Hi
I’m looking for a plugin recommendation to use in my Global Rackspace with my drummer’s acoustic drum triggers (https://www.ddrum.com/product-ddti/
I’m currently using Sampletank but the CPU utilization is high and the usability is poor (convoluted interface).
Any ideas?
Ideally he’d have his own laptop and instance of Gig Performer, but for now, we’re sharing mine.
Take a look at EZDrummer 3 from Toontrack.
Maybe try free plugins first. BFD Player sounds great and is sample based. SSD free for a very processed drum sound. IK Multimedia‘s Modo Drum CS uses physical modelling for the drums and samples for the cymbals. Very natural sound.
Otherwise the older BFD 3 is still holding up great today and often on sale. Toontracks Superior Drummer is regarded as gold standard in drum VSTs.
Actually there are a lot of free drum vsts to check out:
Another thing. Please be aware that the ddti interface is known to introduce quite a bit of latency.
I didn’t know that, and hadn’t really been thinking about latency until now. I’ll make sure my Scarlett 4i4 is configured the best it can be buffer-wise to not add to the problem.
The ddti is a trigger-to-midi interface, no audio interface. So the latency is already added between the trigger impulse and the midi data arriving at the vst that produces audio. Being a drummer myself, I experience that this can alter the feel of your playing significantly.
But if you were using this setup with Sample Tank so far, it might not be an issue for you or your drummer.
Out of interest, which vst do you use for your trigger setup? Or do you use a drum module?
I use several of them. My goto drum VSTs for realistic and natural sounding acoustic drum sounds are BFD3 and Modo Drum. I also use some of the free VSTs mentioned in the YouTube video above as well as some drum machine emulations like Korg’s Electribe, UVI’s TR-808, Cherry Audio’s CR-78 and GForce’s new DMX. For percussion I really like UVI‘s Percussion Factory for single sounds and for percussion loops. The great thing with GigPerformer is that you can mix and match all those VSTs and create your dream drumset. The sky is the limit.
My hardware consists of different acoustic triggers from Roland and ddrum, drumpads from different manufacturers, a NordDrum 3p, Roland SPD-SX and a Korg Wavedrum Global. I still use my almost 30-years old ddrum 4 brains (2 of them) as sound sources and trigger-to-midi interface. Even today the ddrum4 is still one of the fastest trigger interfaces. Just recently I got an eDrumIn 10 interface which is really awesome.
Right now I am testing GP with all my stuff in different configurations, combining hardware and software. Amazing possibilities.
Fantastic, thanks svbruch73.
I see that there is a firmware update available for the DDTI available, so might get him to install that in case it provides any improvements with latency (latency hasn’t been a major issue, but my ears have noticed some at times).
Regarding the plugin choices I’ll start with BFD3 I think. Key thing I’ve realised is that what sounds best on headphones doesn’t always sound as good through the PA. And vice versa. I think sounds with reverb and natural room ambience are often problematic, especially when the PA is being used in a larger room. I do love the Sampletank Hugh Padgham sounds but they’re full of ambiance.
You’re very welcome!
I agree regarding the processed sound. That’s why I like BFD3 and Modo Drum. If you strip all the fx and processing you get a really natural sound. It’s much easier to incorporate that into a full mix of instruments. Later you can add whatever fx you like obviously.
Had my first rehearsal with BFD Player tonight. This was after updating the firmware on my drummer’s DDTI, and then resetting to factory defaults. I also reduced the audio buffer size in GP to 128 to see what would happen.
Result: Very positive. Firstly, all the mappings (note values to drums) just ‘worked’. Kick went to kick, toms went to toms, snare to snare etc. Secondly, no perceivable latency. Thirdly, the range and quality of sounds are great. Fourthly, the usability is excellent. Wish I’d discovered this before paying for Sampletank. It’s exactly what I was looking for - and the CPU utilisation is lower too.
Thank you for the recommendation @svbruch73
That’s great! Good to know, that it’s working for you.
I didn’t know about the new firmware for the ddti. If the latency issue is solved, this is a great device for VST triggering. And BFD has a preset drum map for the ddti, right? As you wrote, it works immediately.
Btw, the new Alesis Strata Edrum Set uses the BFD sounds. So still relevant.
Rumour has it that the new BFD 4 update is right around the corner.
The full Version of BFD 3 ist on sale for 69,- € right now.
Thanks for the heads up, svbruch73. That is a great deal, and would (I assume) entitle you to a discounted upgrade in the future for when the upgrade comes out. It looks like that deal is also available direct from the publishers, inmusic.
I’m certainly very impressed with the free version. After trying out a few other options, BFD is the one my band have settled on. We’ve been using it for 2 months now and it sits really well in the mix. Especially the 80s gated preset.
“Especially the 80s gated preset.”
So I guess your band likes Phil Collins/Genesis stuff… 
They’re slowly being enlightened 
SoundOnSound Magazine just published a quite comprehensive overview of drum vsts.
I would add IK Multimedia’s Modo Drum to the mix.