In late 2023, we recorded 2 massive drum sample libraries with legendary engineer/producer Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio Recording Studios in Chicago. Little did we know at the time that this sample pack would be so historically meaningful, after Steve's tragic passing in May 2024. We are truly honored to present these amazing acoustic drum samples, recorded by a man who shaped the sound of indie music in the '90s and '00s.
Utilizing his renowned miking & recording techniques and recorded in such an iconic studio (Electrical Audio in Chicago), these samples have that signature "naturalistic, powerful...Albini drum sound" found on so many indie, rock, and punk classics he recorded.
Masterpieces such as Nirvana's "In Utero" album, "Where is my Mind" by the Pixies, the "Pod" album by the Breeders and Cheap Trick's "Brontosaurus" and "Baby Talk" all showcase that "wide-open Albini drum sound" - big, roomy drum sounds created by blending large acoustic room spaces with carefully-tuned drums and vintage microphones... and (of course), his genius-level drum miking techniques. We think we've captured that exact same sound in this new drum sample pack.
Available as 48khz/24 bit pristine samples and Slate Trigger files to use in your own drum replacement projects, these drum samples are a MUST HAVE for any indie musician or producer wanting that authentic Chicago Indie/Alternative Rock sound.
There are only two drum sample libraries in existence that Steve ever agreed to record, and ours is one of them. But unlike that other library recorded a few years back, you don't have to buy expensive proprietary software to access his amazing drum sounds. We give you ALL THE SAMPLES (over 7 individual mono and stereo microphone channels + pre-mixed presets) and all the various drum hits as WAV files to use in whatever DAW, drum replacement tool or sampler you like. There are 10,000 audio files and nearly 15 GB in total in this amazing drum sample pack!
Having access to premium acoustic drum samples like these, without barriers, is what we think Steve would have wanted, and we're convinced that's one of the reasons why he agreed to record our sample library. Use these samples in any DAW or sampler you like - it's your choice. No barriers!
The Kit:
In Volume #1, we sampled his choice of in-house drum kits: a beautiful mid- 1960s Ludwig Big Beat Mod Orange Big Beat Drum Kit. It's a classic multi-ply, maple kit with a big, projecting sound. We've included a number of complimentary add-on pieces to make this a truly versatile kit with plenty of sound design possibilities. Volume #1's drum kit features:
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4 KICKS:
- KICK 1 - 22 x 14" Ludwig® Big Beat maple Kick (1965/1966)
- KICK 2 - 22 x 14" Jenkins-Martin® fiberglass Kick (modern)
- KICK 3 - 24 x 14" Ludwig® Vistalite Kick (1970s)
- KICK 4 - 24 x 14" Jenkins-Martin® fiberglass Kick (modern)
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3 TOMS:
- 16” Floor Tom (Big Beat)
- 12” and 13” Rack Toms (Big Beat)
- 1 HI HAT:
- 15" Zildjian® New Beat (left of kit)
- 3 CRASH Cymbals:
- 16" Sabian® AAX Studio (left of kit)
- 17" Dream Bliss® Paper Thin (right of kit)
- 16" Istanbul® AGOP China Crash (right of kit)
- 1 RIDE:
- 20" Sabian® AAX Stadium Ride (right of kit)
- SNARE
- 14 x 6" DW® Custom Green Sparkle maple
- a 13 x 4” Bison® maple Piccolo maple Snare with cast magnesium alloy
- 14 x 6" DW® Custom Green Sparkle maple
Steve personally tuned, miked and recorded these drums himself, and you can hear the difference immediately. He was brilliant at getting just the right sound out of any drums he recorded.
Special thank you to Taylor, Jon and the entire Electrical Audio team for assisting in the making of this drum library, and of course, Steve for overseeing it all. It was an amazing experience and we hope you enjoy these samples as much as we did making them.
--> PS: We're also including a VERY important Engineer's Log - which details how this kit was Miked, the microphones used, and ALL of Steve's legendary techniques on how to record live acoustic drums - in his own words!
