Toontrack Area 33 SDX v1.0.1 (SOUNDBANK)

Audioz Exclusive | 17 January 2023 | 172 GB
AREA 33 SDX
INTO THE INFINITE.
Fredrik Thordendal and Daniel Bergstrand bring you an absolute monster of an SDX for Superior Drummer 3.

The Area 33 SDX brings together parts of the original Drumkit From Hell team: Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal and producer/engineer/mixer Daniel Bergstrand (Behemoth, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir). In this joint venture of sourcing, engineering and ultimately externalizing their very figment of what the most all-encompassing metal-related SDX for Superior Drummer 3 could be, they ended up with an absolute monster weighing in at a staggering 180+ GB. It was recorded at Fredrik Thordendal’s personal studio 33 in Stockholm, Sweden. This studio, which Thordendal and Bergstrand built from the ground up, was designed with the goal of creating the epitome of a drum room: spacious and reverberant but at the same time profoundly precise, direct and controlled.

With its seven contrasting and complementing kits, extensive pool of additional drums and virtual forest of cymbals, the Area 33 SDX presents a massively broad palette of raw and unadulterated drums that you can hone, shape and mold using the limitless framework of Superior Drummer 3. To add, these are not your average, everyday kits – several of them boast up to eight toms, double bass drums and 15 cymbal slots. On top of that, this SDX was captured using what is beyond traditional in terms of microphones. Each kit was recorded using the classic close-mic technique but, in addition, with an extra set of microphones on each position. This means that each drum and cymbal is represented by both a mono as well as a stereo pair of microphones, allowing you to sculpt tones beyond what you thought possible. Finally, to capture the essence of the room and to give you even more options, 11 ambience microphones (of which seven in stereo) were recorded.

With this one, you’ll have endless possibilities of shaping drum mixes beyond what you thought possible. Let’s head into the infinite universe of the Area 33 SDX.

Engineered and produced by Fredrik Thordendal and Daniel Bergstrand
Recorded at 33, Fredrik Thordendal’s personal studio in Stockholm, Sweden
Featuring seven (7) unique drum kits
A total of 13 snares, 14 bass drums (x2), 42 toms, three hi-hats and upwards of 40 cymbals
Recorded using 11 ambience microphone positions (of which seven in stereo)
More than of 180 GB of sampled drums and cymbals
Sampled by drummer Leo Margarit (Pain of Salvation)
Drum tech and tuning by Urban Näsvall, assisted by Jimmy Pettersson
Includes presets for each kit engineered by Bergstrand as well as the Toontrack sound design team

ENTER THE STUDIO.
Area 33 is Fredrik Thordendal’s newly built and personally designed state-of-the-art studio facility, located on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden. The studio features one main live space as well as two individual control rooms. From here, Fredrik and in-house producer/engineer/mixer Daniel Bergstrand work on a variety of projects and
with clients from all over the world.

THE MAKING OF.
Meet parts of the team and get some behind-the-scenes
shots from the session.


THE KITS.

CLASSIC KIT.
Brand: Ludwig*
Model: White Cortex
Material: 3-ply maple/poplar/maple

METALLIC KIT.
Brand: Ludwig*
Model: Chrome Over Wood
Material: 6-ply maple

STEEL KIT.
Brand: Ludwig*
Model: Stainless Steel
Material: Stainless steel

INSIGNIA KIT.
Brand: Gretsch*
Model: USA Custom
Material: 6-ply maple/gum

IMPACT KIT.
Brand: Varus*
Model: Power Series
Material: 6-8-ply chestnut

LIQUID KIT.
Brand: Pearl*
Model: Fiberglass Shell
Material: Fiberglass

RED KIT.
Brand: K-Drums*
Model: Mod. B
Material: 6-Ply Maple

THE MICS
& THE MIXER.
Learn all about how the microphones were positioned
during the recording and how they can be utilized
in the Superior Drummer 3 mixer.



THE PRESETS.
To inspire and enable you to make music immediately, the Area 33 SDX includes a range of mix-ready presets engineered by Bergstrand as well as the Toontrack sound design team. Use the presets as go-settings for your songs or as great starting points for making your own elaborate mixes.

THE MIDI.
In the included MIDI library, drummer Leo Margarit delivers a fundamental collection of broad and metal-inspired grooves and fills. To make it easy for you to find what you’re looking for, each section in every “song” is organized by leading instrument (hats, ride, cymbals, toms etc.).

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.
For the full Installation of this product you will need approximately 186 GB of free hard drive space, plus an additional 186 GB is required for the installation process.
8 GB RAM (16 GB RAM or more recommended).
A working Superior Drummer 3.3.4 (or above) installation

This release was exclusively provided by our member Bogner2203