, a good friend of mine borrowed me the Metal Machine and fired it up today. Sounds fantastic, a little bit too plastic at times though. Also, the overheads were a major fail for me, too little decay and sounds a bit too thin. However, the Snares/Toms/Kicks are almost perfect.

I'm edging towards getting the Metal Machine so far but I'm really not feeling the overheads. Had an idea of replacing the overheads with AD's. It wouldn't work with Metal Machine's room sound, would it?

I think I'd still have a lot to learn though thanks for the inputs so far.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

Can platinum do proper cymbal chokes with actual ambient decay or is it a hard mute?

I've tried room impulses to fill that

I had a hardcore band that had this part with kick and cymbal chokes I needed to program not too long ago

How do you like forget to do that when you make something like that

 

[jeid]

How are you doing the chokes? I've managed to get mine to work/sound fine.

 

[Flow Of Time]

I'm currently working with ssd ex beacause it's cheap. I can get some pretty nice tones with it BUT it's nothing I'd recommend upgrading to... If I wanted to upgrade, I'd just get Superrior Drummer. I can post a clip with what I get from SSD though

 

[mirflee]

Hello again, apart from my query above on what to get, I'm curious as to how you guys replace a Snare or Kick in VSTs? I'm looking to replace AD's Kick/Snare with Metal Machine's to see how it would sound but I don't really quite know how to.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Chokes work fine for me on SSD4ex. SSD4 is great for demo and small project purposes, it's almost drag and drop because the samples are pre processed. They stick out like a sore thumb screaming SSD though. The cymbals are shit, this I can comfirm. They are definitely usable, but toontrack is MILES ahead of SSD as far as cymbals go. I would get metal machine if you want to properly mix the drums. SSD if you want to just drop it in a mix and work it around

 

[TRUIE]

I thought SSD4 samples were 100% natural sounding, with zero processing applied (I don't use it, but that's what Slate said everywhere).

 

[Flow Of Time]

Hello again, apart from my query above on what to get, I'm curious as to how you guys replace a Snare or Kick in VSTs? I'm looking to replace AD's Kick/Snare with Metal Machine's to see how it would sound but I don't really quite know how to.

You have to get a triggering software like ApTrigga in order to do that

I thought SSD4 samples were 100% natural sounding, with zero processing applied (I don't use it, but that's what Slate said everywhere).

That only applies to the DELUXE series kits, there are still lots of pre-processed samples.

 

[TRUIE]

Aren't the Deluxe kits the new ones added in SSD4 ? (so when someone speaks about SSD4, I think about these kits).
And the pre-processed samples you're talking about are the old SSD3 samples that are also available in the package, no ?

So, how the Deluxe kits in SSD4 compare to something like SD2.0 ?

 

[MatrixClaw]

I've had Platinum since it came out and only used it like 4 times cause I just didn't see anything special about them, not to mention I hate the new UI. I dunno what people's issue is with Kontakt honestly, I find it super intuitive to use, the new SSD plugin is such a hassle. I've got the CLA expansion now and I like it quite a bit though, but some of the sounds get a bit redundant.

That being said, the Room Sound sample packs that are for sale by a member on here, as well as the Nashville series kicks and snares are now my go-to samples. They just work.

Still use S2.0 for cymbals, though - Sometimes SSD4 if it's a lighter genre. The cymbals are where SSD excelled for me, surprisingly. I'd really like to get Lasse's LSD samples, but I can't really justify the price.

 

[Flow Of Time]

Aren't the Deluxe kits the new ones added in SSD4 ? (so when someone speaks about SSD4, I think about these kits).
And the pre-processed samples you're talking about are the old SSD3 samples that are also available in the package, no ?

So, how the Deluxe kits in SSD4 compare to something like SD2.0 ?

Ah yes you're right with that.
I only use the cymbals of the deluxe kits and pre processed ones for the rest.
I think they're ok but nothing special. Superior Drummer is superior^^ (imo)

 

[drew_drummer]

Get BFD2 and halp pay my wagesh.

 

[HOFX]

Well, I actually stopped using BFD2 and picked up SSD4 to use the deluxe kits. This was a big turn around for me because pre-processed Slate samples stuck out everywhere and I wanted to have a drum kit that sounded original, hence BFD2. However, I always struggled to get an above amateur sound out of BFD2.

The number one thing about mixing is to get it right at the source, and I realised that SSD4 Deluxe samples are recorded more in line with the style of music I do than the BFD2 kits, so for me they're easier to mix. Example, BFD2 kicks have more woof than the baha men, where as SSD4 kicks don't require as much EQ to get it there. Plus, if your exact kick sound isn't in the SSD4 library, more often than not, blending two kicks will get you there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing BFD2, great software, I just got to go with what works for a guy at my level of mixing skill.

Anyway, that's my experience.

 

[SethTheGreat]

They both sound great for different things.

Metal Machine (please ignore the first 20 seconds or so. It doesn't make sense out of context of the music)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/467382/Kiss Her Dead Working on Drums.mp3

SSD 4 (using some of the built-in grooves)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/467382/Goofing Around with SSD4.mp3


To say that the cymbals "sound like crap" in SSD4 is just BS. I could see them not working it certain situations, but they don't sound bad at all.


Edit: Also wanted to mention - I was originally planning on using the same midi file and creating "shoot-out" type comparison, but I realized that I could bias it either way that way, depending on the track I chose. Using two different tracks showcases a little better what they're each good at.

 

[HOFX]

They both sound great for different things.

To say that the cymbals "sound like crap" in SSD4 is just BS. I could see them not working it certain situations, but they don't sound bad at all.

I'll second that.

 

[The StabbinCabin]

When you choke the cymbal in SSD4ex it just mutes the cymbal. There is no decay like there would be in a real life scenario. The cymbals aren't bad- it's just the routing and the chokes.

 

[mirflee]

You have to get a triggering software like ApTrigga in order to do that

After reading and browsing around the forums on that piece of software, I decided to buy it and it feels more smoother and light on the CPU as compared to my old Drumagog.

Anyway, I was playing around with it today, it seems unusual to me that it only allow 3 samples to be triggered or am I looking at it the wrong way? I've kinda got some questions that I hope you could shed some light on. Still very much a noob on this I guess.

Firstly, it's fairly easy to replace a snare with a normal Wave file but I can't seem to find Metal Machine's Snare Wave anywhere in the folders. It seems to be encrypted or something?

Also, I'd have to make some adjustments to the Overheads and Room seeing I'm using a different snare or it's probably better to leave it as it is? To my ears, it doesn't stand out much but again, I could be wrong.