Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars
Soniccouture are fast becoming one of my favourite software developers. Their unique and innovative approach to virtual instrument design, along with an incredible attention to detail, really set them apart. The latest addition to their ever‑expanding catalogue, Tonal Drums, maintains their usual high standards.
Tonal Drums is an NKS‑ready Kontakt Player instrument that focuses on the pitch and tuning of a meticulously sampled Canopus Yaiba drum kit, featuring a 22‑inch kick drum; 14‑inch snare; 10‑, 12‑, 14‑ and 16‑inch toms; 15‑inch hi‑hats; an 18‑inch crash; and 21‑ and 22‑inch ride cymbals. Recorded at Rockfield Studios, using both sticks and brushes and with up to six mic channels per drum, each kit piece has been sampled across a range of pitches, so you can tune the drum kit precisely to the key of the song you’re working on.
The main drum screen offers a clean and simple layout, with all drums visible in a single window. Virtual knobs select the level of dampening, switch between sticks and brushes, and enable you to select the specific pitch of each drum. Tunings range from G to F# on the snare, C to A on the kick drum and A to G across the toms.
The edit screen features a mixer, individual mic level controls, filters, EQ, transient control and compression, providing a huge degree of power over each drum’s sound. As I mentioned, Tonal Drums was recorded at Rockfield, and Room and Chamber ambiences from this iconic studio can be introduced to further enhance the characteristics of each drum.
A second page in the edit window reveals further options, including Attack, Hold and Decay parameters, as well as providing the ability to modify the velocity curve of each drum. Chosen pitches can be further adjusted in the edit window by ±12 semitones, and via a fine‑tuning knob, allowing any note value to be easily achieved. Although the cymbals and hi‑hat cannot be tuned to specific pitches, their tonal character can also be altered over ±12 semitones.
Tonal Drums also includes Soniccouture’s Beat Tools, a comprehensive set of beat creation and editing windows (Beat Shifter, Euclidean Beats, Poly Beats and Blocks) that features in most, if not all, of their percussion‑based virtual instruments and enables you to create beats in a unique, fun and extremely creative way.
Finally, the extensive MIDI mapping page deserves an honourable mention. A set of preset MIDI maps is included for popular VIs such as Toontracks’ EZdrummer and Addictive Drums, alongside maps for a range of electronic drums from Alesis, Roland and Yamaha. You can, of course, create and save your own maps, all of which makes integrating Tonal Drums into an existing setup very easy.
Verdict
Working with drums expertly tuned to specific pitches is a subtle but rewarding experience. A kick drum tuned to a low C with plenty of decay can greatly enhance a bass line, and toms tuned to the key of the song suddenly become something you can’t do without. As with all Soniccouture products, everything has been beautifully recorded, and the level of sonic manipulation possible is very impressive. This results in a virtual instrument that can fit seamlessly into a wide range of styles and genres, all the time adding a unique and enjoyable twist.
£169
£169