The Drum Problem: nothing beats live drums, but nothing is tougher to obtain on a timely, affordable or controlled basis. The feel of drum tracks is possibly the most important aspect to a drum performance, and samples and quick sequences aren't usually much help in controlling feel. A loop brings its own baggage as far as feel goes. Building sequences can be like painting with handcuffs. A sequencer's"swing" slider or a library of "groove templates" sometimes can get you there, but most often, there remains no comparison to the musical sound and feel of a live drummer.

Drums On Demand knows this very well and have been publishing kits for building drum tracks aimed at solving the Drum Problem.

They begin with high-quality recordings through excellent mikes and professional signal paths. 24-bit recordings are downsampled to 16/44, then packaged and offered in innovative ways.

Drums On Demand's publishing innovations begin with their patent-pending organization of drum samples and loops. These are arranged in what Drums On Demand calls "Sound Sets" - organized by BPM and time signature and come optionally in stereo Acidized WAV format or (for over double the price) broken out into multitrack format at full-bore 24-bit quality.

The eternal problem of combined loops bringing their own, possibly unwanted feel into your poject is addressed by Drums On Demand by including "Loop Layers" - isolated loops of kick, ride, hat, snare, and ride based on its parent "Song Set". Use these one on top of the other to sculpt the feel you're after if the pre-rendered loops don't cut it.

Volume 9 covers the sounds of the Blues and Boogie, while previous releases cover other genres. All DOD releases now come in Acidized WAV, REX and Apple Loops formats.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR READERS OF GEARWIRE: Through January 15, Gearwire readers get a special 15% discount on any Drums On Demand product. Use the coupon code

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