The Toontrack Product Manager lets you download and activate both SD3 and any expansions you end up buying-the interface works great and I’ve never experienced a headache when installing libraries (I’m looking at you Native Instruments…). Superior Drummer 3 also has the best product installer I’ve used to date. Of all the expansions Toontrack offers, the best ones by far are Alt Rock EZX, Big Rock Drums EZX, Pop Punk EZX, Custom & Vintage SDX, Fields of Rock SDX, Hitmaker SDX, Legacy of Rock SDX, and The Rooms of Hansa SDX-all of which I own and use on pop rock productions daily. I use expansion libraries from both softwares, so good on Toontrack for making these compatible (SD3 libraries do not work with EZDrummer 3, so don’t think that this will work in reverse).

Superior Drummer 3 is also compatible with EZ Drummer 3 libraries. From here, I’ll use Slate Trigger2 on the kick and snare when necessary for additional sampling. Not only does this make mixing a breeze, I have full control over the sound I like when using SD3 for drum programming and samples. In my Cubase session, I route the audio from Superior Drummer 3 out of the sampler and into my individual DAW channels. When I work with bands, I use SD3 as my primary drum engine. My modified kit used for new Vinyl Theatre songs, using the Fields of Rock – Stone expansion pack It’s also a blast to use alongside an electronic drum kit. Superior Drummer 3 offers the most realistic drum sounds you can find in a drum VST plugin. Toontrack took this library a step further than it’s predecessor by recording an additional eleven separate room microphones set up in surround for a truly lifelike experience. Read our full review of Superior Drummer 3 here. The drum sounds are phenomenal, especially in some of the expansion packs available from Toontrack. SD3 includes six drum kits, additional percussion instruments, and approximately 350 vintage drum sounds.

Superior Drummer 3 was meticulously recorded by George Massenburg at Galaxy Studios in Belgium- it’s an impressively massive 230GB in size. SD3 is one of the best drum VST plugins available.

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