The Decades SDX was recorded at Capitol Studios and comes with five drum kits, all handpicked to represent a specific sound or era in Al’s career. Expect a palette of immaculate drum sounds encapsulating not only a lifetime of experience working at the apex of the industry, but just as much a personal and reflective collection of kits that in a way represents his entire body of work. From jazz and big band to rock, fusion, pop, funk and AOR – the Decades SDX covers all the styles that can be traced back to Al’s illustrious lifetime achievement.
FEATURE SPOTLIGHT
- Produced by 23-time Grammy Award-winning engineer/mixer Al Schmitt
- Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, CA
- Five (5) kits
- 12 snares, nine (9) kicks as well as a broad collection of hi-hats and cymbals
- Includes several iconic original instruments, like the original snare drum used by Jeff Porcaro on Toto’s “Rosanna” as well as Steve Ferrone’s personal drum kit
- Brushes and/or mallets available on select kits/instruments
- Drums from the 1920s through the late 1990s
- Recorded with an additional seven room microphones for playback in stereo up to 9.1 systems
THE MAKING OF.
Meet Al Schmitt with team and get a glimpse of what happened behind the scenes at Capitol Studios during the Decades SDX recording sessions.
ABOUT AL SCHMITT.
In retrospect, figuring out that Al would end up behind a console is somewhat of a no-brainer. He literally grew up in a studio. Already at the age of seven, he hung out with his uncle Harry, who also was an engineer, to help set out chairs for musicians, clean patch cables and whatever came with being a helper during sessions back then.
This was in the thriving days of the late 1930s New York big band and jazz scene. That scene was buzzing, with loads of work and studios scattered all over the city. From there, his path was pretty much laid out. Working his formative years under the tutelage of many of the era’s legendary engineers, he honed his craft before relocating to California. After that, the rest is music history. For real.
In fact, Al Schmitt’s footprint in the recording industry is hard to fathom or even put down in words. Just the numbers alone are mind-boggling: 727 recordings, 160 gold and platinum albums and 23 Grammy Awards.
Scrolling through his discography is even more daunting – his hands and ears have literally shaped our collective music history. From now immortal icons like Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke to Madonna, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Barbara Streisand and Paul McCartney – Al has worked with them all.
A HOLLYWOOD LANDMARK.
The Capitol Records building, towering like a beacon against the Hollywood skyline, is arguably one of the few Los Angeles landmarks as iconic as the Hollywood sign itself. In the heart of this cylinder-shaped structure is Capitol Studios, where new pieces of our music history have been written, recorded and mastered for the past 60 years and counting. Hosting two main rooms, Studio B with its 1023 square feet of floor space, impressive height and impeccably crafted acoustics was the perfect choice. In fact, many industry professionals consider Studio B as having one of the premier drum rooms in the world. This particular room has a long list of legendary albums under its belt. Green Day, Neil Young and John Mayer are just a few vivid examples of artists that have immortalised seminal works between its four walls.
With the Decades SDX, we are proud to lend some of the inherent Capitol magic to your productions.
THE DRUMS.
The Decades SDX includes five kits as well as an impressive selection of snare drums, kick drums and cymbals.
1930s BROADWAY KIT.
This genuine 1930s kit combines two legendary drum brands and serves as our tribute to Al’s work with immortal crooners like Frank Sinatra and many others. The original calfskins on all instruments produce that uniquely warm and time-accurate tone. Great for any jazz context – ideal for big band arrangements.
1970s SOUL AND TIGHT POP KITS.
The 1970s Soul Kit
There probably are no better suited drums than these to pay tribute to Al’s work on seminal albums by the likes of Al Jarreau, George Benson, Steely Dan and the Yellowjackets. Looking for that unmistakable 1970s dry, deep, round and in-your-face type of tone? This is it – complete with some of Al’s signature dampening, often a “must” during this very era.
The 1970s Tight Pop Kit
The same set but recorded with thin towels covering all drums. The result? A tight, snappy and muffled tone with loads of transient punch while still maintaining that heartwarmingly thick resonance. This excessively muffled way of deadening the tone was used a lot during the 1970s. Listen to Al Jarreau and Steely Dan (to name a few) and you’ll hear it.
THE 1980s ROCK & FUSION KIT.
This unique prototype set was picked as a reference to Al’s work with some of the biggest AOR and melodic rock acts of the 1980s. Looking for the “million dollar” drum tone? This is it – punchy yet silky smooth.
THE BALLROOM SWING KIT.
