Frequently Asked Questions

Will you send me Analogue Drums on CD/DVD?

No, our products are offered as downloads only. This allows us to keep prices down.

Does Analogue Drums use General Midi layout?

No. Some features (such as separate keys for left-hand, right-hand) simply couldn't be achieved if we adhered to General Midi layout. Because of this, we've developed our own layout, designed to maximise the expression that you can achieve when playing or programming drum parts using Analogue Drums.

Why are some keys 'left blank'?

Becasue we've recorded various sizes of drumkit, they can not all be arranged on a keyboard in the same way. To make the kits as consistent as possible, there are 'blanks' on the keyboard so that the smaller kits can generally match the layouts of the larger kits. This helps you switch between kits more easily after you've programmed your drum parts.

Can I make changes to the sampler mappings?

Yes. And in fact there are many creative possibilities to explore within the samplers. To minimise problems we recommend that you save your own mappings with different filenames, rather than overwrite the ones that we provide.

What other software is needed to use Analogue Drums?

We recommend using Analogue Drums in conjunction with Native Instruments' Kontakt 2 or Battery 2 software samplers. Mapping files (presets) for both formats are provided, allowing you to use Analogue Drums as a virtual instrument.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the keyboard layout reference card. You can download Acrobat Reader for free at the Adobe website.

What about tape-hiss?

One of the many pleasant characteristics of using tape is tape-hiss. We've used the highest quality signal chains and tape stock to minimise the level of hiss, however we have not employed any noise-reduction techniques due to their negative impact on the sound. In most situations you'll never notice it, however if you mix with a lot of compression and listen to the drums alone at a high volume you'll be able to hear the hiss of tape.

What order do the snares appear in the Snare City demo?

The snares apear in this order: 1) Mapex 14" x 8" Brass Master, 2) Mapex 14" x 3.5" Black Panther Steel, 3) Pearl 14" x 5.5" Chad Smith Steel, 4) '60s Gretsch 13" x 5" Gene Krupa Brass, 5) '60s Ludwig 14" x 5" Maple, 6) Mapex 10" x 6" Birch Auxilary, 7) Orange County 14" x 5" Vented Maple, 8) Pearl 14" x 6.5" Free-Floating Brass, 9) Pearl Masters 12" x 5" Maple, 10) Pearl Masters 14" x 5" Maple, 11) Pearl 14" x 3.5" Picolo Maple, 12) '50s Slingerland 14" x 6.5" Radioking Maple, 13) Pearl 14" x 6.5" Steve Ferrone Brass.

If I use Analogue Drums on a commercial music release do I have to pay a royalty fee?

Absolutely not!

Can I use Analogue Drums with Sound Replacer, Drumagog or any other sound replacement tool?

Yes. All of the samples can be accessed directly from the wav directory, and they are ideal for drum replacement. Note that we do not provide support for any sound replacement tools. You may find help in the forums.

I've downloaded it, now what do I do?

Once you've downloaded the .zip file, you will need to unzip (extract) the files to your hard drive. For best performance we recommend that you use a 7200rpm hard drive, and use a drive that is not your system drive. Once you have extracted the files, you can open the mappings directly from your software sampler.

Can I use Analogue Drums with Halion, Gigasampler or any other sampler?

At the moment, Analogue Drums is only supplied with mapping files for Native Instruments Battery 2/3, and Native Instruments Kontakt 2/3. We will add support for more software samplers very soon.