The Rock Foundry SDX features a staggering 65 GB of raw, unprocessed drum sounds recorded by arguably the most notable, influential and sought-after engineer/producer of our time: Bob Rock.

FEATURE SPOTLIGHT

• Seven (7) individual kits plus alternative configurations
• Recorded by Bob Rock at The Warehouse in Vancouver, BC
• Ludwig, Ayotte, Gretsch, Dunnett, Yamaha among the brands covered
• Six (6) hi-hats, six (6) ride cymbals, 15 crash cymbals
• Mix presets by Bob Rock included
• A basic selection of custom MIDI drum grooves included

Bob Rock’s engineering and producing credits stretch all the way back to the late ’70s and include some of the best selling acts in rock history: Survivor, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bryan Adams and many, many more. Needless to say, his expertise in phenomenally engineered and mixed drums and influence on the sound of hard rock and metal as we know it is monumental. We’re happy to present the first-ever sample library to bear his sonic seal.

The Rock Foundry SDX was recorded at Bob Rock’s choice studio; The Warehouse in Vancouver, BC, and designed to give you the most flexible selection of drums, ambiences and options possible giving an incredibly broad palette of raw material to use to craft drum mixes within the powerful framework of Superior Drummer 3.

It’s configured as two individual SDXs, one ‘Main’ and one ‘Mono.’ The ‘Main’ features six kits captured with a traditional multiple microphone technology whereas the ‘Mono’ configuration was recorded using a minimal setup. In addition to the seven individual kits, a large selection of extra snares, kicks and cymbals are also provided.

If writing and performing a song is magic, the art of engineering and shaping sound is the alchemy that makes music transcend and become legendary. It’s how you position microphones right from the start, how you place drums in a room and how you ultimately process each individual piece to fit in a mix.

The latter part is left up to you. Should you rather go for Bob Rock’s drum mixes as a starting point, then, also included are a selection of presets engineered by the man himself!

GRETSCH HYBRID

This kit was specially requested by Bob Rock in the same sizes that were used on Metallica’s “Black Album”. The shells are made from a six-ply maple and gumwood combination and come from the revered period of Jasper manufacture. This is a true classic that transcends genres and has stood the test of time.

This kit was also sampled with snare wires off.

YAMAHA

A high-end kit derived from Yamaha’s flagship PHX line of drums that launched back in the 1970s. It was designed to capture every nuance of performance, with a bright sound that is lively and almost has a “mix-ready” quality to its tone. Hybrid Maple shells consist of seven plies: paired maple plies inside and out, with a core triple sandwich of maple-wenge-maple. These drums are at the apex of engineering and quality.

LUDWIG 1967

1967 was the last year of Ludwig’s production of shells in three ply mahogany and poplar. The combination of shell construction and the baseball bat bearing edges give an extremely fat tone that typifies the drums of the 1950s through the early to mid 1960s. 

LUDWIG 1971

Considered some of Ludwig’s best-ever shells and highly sought after. From 1968 through 1976, the three-ply shells changed to a maple poplar construction, resulting in a slightly more edgy timbre. The drums were damped during the session to create that classic early ‘70s sound.

LUDWIG 1977

As rock music got louder, Ludwig changed the construction of their drums to keep up. Shells produced from 1976 are six-ply construction with a 45 degree bearing edge, creating a brighter sound that cuts through better i all frequencies. Great for rock but also for big band jazz and, well, any genre. The toms partnered with the Gretsch kick drum create the classic Buddy Rich sound in Bob Rock’s jazz preset.

This kit was also sampled with snare wires off.

AYOTTE

One of the most well known Canadian drum manufacturers. Shells are 100% hard rock maple and date from the earlier years of Ayotte drum production, widely considered as their best. Recorded with the giant 26″ ported Ludwig kick drum, it creates a formidable combination.

PREMIER 202 OUTFIT

The mono kit. A classic British three-ply mahogany drum kit by the foremost British drum manufacturer famously endorsed by Keith Moon, Nicko McBrain, Mitch Mitchell and Phil Collins (to name a few).