The rise of jazz and swing in the early 20th century wasn’t only a milestone for music on a whole, it was also epoch-making in terms of drums. This is the era when we went from an often random collection of percussive instruments to standardising what we still refer to as a classic ‘drum kit’ setup. These original drums from the 1930s and 1940s were selected as a homage to the very beginning of Al’s career and his work with the pioneering artists that defined the genre. Problem getting the drums to cut through the horn section in your mix? This kit’s got you covered.
THE MODERN JAZZ KIT.
Al’s more recent work with award-winning vocal and small ensemble jazz artists like Diana Krall, Natalie Cole and others is represented by this kit. If there is a “studio standard” for drums, this is it. These drums have an almost eerie way of combining balance, nuance and detail.
MICROPHONE POSITIONING & OVERVIEW.
Curated over a lifetime in the studio, Al’s microphone positioning philosophy builds on nearly 70 years worth of experience. If a drum doesn’t sound right, his first instinct isn’t to reach for an effect – he moves the microphone until the instrument sounds like it’s supposed to.
In this video, Al walks you through his microphone positioning philosophy for the Decades SDX. Learn about the different mics, how he placed them and more!
Learn all about the different channels and how to utilise them in the mixer of Superior Drummer 3.
UNCOMPROMISING INSTRUMENT DETAIL.
To us, sampling sounds for an SDX is more than merely recording instruments. It is the craft of capturing the essence and every unique voice of each instrument to give you, the user, the ability to produce limitless and stunningly real performances.
THE ARTICULATIONS.
In this video we walk you through some of the articulations recorded for the Decades SDX. The exact same set of articulations were multi-sampled with unparalleled velocity detail for each instrument type, configuration and striking tool.
THE PRESETS.
To inspire and enable you to make music immediately, the Decades SDX includes a total of 42 mix-ready presets showcasing an amazing width and scope of use.
AL SCHMITT’S PRESETS.
The first set of presets were crafted by Al Schmitt himself in Studio C at Capitol Studios. Al’s approach to mixing begins at the very start of a recording where he applies his unparalleled knowledge of microphones to achieve his signature drum sounds from the outset. A diverse palette of warm, organic presets were created in Superior Drummer 3 by careful balancing of microphone levels, blending of different reverbs and subtle use of the Comp 670 compressor in Superior Drummer 3. The results are the familiar drum sounds that document the iconic recordings of Al’s illustrious career.
TOONTRACK IN-HOUSE PRESETS.
These presets were created by Toontrack’s own Head of Sound Design, Mattias Eklund, and provide the perfect contrast to those created by Al Schmitt. Using Al’s pristine recordings as a starting point, Mattias has unleashed his trademark creativity, sculpting a variety of tones that range from classically vintage to edgy and modern.
KIT PRESETS.
In addition to the mix presets, there are a total of 11 kit presets that enable you to quickly access and audition all the different kits and configurations included in the Decades SDX.
THE MIDI.
Just like the drum sounds, the MIDI was designed to reflect the scope of Al’s remarkable career and covers material suitable for anything from pop, rock, AOR and soul to jazz-fusion, small-ensemble jazz, big band and Latin jazz. The MIDI library also features an extensive collection of grooves and patterns specifically designed for use with brushes and mallets. In addition, all of the included MIDI was recorded exclusively using the different drum kits of the Decades SDX. As a result, it makes use of the great detail and extensive number of articulations that was recorded for this SDX library.
SDX AND EZX.
– WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The Big Band EZX comes with two mix-ready drum sets, both derived from the five kits featured in the Decades SDX. The EZX is best described as a slimmed down version of the SDX, both in terms of number of instruments, available articulations, microphones and mixer channel options. The EZX was produced to provide a specific type of mix-ready sound while the SDX, in addition to its large pool of presets, features raw and unprocessed drum tones covering the entire scope of Al Schmitt’s illustrious career.
Looking for an instant big band sound – go for the EZX. Looking for all the options you need to mix, match and design the kits of your wildest dreams – go for the SDX.
DECADES SDX.
Works with:
Superior Drummer 3
Size: approx. 99 GB | Kits: 5 (plus additional instruments)
BIG BAND EZX.
Works with:
EZdrummer 2 and Superior Drummer 3
Size: 3 GB | Kits: 2
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.
- 64-bit Windows 7 or newer, 8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM or more recommended).
- Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, 64-bit Intel-based Mac with 8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM or more recommended).
- Stereo Setup: Approx. 28 GB
- Surround Setup: Approx. 54 GB
- Height Surround Setup: Approx. 76 GB
- Full Installation (including bleed): Approx. 99 GB
- Plus an additional 99 GB required for the installation process
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