NYC Composer
Senior Member
Let me throw in a plug for Apocalypse Percussion from (edited!) Soundiron. It can sound quite epic or less so if desired, and it’s very reasonably priced.
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Stormdrum or Damage 2
- Thread starter utkujj
- Start date
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utkujj
First violin section member in State Opera
I will check it thanks
JohnG
Senior Member
In that case, I'd guess StormDrum 3 is more what you are looking for. I thought there was a lengthy walk-through video of it when it was released. Maybe you can watch that.
Good luck!
John
Apocalypse Percussion is not from Impact Soundworks, it's from SoundIron:
Drums & Percussion
Soundiron's drum and percussion: apocalypse percussion, dhol, riq, tablas, clack, shake, drum corps, breaker, cymbology, bamboo stick ensemble, street bukit
soundiron.com
NYC Composer
Senior Member
Right you are. Brain is rotting.
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utkujj
First violin section member in State Opera
thank you! I just have one last question
Some people said ‘Sd3 needs to process for Cinematic Sound’ but this is a thing for Epic Sound i suppose.Is it any other instruments like ethnic ones needs process or is it coming with out of the box like damage 2? I will check it but user experiences are important too.
SD3 does have some big ensemble compressed monster patches, but for the most part it offers a cleaner more naturally processed sound. SD2 seems more focused on "epic" big ensemble processed sounds. Be aware that while SD3 has a lot of variety and is very well recorded, it very often lacks velocity layers and rr's. There is also no color coding on the keyboard to help navigate hits, flams, rolls, loops etc. Every patch is different and you just have to hit the keys and try and remember what's where. 2 major oversights IMO. There are a lot of great sounds in SD3, but because of the above issues I often find it frustrating in use.
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Petrucci
Senior Member
I think Damage 2 will suit you better cause it can be organic and hyped easily right from the interface. Also the ability to place the drums closer or further, left/right is done easily as well as constructing your own ensembles. SD3 is an awesome collection too, but it will take more time to achieve similar results. Though I believe SD3 has more content in terms of drum variety, but maybe less dynamic layers and less RRs. Its good to have both though)) But I would start with Damage 2 and don't forget about upgrade discount from Damage 1! I don't have SD2 so can't comment on that one. Also you might take a look at LA Modern Percussion - awesome sound, good price on discount, but might be slower to get into than Damage 2.
JohnG
Senior Member
Hi @utkujj
I think @jtnyc gave a good summary in writing
“SD3 does have some big ensemble compressed monster patches, but for the most part it offers a cleaner more naturally processed sound. SD2 seems more focused on "epic" big ensemble processed sounds”
I generally agree with that. For example, much of Damage 1 to me sounds fairly processed and even a bit “tortured.” Damage 2 is not nearly as aggressive-sounding (though the default processing is still aiming at a very big sound). That said, if you reduce or eliminate the built-in reverb and also are willing to learn how to place the ensemble closer to you or further away (which is easy), Damage 2 can sound quite a bit smaller and closer to the listener, if that’s what you want.
Damage 2 is laid out intelligently, in octaves, and is edited very, very well. The octaves I’m alluding to allow you to write in the lowest octave, then transpose up an octave or two (or more) to get a much less “huge” sound. That makes it easy to play in, and then experiment with a bigger or smaller set of drums without reprogramming everything — just transpose.
How I Would Decide
I would probably get Damage 2 if:
1. you really don’t like to spend much time editing the processing, but are at least willing to switch the reverb on and off; and
2. you are willing to make at least some edits to the sound field — as @Petrucci wrote of Damage 2, “the ability to place the drums closer or further, left/right is done easily as well as constructing your own ensemble”
By contrast, I would probably buy StormDrum3 if you really want a wide variety of unprocessed acoustic drums.
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vitocorleone123
Senior Member
Side note: I see "SD3" and I think "Superior Drummer 3".
