REQ: Toontrack HITMAKER SDX
If you spend ten minutes on a random radio station anywhere in the world, the likelihood that you catch one of Hugh Padgham’s productions is strikingly high. From some of the most iconic songs by Phil Collins, Genesis, The Police and Sting to seminal tracks by the likes of Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, The Human League, Paul Young, Melissa Etheridge and Paul McCartney, Hugh has had a hand in all. At that, not only did he help sonically package some truly timeless pieces of music, he also single-handedly pioneered the sound of an era. Ever wondered who the mastermind behind the iconic gated reverb snare drum was? That’s Hugh. Or who the pioneering engineers behind blending acoustic and electronic drums were? Hugh was definitely one of them. Needless to say, his footprint in music history, and especially so when it comes to retooling the role of the drums in a production, couldn’t be more obvious.
In this SDX, Hugh set out to create an all-encompassing source of acoustic and electronic drums inspired by not only the ’80s and ’90s eras, but also one designed to reflect some of the most known drummers and album mileposts in his body of work. All in all, six unique acoustic kits were sourced as well as a massive collection of classic vintage hardware drum machines – all captured in the breathtaking ambience of the immaculate sonic marvel that is the British Grove Studios in London, UK. To add an ever more organic and period-correct flavor, all drums and machines were recorded to tape before converted digitally. On top of that, the machines were amped through a PA system in the same ambience as the acoustic drums and captured using a similar microphone setup. This gives you an awe-inspiring canvas of acoustic and electronic sounds that you seamlessly can blend, mix, match and surgically modify using the broad set of onboard design tools available in Superior Drummer 3. Of course, should you want Hugh’s mixes right off the bat, there is a hefty amount of his custom presets included.
This SDX gives you some of the greatest kits ever played and some of the most iconic drum machines ever created, all sonically inspired by some of the greatest music ever recorded by the very man who once put it down on tape. Simply put: If you’re looking for a source of drums that you can use to produce hits right out of the gate with, this SDX is it.