Toontrack SDX: The Jazz Sessions

Jazz Magic

Seven kits for Superior Drummer 3 recorded by a true master of the craft - James Farber.

Recording and mixing jazz is an art in itself, especially when it comes to drums.

It calls for balancing a dynamic range that spans the nuanced and feathery light to the vivid and utterly explosive.

Someone who has an uncanny ability to capture exactly that and at the same time bring out the true acoustic voice in any instrument he puts a mic to is James Farber.

With well over 1,000 albums to his name, more than 40 years of back-to-back work producing records of the highest echelon and a discography that reads like a who's who of jazz, he is nothing short of an industry icon.

The seminal albums by the likes of Michael Brecker, John Scofield and Joshua Redman as well as, not least, his work with jazz drumming greats like Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade and Antonio Sanchez are - to say the least - a testament to that.

This SDX for Superior Drummer 3 sets out to pinpoint the milestone sounds and eras of jazz drums from its early days until now.

Where better to capture that than in the jazz capital of the world and at one of the most storied studios ever built: New York City’s iconic Power Station.

Aside from having housed arguably more legendary artists than any other studio on the planet, it is also the very spot where James spent his formative years, recorded some of his seminal work and still considers the be-all-end-all place to capture jazz drums.

In total, seven kits were handpicked for the session, each selected to represent a distinct jazz era, sound or milestone record in James' career.

Aside from every kit being sampled with drumsticks, selected kits and instruments were also captured with brushes, rods, mallets and even hands.

In addition to the drums, an extensive collection of mix-ready presets for each kit and configuration are provided, allowing you instant access to fully fledged and balanced drum mixes by James himself.

These mixes can be used as is or as starting points to venture off from in order to create sounds for virtually anything your imagination allows.

To sum this SDX up, it’s got the engineer, the kits and the studio.

If you're passionate about jazz and looking to add a bookend-type collection of drum sounds to your toolbox, straight from the world's jazz capital and one of the most influential jazz recording engineers of the past four decades - here you go.

Get ready for some jazz magic.

Features

• Recorded at Power Station in New York City by legendary engineer/mixer James Farber
• Seven complete kits, each representing its own jazz era, style or sound
  Features kits sampled with sticks, brushes, rods, mallets and hands
• Four different ambiences (Studio A and C main rooms with respective adjacent booths)
• Selected kits recorded with a 5.0 surround mic setup
• Drum and tuning technician: Artie Smith
• Comes with an extensive library of MIDI featuring material tailored for different jazz styles, the different tools recorded and more
• Includes a broad collection of mix-ready presets for each kit and configuration

The Rooms

To cover kit timbres tailored for each specific era or sound, four of the different rooms at Power Station were recorded for this SDX.

Studio C - Main

Two kits out of which both were sampled with drumsticks and brushes and one also with mallets.

Captured with 11 close mics, several ambience options as well as a 5.0 surround setup.

Studio C - Booth

Two kits, captured with 13 close mics as well as a classic Decca tree formation.

Studio A - Main

One kit sampled with drumsticks and brushes and one kit sampled with drumsticks, captured with ten close mics, several ambience options, a 5.0 surround setup and an additional classic two-microphone mono configuration.

Studio A - Booth

One kit sampled in two main configurations (coated and clear heads), recorded with drumsticks, rods and hands and captured with 13 close mics as well as a classic Decca tree formation.

The Drums

The seven kits for this SDX were handpicked by James and team to each represent a certain era, standout sound in jazz history or as a nod to some of the many milestone records in James' discography.

Expect kits that cover anything from the 1920s big band era, the bebop of the 1940s, the lively and free-spirited sound of the 1950s and the Latin-inspired 1960s to the amalgam of jazz and fusion that dominated in the 1970s.

In addition, legendary drum technician Artie Smith was present throughout the entire session to oversee tuning and treatments.

The imprint Artie has left through his several-decade-long tenure in the world of drums can't be overlooked.

Since the early 1980s and through to now, first-call session drummers and engineers alike have trusted his bottomless drum knowledge during recordings.

When it comes to drums, he is nothing short of a legend.

The Bop Kit

Around the turn of the 20th century, drum kits featured massive bass drums in order to compete with the horn sections of big bands.

