XLN Audio ADpak: Modern Heavy

The Ultimate Toolbox for Any Style of Heavy

Equally perfect for thunderous, hard-hitting drums in the vein of Sepultura, Mastodon, and High on Fire, or hi-fi drum blasts in the vein of Gojira, Tool, and Meshuggah, the Modern Heavy ADpak packs the punch and attack you need.

Ferocious, Gargantuan Drums That Hit Harder

Make your drums cut through any wall of guitars.

The versatile, wide range of cymbals, toms, snares, and tunings makes Modern Heavy a Swiss Army knife for metal and heavy music production.

The Kit

The TAMA STAR drum kit represents the pinnacle of craftsmanship, innovation, and sound.

Handcrafted in Japan with the finest materials, it delivers unparalleled resonance, sensitivity, and dynamic range.

This unique kit has been custom-treated and positioned by Gröndahl's David Castillo to perfectly resonate in the room.

Recording drummers often bring their own kit to Gröndahl, but unanimously end up switching to Castillo's house kit after experiencing the difference.

The Kicks

22x18" TAMA Star Kicks

The antidote for robotic machine gun kicks.

Experience double kick drums captured with true stereo positioning.

Play the kit with a single centered kick, or switch to separately captured left/right kicks, a surefire way to avoid robotic "machine gun" kick patterns.

Addictive Drums 2's new Alternating kick feature will play back any rapid-fire double kick MIDI pattern in a natural-sounding and realistic "every-other-hit" sequence, without you having to change a MIDI note.

The Snares

6 snares for a vast range of tunings, styles, and applications.

The Modern Heavy ADpak has all the options you need to make your snare stand out and cut through the mix.

From rumbling low tunings and high-pitched shotgun blasts, to wild and resonant metallic hits, this ADpak has got you covered.

14x6.5" Tama Mastercraft "The Bell Brass" 50th Anniversary Reissue

This luxurious Bell Brass was so special, we captured it three times, in three different tunings (high, medium, and low).

Regardless of your track's instrumentation, one of these will sit perfectly in the mix.

The gunshot-like crack in this snare is legendary, and cuts through just about anything.

14x3.5" Pearl Free Floating Brass

This 14x3.5” Pearl Free Floating Brass snare is made for the hardest hitting blast beats and ferocious fill-ins.

Its signature snap and attack cuts through walls of guitar like nothing else, and the high tuning and snappy response caters to intricate playing and an infernal array of hits.

15x8" TAMA Star Reserve

With a true sonic juggernaut punch, the behemoth tone of the 15x8" TAMA Star Reserve hits like a cannon.

If thunderous punch and booming bottom is what your track needs, look no further.

14x6.5" Ludwig Black Beauty

This 14x6.5” Ludwig Black Beauty is recorded fully open, and has a raw, untethered quality and life of its own.

Unruly, ferocious, and wild: it rings more than the hunchback of Notre Dame, and will be your go-to to make any stale track come alive.

The Cymbals

This ADpak gives you a veritable smorgasbord of cymbal options, from piercing splash and china cymbals, to crisp, washy crashes, distinctive rides, and one-of-a-kind items.

Paiste 602 Modern Essentials & 2002 Cymbals

The Modern Heavy ADpak features peak Paiste craftsmanship from the classic 2002 series and 602 Modern Essentials.

These cymbals blend the legendary warmth and clarity of the original 602 series with a modern, expressive touch.

They deliver a perfect balance of crisp articulation, rich musicality, and dynamic versatility.

Handcrafted from Paiste's signature B20 bronze, the cymbals offer shimmering highs, warm lows, and a smooth, complex wash.

Pure, responsive, and beautifully nuanced, Paiste redefine cymbal excellence.

Paiste PSTX 14" Flanger Stack

The cymbal selection includes a one-of-a-kind Paiste flanger stack, complete with battle scars from the previous owner Eloy Casagrande's explosive playing style.

It has resided at Studio Gröndahl since Casagrande recorded Sepultura's "Machine Messiah", using the very same kit featured in this ADpak.

The Studio

Studio Gröndahl, the home of heavy.

Studio Gröndahl is one of Sweden's most revered recording studios, known for its rich analog sound and world-class acoustics.

Located in the heart of Stockholm's suburban Gröndal village, this legendary space has hosted some of the most influential artists in metal, heavy, and rock, including Sepultura, Carcass, The Hives, and Bloodbath.

Recorded with a Master of the Craft

The Modern Heavy ADpak was captured together with David Castillo, renowned worldwide for his work with prestigious bands such as Opeth, Whitechapel, Katatonia, Carcass, Dark Tranqullity, Leprous, Soen, Soilwork, Candlemass, Bloodbath and many more.

Castillo takes a meticulous approach to production, fine tuning and refining even the slightest details in order to serve the composition correctly.

His vision and passion allow him to take any challenge to the next level.