If I just jumped in without reading from Page 1 I'd be confused.
If I just jumped in without reading from Page 1 I'd be confused.
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utkujj
First violin section member in State Opera
I’m not good at sound processing and design and this is explain my Cinematic Studio Series love
So i have little bit worries about Sd3 playability and programming.I love ethnic drums more often then Giant Taiko ensembles.But easy to use factor is much more important for me.So Damage 2 seems more likely. Thank you for your all interest John!
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utkujj
First violin section member in State Opera
Thank you for that detailed information!
I wish i could have them both.But with upgrade discount + plus sale Damage 2 would be 175€.Stormdrum3 is cheaper but i think EW products are always remain on sale.
Thanks a lot!
Boberg
Active Member
I only own Stormdrum 2 out of the ones you listed, but I thought I would chime in a bit.
I have found lots of use for SD2, and I do think it's a great library even though it's older. People have already written about it quite a bit, for example that large parts of it is recorded quite wet. But, one problem I also have with it is that it's been used very much. Some of the great sounds within it are just unusable for me nowadays, as I've heard them in so much music. Now, I think it's most prominent in video-game music, but I've heard it in other stuff as well.
This might be a subjective problem, as SD2 suits a lot of the video-game music I regularly listen to. For example, it's been heavily used in the World of Warcraft soundtracks (especially Wrath of the Lich King). So, it might not be a problem for you, and this is the case with many libraries. But some of the instruments and sound effects in it are quite distinct, so they are easy to spot out. One client even told me that a track I composed felt a lot like Wrath of the Lich King without being able to say why. I believe it at least partly had to do with the fact that I used a lot of SD2 in it.
I have found lots of use for SD2, and I do think it's a great library even though it's older. People have already written about it quite a bit, for example that large parts of it is recorded quite wet. But, one problem I also have with it is that it's been used very much. Some of the great sounds within it are just unusable for me nowadays, as I've heard them in so much music. Now, I think it's most prominent in video-game music, but I've heard it in other stuff as well.
This might be a subjective problem, as SD2 suits a lot of the video-game music I regularly listen to. For example, it's been heavily used in the World of Warcraft soundtracks (especially Wrath of the Lich King). So, it might not be a problem for you, and this is the case with many libraries. But some of the instruments and sound effects in it are quite distinct, so they are easy to spot out. One client even told me that a track I composed felt a lot like Wrath of the Lich King without being able to say why. I believe it at least partly had to do with the fact that I used a lot of SD2 in it.
Henu
Dismember
SOLD.
But in all seriousness, could you point me some examples? As probably the biggest WoW music nerd on the planet, I'd absolutely love to spot those myself and hear SD2 in action there. (And then buy it in a hectic impulse :D )
syrinx
Senior Member
Great minds think alike!
Boberg
Active Member
Haha, it could also be a selling point I guess! When I first bought it I was so happy to hear all those sounds that I recalled so well (as I'm definitely a WoW music nerd myself).
Anyhow, below are some examples from the top of my head.
Warsong Gulch / PVP music:
Pretty much all the drums with some "grit" are part of SD2, the ones that mainly mark the beats. Also all the taiko sticks are part of SD2, and the sound is quite distinct. Most of those are actually from Storm Drum 1 though, but they are included in SD2 as well. It's mainly from the patch Thunder Ensamble (which is a great go-to patch!).
For WotLK it's mostly in the music that's not part of the released soundtrack that it's overused in. It's scattered around a lot of the more ambient parts. But one example that's part of the soundtrack is The Kaluak:
All the markers are basically from SD2. The low bass hits in the background, the kinda weird drum rolls that float through the stereo space. The hang drum that's used through the whole track is also from SD2, but I'm not sure it's just SD2. It could be a combination of several ones. But the SD2 one is definitely in there.
The drums rolls are in particularly quite distinct, so I cannot really use those now as they are too associated with WotLK for me. And for the most part, it's the "Sound Design Percussion" category in SD2 that they have used a lot. So it's for those type of markers and lots of background hits.
