Toontrack SDX: LA Sessions

For Next-Level Takes

Nine kits for Superior Drummer 3 recorded by industry legend Niko Bolas.

Engineers - they work behind the scenes on pivotal records, ensuring that every subtle nuance, note and syllable of an artist's performance is captured and presented to perfection.

You see their names in the liner notes, but rarely do they step into the spotlight.

One engineer whose sonic fingerprints can be found across an extraordinary body of music is Niko Bolas.

Over the course of a remarkable four-decade career, his approach to the art of recording has helped shape seminal works by artists across the musical spectrum - from rootsy singer-songwriter and pristine AOR to loud, uncompromising hard rock.

In this SDX for Superior Drummer 3, Niko brings that lifetime of experience to the fore, realizing his vision of the ultimate drum expansion: nine carefully selected kits, many personally owned by some of the most iconic session drummers in the world, captured with the detail, character and uncompromising curiosity that have defined his work for decades.

When it comes to drums, the room plays as much of a role as the instruments themselves.

For these sessions, Niko picked his absolute go-to spot on the LA session map: The Village.

Having hosted everyone from legends like The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan to contemporary giants like Lady Gaga and Coldplay, its rooms have been the setting for landmark sessions since the end of the 1960s.

After careful trials, Niko settled on three key locations in the main room of Studio D: the piano area, the studio floor and the riser.

He also placed selected kits in a sealed-off vocal booth for a fourth, completely contrasting flavor.

To capture it all, he employed an extensive array of microphones, even recording the ambience of the strings resonating inside the studio's grand piano for an extra dose of retro, on-the-floor vibe.

Finally, what would a drum recording be without to-die-for kits? Paying homage to some of the iconic session players he's worked with over the years, Niko called in a few favors to get his hands on personal sets from Kenny Aronoff, Steve Jordan, Denny Fongheiser, Charley Drayton, Anthony LoGerfo, Russ Kunkel and Stella Mozgawa.

The end result is a broad palette of drums ideal for anything from subtle jazz, acoustic pop and rootsy singer-songwriter to edgy rock.

If you're looking for session-ready drums recorded by a man who defines the very word, you're in luck. And if next-level takes are what your next session calls for, this is your new go-to.

Features

• Recorded by legendary producer/engineer/mixer Niko Bolas
• Recorded in four different spots across two rooms in Studio D at The Village in Los Angeles
• Eight classic drum kits, including a total of 14 kicks, 14 snares, 27 toms, 21 cymbals and four sets of hi-hats
• One curated drum/percussion combo kit sampled with hands and mallets, featuring djembes, klong yaw, doumbeks, tablas and djun djun
• Features kits personally owned by Kenny Aronoff, Steve Jordan, Denny Fongheiser, Charley Drayton, Anthony LoGerfo, Russ Kunkel and Stella Mozgawa
• Sounds ideal for anything from subtle jazz, acoustic pop and rootsy singer-songwriter to edgy rock
• Features four "room" configurations: Piano Spot, Studio Floor, The Riser and Vocal Booth
• Comes with a collection of MIDI tailored specifically for the kits in this SDX
• Includes 45 mix-ready presets engineered by Niko Bolas

The Studio

Just east of Santa Monica, in the burgeoning West LA of the late 1960s, a 1920s Masonic temple was finding new life as a recording studio.

In the decades since, it has become a go-to for the session elite, Hollywood soundtracks and generations of artists - from Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac and The Rolling Stones to Dr. Dre, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay and Lady Gaga.

And no wonder - there truly is something magic inside those walls. Toontrack is proud to bring a bit of that mojo to the Superior Drummer universe.

The Kits

Indigo Kit

DW Contemporary Classic (2010s)

This is session pro Russ Kunkel's (Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, Carole King) own recording kit, used on countless records over the years.

Perfect pick for rootsy singer-songwriter and semi-acoustic pop.

Newspaper Kit

DW Collectors Series (2010s)

The personal kit of Anthony LoGerfo, the drummer behind Neil Young and many more.

This actually used to belong to Neil himself and can be heard on many of his records.

Perfect for organic and fat-sounding rock. It's got power, punch and presence - all in one.

The Piano Spot

To recreate the feel of a band recording live in the studio, Niko positioned The Village's grand piano close to the drums and placed four sets of stereo microphones beneath its open lid to capture the resonance of the strings.

The result adds another layer of natural, on-the-floor ambience to the drums - warm, organic and just imperfect enough for that signature singer-songwriter and acoustic pop character.

Koa Kit

Rogers Powertone (1970s)

This is Denny Fongheiser's personal kit - a real session gem that’s been used on hundreds of recordings over the years.

Ideal for that classic and dry-sounding '70s vibe.

Ebony Kit

Gretsch USA Custom Round Badge (2020s)

This kit was lent to Niko by Steve Jordan and is the exact kit that he used on the recording of The Rolling Stones' "Hackney Diamonds" and the tour that followed.

Classic rock kit in every sense of the word.

The Studio Floor

One of the classic spots in Studio D's main room.

In this setup, Niko placed the kits directly in front of the echo chamber window, facing the control room.

Here, reflections from the glass meet the room's wide, relatively shallow dimensions to produce a focused and controlled sound with plenty of punch and nuance.

With a slightly drier character that still lets the room move air, it proved an ideal setting for the kits of Denny Fongheiser and Steve Jordan.

Sunset Kit

Tama Starclassic Maple (1990s)

This bold and big-sounding kit belongs to session legend Kenny Aronoff.

It can be heard on Jon Bon Jovi's "Blaze of Glory" - among many, many other classic records.

This kit screams rock through and through.

Big Kick Kit

Yamaha Maple Custom (1990s-2010s)

Charley Drayton's (Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Neil Young) personal kit. Unusual but great-sounding combo with a 26-inch kick and an 18-inch floor tom. Ringy, open and raw.

The Riser

This small, elevated section of Studio D isn't a traditional stage riser but rather a podium, sitting just shy of a foot and a half above the studio floor.

For drums, however, that modest elevation makes a noticeable difference.

Treatment on the surrounding walls and ceiling controls the immediate reflections, while the kit still projects freely into the full length of the room, creating a sound that is focused up close yet rich in ambience.

This made it an ideal setting for the powerful, deep tones of Kenny Aronoff's and Charley Drayton's kits.

The Foundaround Kit

Pearl/Remo

A wild combination of seemingly random percussion pieces, like tablas, djembes and doumbeks, that together sound eerily in unison.

The kit belongs to Gary "Shep" Lonsdale, legendary drum tech and longtime friend of Niko's.

The Bone Dry Kit

Slingerland/C&C/Astro

The personal kit of indie and post-punk powerhouse drummer Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint).

Super dry, muffled and unique sounds for dry drum tones across the genres.