Small bass drums didn’t became popular until well into the 1940s.

Whether it was to fit better sonically with the upright bass or to make it easier for musicians to haul their gear across the New York City streets and subways, the small bop kit has remained a centerpiece in any jazz context.

This is the absolute allround, go-to and staple set you can never go wrong with.

The Club Kit

Finished in "Cadillac Green" and equipped with gold-colored hardware, this rare kit is named after the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York.

Rumor has it that there were only twelve ever made of this gem.

Constructed in Brooklyn right smack in the city, this is the epitome of a traditional jazz kit and one that represents the utmost in drum craftsmanship at the time.

The Modern Kit

Being the Power Station "house kit", this amazing set has been used on numerous recordings over the years.

Featuring a redesign of the quintessential studio kit with input from Steve Gadd, the six-ply shells come with a 30 degree bearing edge compared to the 45 degree of its predecessor.

The result? A slightly warmer but still undoubtably more modern sound, perfect for any modern jazz or fusion recording.

If you're looking for tones reminiscent of those James produced for drummer Peter Erskine on the "Steps Ahead" record, this is the kit to go for.

The Artist Kit

Designed by iconic drum inventor George Way and considered by engineers and jazz drummer alike to be among be the best-sounding drums of their time, this is a must in a broad palette of jazz drums.

Unusually for the period, the shells in this kit feature a four-ply construction with re-enforcement rings and painted internal shells.

Pure, sparkling jazz magic.

The Swing Kit

Finished in a classic pearl wrap, with white wooden lugs, calfskin heads and in sizes evoking the look and sound of the big band swing era, this is as traditional as it gets.

Combine that with both a modern as well as a classic mono mic setup and you'll have the best of both words.

The Traps Kit

Although the drum set had been around for a few years, the 1920s heralded rapid development and change.

This kit retains the percussion ensemble of cowbells and woodblock together with the Chinese tack-head toms of earlier years.

The low boy or sock cymbals have been moved onto a stand however, more consistent with the "hi-hat" cymbals of the era.

Complimented by a range of vintage splash cymbals and an early Chinese cymbal, this kit encapsulates the sound of early jazz.

Just like the Swing Kit, this set was also recorded with a mono mic setup.

The New Era Kit

As jazz evolved and fused with rock music in the early 1970s, drum kits changed accordingly.

Proponents such as Billy Cobham and many more started using larger multi-tom kits paired with brighter cymbals.

This kit was influenced by Jack DeJohnette's setup of the 1980s - a larger kit with a more varied selection of cymbals but with the small bop-style bass drum intact.

To add, it was recorded with both coated and clear heads, giving you two completely different tonal flavors.

The Presets

Broadcast-ready drum mixes, at your fingertips.

The included library of presets covers drum mixes for all kits and configurations. In keeping with the sound of jazz, expect delicately nuanced, balanced, organic, natural, dynamic and acoustically impeccable kits - tailored for all your jazz needs.

• Presets for every kit and tool option
• More than 60 meticulously crafted drum mixes
• Engineered by James Farber as well as by the Toontrack sound design team
• Inspired by jazz through the ages and some of the milestone albums in Farber's discography
• Use for a mix-ready sound or as a starting point for your own mixes

The MIDI

All the traits of jazz drumming as we know it.

There is arguably no style of drumming more articulate, expressive and multifaceted than that of jazz.

This SDX includes a masterfully performed collection of MIDI by Norman Garschke, traditionally trained drummer with a masters degree in jazz performance from the Conservatories of Hilversum and Amsterdam.

Get ready to dive into a versatile library of flawless groove and comping material riddled with all the unmistakable traits of jazz drumming.

• Extensive library of grooves and fills unique to this product and specifically tailored for use with its kits
• Inspired by all main eras of jazz as well as some of the milestone records in James Farber's career
• Dedicated material for all tools (sticks, brushes, mallets, rods, hands)

E-Drummer?

This SDX includes more than 35 'clean' presets designed specifically for use with e-drums.

Loading balanced starting points of each kit as well as optimal settings for e-drum use (like extra hi-hat and cymbal articulations), these presets will be perfect for anyone looking to get a great starting point before making additional tweaks using the comprehensive e-drum features of Superior Drummer 3.