Another example is Rise of the Vrykul:
The drums from 0:45. Not all of them are from SD2, but for example the more distant drums on the right side in the stereo space is Trailer Toms from SD2. They are also heard earlier in the background of the track, but I think it's most prominent from 0:45. Parts of the others are from SD2 as well.
Lots of the sound design markers in the background of Borean Thundra is also from SD2, but not all of it:
I can be heard over large parts of the soundtrack, mostly as "sound design" percussion. But they also use some of the "real" drums from SD2 quite a bit, like the Trailer Toms patch mentioned before, the Persian Battle Drums, the Lion Drum Ensamble and also the Thunder Ensamble (originally from SD1). Many times it's blended with other libraries as well though.
With that said, I still think it's a nice library. It's not my go-to anymore as I have other more flexible ones, but I do still reach for it quite often.
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utkujj
First violin section member in State Opera
Thank you for that examples.I bought Sd3 yesterday.For first impressions it has tons of well recorded instruments.But playability a thing to getting use to it.I didn't like the ensemble patches very much. I will have to create my own ensembles. I don't know if there is an easy way to do this.
Boberg
Active Member
I don't own SD3 myself, just SD2, but I still understand what you mean. The playability and "quality of life" features are lacking as it's an older software. Hence why I don't have SD2 as my go-to library anymore. It's not as flexible and can be hard to work with at times, mainly due to the built-in reverb and that some patches are unflexible.
But I think I was forced to get around that as it was one of my first percussion libraries, so if you give it time you'll learn when and how it works. I find that I have to work with the built in stereo spacing in many of the patches - so if one patch is recorded with a drum on the right side, keep it there and then find something else to fill out on the left side. Some patches also have hits that are pre-panned, so you'll have to work with that in order to create the stereo spacing you want. Sometimes I swap the left and right channels for certain patches to get it on the other side (been using Voxengo MSED for this). So, you kind of have to work with it as it is - build your drum patterns from the way they are recorded.
I guess to provide an example of where I myself have used SD2 extensively you could check out this score I did a few years ago. It's not meant as any self-promotion, but a large majority of the percussion in this is from SD2:
One clear example of what I talk about is at 20:40. It's the same drum patch used on both the left and right side, with one being channel swapped using Voxengo MSED. Some EQ and not using the exact same hits on both sides makes it work. But it requires more time to do.
I also think the track at 3:05 showcases some of the more "epic" patches of SD2 if that's of interest. From 4:00 onward you can hear how the pre-panned patches can be played with the same drums on both sides, with just one patch. It sounds as two different drums though, as the available hits in the patch are different for the left and right side. It's a bit weird, compared to many modern libraries, but it can also add quite a nice flavor if you ask me.
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Henu
Dismember
A zillion thanks for going through such a detailed answer, Bo! I actually used SD2 a lot 8-9 years ago at work but for some reason ended up passing the licence for a colleague and now I feel a bit stupid as I'm going through these examples and really liking what I hear.
This WoW and your percussion sound is exactly my personal aethetics so I think I will end up biting the bullet and getting SD2 for my personal collection as it's on sale as we speak. I have both Damages but somehow they have never clicked me as much as the SD sound.
This WoW and your percussion sound is exactly my personal aethetics so I think I will end up biting the bullet and getting SD2 for my personal collection as it's on sale as we speak. I have both Damages but somehow they have never clicked me as much as the SD sound.
Boberg
Active Member
You're welcome! It was quite fun to dive back into some old stuff for me as well, and kinda made me realise that I should start using SD2 more. I do tend to forget about it at times.
I think it definitely has a specific flavor that I can't really get from any of my others percussion libraries, so I like to have it. It's old and a bit frustrating to work with, but can really spice up a composition if you take the time with it. For it's current prize I'd say it's worth it if you like the sound of it!