The Rock Foundry SDX has been expertly recorded and engineered at the legendary producer Bob Rock's choice studio; The Warehouse in Vancouver, BC. Designed to give you the most flexible selection of drums, ambiences and options possible, it’s configured as two individual SDXs, one ‘Main’ and one ‘Mono.’

The ‘Main’ features six kits captured with a traditional multiple microphone technology whereas the ‘Mono’ configuration was recorded using a minimal setup. In addition to the seven individual kits, a large selection of extra snares, kicks and cymbals are provided, making The Rock Foundry SDX an incredibly broad palette of raw material to use to craft drum mixes within the powerful framework of Superior Drummer 3.

THE STUDIO - THE WAREHOUSE 

Completed in 1886 and originally meant to serve as a supply warehouse, the two-story brick structure on the southeast corner of Powell and Columbia in downtown Vancouver, BC, once known as the Oppenheimer Building today hosts one of the world’s best and most advanced recording studios. The main hall, with its hard brick walls and dense wooden floors, is a marvel of acoustic engineering and the perfect ambience for recording loud, reverberant but still controlled and subtly detailed drums.

THE PRODUCER - BOB ROCK

While Metallica’s groundbreaking “Black Album” may be one of the more commonly known works in his discography, Bob Rock’s engineering and producing credits stretch all the way back to the late ’70s and include some of the best selling acts in rock history: Survivor, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Bryan Adams and many, many more.

In all of his productions, a common denominator is phenomenally engineered and mixed drums. In fact, his work with Metallica and Mötley Crüe may very well have set a new standard as to how we mix drums to sit in a mix. Needless to say, his influence on the sound of hard rock and metal as we know it is monumental. We’re happy to present the first-ever sample library to bear his sonic seal.

MAIN SDX

KIT 1 GRETSCH HYBRID & GRETSCH HYBRID SNARE WIRES OFF KICK 14×26″ Ludwig ’70s 3-Ply Maple (snare wires on and off) SNARE 7×14″ Dunnett Cast Bronze (snare wires on and off) HI-HATS 15″ Sabian Artisan RIDE 24″ Sabian HHX Legacy Ride CYMBAL 2 20″ Sabian AAX Vault Crash CYMBAL 5 20″ Sabian Artisan Brilliant Crash RACK TOM 1 9×13″ Gretsch USA Custom Stop Sign Badge (snare wires on and off) RACK TOM 2 10×14″ Gretsch USA Custom Stop Sign Badge (snare wires on and off) FLOOR TOM 1 16×16″ Gretsch USA Custom Stop Sign Badge (snare wires on and off) FLOOR TOM 2 18×16″ Gretsch USA Custom Stop Sign Badge (snare wires on and off) EXTRA KICKS 14×26″ Ludwig ’70s 3-Ply Maple 2, 14×24″ Ludwig Vistalite (snare wires on and off), 14×24″ Dunnett Titanium (snarewires on and off) EXTRA SNARE 6.5×14″ Brady Sheoak(snare wires on and off)

KIT 2 YAMAHA KICK 14×24″ Yamaha Absolute Maple Hybrid SNARE 5.5×14″ Tama Bell Brass SIDE SNARE 14×5″ Ludwig Vintage Acrolite HI-HATS 16″ Sabian Artisan Light Hats RIDE 22″ Sabian HHX Legacy Heavy Ride CYMBAL 2 21″ Sabian HHX Legacy Crash CYMBAL 3 6 and 8″ Stacked Sabian AAX Aero Splashes CYMBAL 4 20″ Sabian HHX Legacy Crash CYMBAL 5 18″ Sabian AAX Vault Crash RACK TOM 1 8×12″ Yamaha Absolute Maple Hybrid RACK TOM 2 9×13″ Yamaha Absolute Maple Hybrid FLOOR TOM 1 15×16″ Yamaha Absolute Maple Hybrid FLOOR TOM 2 18×16″ Yamaha Absolute Maple Hybrid

KIT 3 LUDWIG 1967 KICK 14×22″ Ludwig ’60s Mahogany/Poplar SNARE 6.5×14″ Ludwig Black Beauty HI-HATS 15″ Sabian Crescent Fat Hats RIDE 24″ Sabian AA Bash Ride CYMBAL 2 21″ Sabian HHX Evolution Crash CYMBAL 4 18″ Sabian HHX Manhattan Crash RACK TOM 1 9×13″ Ludwig Mahogany/Poplar FLOOR TOM 1 16×16″ Ludwig Mahogany/Poplar

KIT 4 LUDWIG 1971 KICK 14×22″ Ludwig ’70s Maple/Poplar SNARE 14×5″ Dunnett Maple Prototype with wood hoops HI-HATS 14″ Zildjian 1970s Canadian K RIDE 20″ Sabian Artisan Light Ride with Moongel CYMBAL 1 18″ Sabian HH Dark Artisan Crash with Moongel CYMBAL 3 18″ Sabian HH Dark Crash with Moongel CYMBAL 4 18″ Sabian AAX Medium Crash with Moongel RACK TOM 1 9×13″ Ludwig Maple/Poplar FLOOR TOM 1 16×16″ Ludwig Maple/Poplar

KIT 5   LUDWIG 1977 & LUDWIG 1977 SNARE WIRES OFF KICK 14×24″ Gretsch USA Custom (snare wires on and off) SNARE 5×14″ George Way Dreamtime Blackwood (snare wires on and off) HI-HATS 14″ Zildjian 1960s K Istanbul RIDE 24″ Sabian HHX Manhattan Ride CYMBAL 2 22″ Sabian HHX Manhattan Ride CYMBAL 4 20″ Sabian HHX Groove Ride RACK TOM 1 9×13″ Ludwig Maple 6-Ply 1977 (snare wires on and off) FLOOR TOM 1 16×16″ Ludwig Maple 6-Ply 1977 (snare wires on and off)

KIT 6 AYOTTE KICK 14×26″ Ludwig ’70s 3-Ply Maple Ported SNARE 6.5×14″ Dunnett Titanium HI-HATS 18″ Sabian HHX Crash Top with 18″ SabianHHX Manhattan Crash Bottom CYMBAL 4 20″ Sabian AAX Aero Crash RACK TOM 1 8×10″ Ayotte Maple 6-Ply 8×8″ Ayotte Maple 6-Ply RACK TOM 2 9×12″ Ayotte Maple 6-Ply FLOOR TOM 1 16×16″ Ayotte Maple 6-Ply FLOOR TOM 2 18×16″ Ayotte Maple 6-Ply EXTRA SNARES 8×14″ Dunnett “The Number 1” Stainless Steel 6×14″ Brady Solid Shell Jarrah Wood 6.5×14″ Flavio Cirillo Prototype Snare 6×12″ Brady Solid Shell Jarrah Wood (snare wires on and off) EXTRA CYMBALS 20″ Zildjian K Constantinople with rivets Sabian stack with 21″ HHX Evolution Crash  20″ HHX O-Zone Crash/8″ AAX Aero Splash

 

MONO SDX

KIT 1 PREMIER 202 OUTFIT KICK 14×20″ 1969 Premier 202 Outfit SNARE 5×14″ 1973 Ludwig Acrolite SNARE 5×14″ 1968 Ludwig COB Supraphonic HATS 14″ 60s Zildjian K Istanbul RIDE 20″ Zildjian K Constantinople Ride with three rivets RACK TOM 8×12″ 1969 Premier 202 Outfit FLOOR TOM 16×16″ 1969 Premier 202 Outfit

 

 

The Rock Foundry SDX - The Drums - Walkthrough

The Rock Foundry SDX - The Presets - Walkthrough

The Rock Foundry SDX - The Ambience Channels - Walkthrough