How to Create Modern Metal Drum Tracks with DEATH and DARKNESS SDX – Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)
What is DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
If you are looking for a powerful and versatile collection of drums for modern metal production, you might want to check out DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK). This is a sound library for Superior Drummer 3, a virtual drum software that allows you to create realistic and expressive drum tracks with ease.
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX – Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) is one of the two parts of the Death & Darkness SDX, which merges two world-class studios with two of todays most in-demand modern metal producers: Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, Coal Chamber) and Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Behemoth, Hatesphere). The other part is DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Death part (SOUNDBANK), which focuses on the more pristine and polished sound of Mark Lewis' Sonic Ranch studio in Texas.
The Darkness part of the SDX offers a completely different experience a darker, less polished and more raw-natured tone of drums. It was recorded in the empty swimming pool in Tue Madsen's legendary Antfarm Studio in Denmark. With the reflective surface of the hard tile walls and floor in the pool combined with the surrounding rooms brick structure and high ceiling, the ambience of this unique room heard on countless albums is unlike any other.
The Darkness part features five complete kits, nine bass drums, ten snare drums, 18 cymbals, three hi-hats and a wide range of custom mix presets engineered by Tue Madsen himself. It also includes MIDI performed by Jay Postones from TesseracT. Whether you are into death metal, metalcore, hardcore or progressive metal, you will find something that suits your taste in this soundbank.
Why choose DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
There are many reasons why you should consider adding DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) to your arsenal of drum sounds. Here are some of them:
You will get access to a huge variety of drums that can cover any facet of today's fragmented metal scene. From brutal blast beats to hard-hitting grooves, from dark atmospheres to fusion-inspired hybrids, you will be able to create any drum sound you can imagine.
You will be able to benefit from the expertise and experience of one of the most renowned metal producers in the industry. Tue Madsen has worked with some of the biggest names in modern metal, such as Meshuggah, Behemoth, Hatesphere, The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Heaven Shall Burn and many more. He knows how to capture the essence and energy of metal drums like no one else.
You will be able to enjoy the unique acoustics and vibe of Antfarm Studio's swimming pool room. This is a rare opportunity to use a drum sound that has been featured on countless albums that have shaped the metal scene over the years. The room has a distinctive character that adds depth, warmth and resonance to the drums.
You will be able to customize and mix your drums with ease using Superior Drummer 3's powerful features. You can adjust every parameter of each drum individually or use one of Tue Madsen's presets as a starting point. You can also apply effects, routing options and automation tools to shape your drum sound exactly as you want.
How to install and use DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
Installing and using DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) is very simple. Just follow these steps:
Make sure you have Superior Drummer 3 installed on your computer. You can download it from Toontrack's website.
Purchase DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) from Toontrack's website or any authorized dealer.
Download the soundbank files from your Toontrack account or use Toontrack Product Manager.
Run the installer file and follow the instructions on screen.
Launch Superior Drummer 3 and load DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) from the library menu.
Select a kit or a preset from the drop-down menus or use the arrows to browse through them.
Start playing or programming your drums using your MIDI keyboard or controller.
What are the main characteristics of DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) offers a wide range of drums that can fit any modern metal style. Here are some of its main characteristics:
KitsDescription
DARKNESS KITThis is the default kit that showcases all the elements available in this soundbank. It features a massive 22" bass drum with two different beaters, two snare drums with different tunings, four rack toms ranging from 10" to 16", two floor toms at 18" each, and an assortment of cymbals including hi-hats, crashes, rides, splashes, chinas, and stacks. This kit has a dark, raw, and natural tone that can be used for any genre.
METALCORE KITThis kit is designed for the aggressive and punchy style of metalcore. It features a smaller 20" bass drum with a punchy and tight sound, a 14" snare drum with a crisp and snappy sound, three rack toms at 10", 12" and 14", a 16" floor tom, and a selection of cymbals that include hi-hats, crashes, rides, splashes and chinas. This kit has a bright, clear and aggressive tone that can cut through any mix.
HARDCORE KITThis kit is designed for the fast and furious style of hardcore. It features a 22" bass drum with a deep and powerful sound, a 13" snare drum with a fat and warm sound, two rack toms at 12" and 13", a 16" floor tom, and a set of cymbals that include hi-hats, crashes, rides and chinas. This kit has a dark, heavy and organic tone that can create a massive impact.
PROGRESSIVE KITThis kit is designed for the complex and experimental style of progressive metal. It features a 24" bass drum with a huge and resonant sound, a 14" snare drum with a sharp and dynamic sound, four rack toms at 10", 12", 14" and 16", two floor toms at 16" and 18", and an array of cymbals that include hi-hats, crashes, rides, splashes, chinas and stacks. This kit has a rich, diverse and expressive tone that can handle any tempo or time signature.
AMBIENT KITThis kit is designed for the atmospheric and ambient style of metal. It features a 22" bass drum with a soft and mellow sound, a 14" snare drum with a smooth and gentle sound, three rack toms at 10", 12" and 14", a 16" floor tom, and a collection of cymbals that include hi-hats, crashes, rides, splashes and chinas. This kit has a subtle, spacious and ethereal tone that can create a dreamy mood.
How to customize and mix DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) gives you full control over your drum sound. You can customize every aspect of each drum individually or use one of the presets as a starting point. You can also apply effects, routing options and automation tools to shape your drum sound exactly as you want. Here are some steps on how to do that:
Select the drum you want to customize from the drums panel or click on it on the mixer or the grid editor.
Use the knobs on the right side of the interface to adjust the volume, pan, pitch, envelope and bleed of the selected drum.
Use the buttons on the bottom of the interface to switch between different microphones for the selected drum. You can also mute or solo each microphone or adjust its volume and pan.
Use the buttons on the top of the interface to access the effects panel. Here you can add effects such as EQ, compression, reverb, delay and distortion to each microphone or to the master output.
Use the buttons on the left side of the interface to access the routing panel. Here you can assign each microphone or output to different buses or channels for further processing or mixing.
Use the buttons on the upper left corner of the interface to access the presets panel. Here you can load one of Tue Madsen's presets or save your own custom preset.
Use the buttons on the upper right corner of the interface to access the automation panel. Here you can create automation curves for any parameter of any drum or effect using your mouse or MIDI controller.
What are some examples of songs produced with DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
To give you an idea of what you can achieve with DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK), here are some examples of songs that use this soundbank as their main drum source. These songs were produced by Mark Lewis or Tue Madsen themselves using Superior Drummer 3 and DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK). You can listen to them on YouTube or Spotify.
Cannibal Corpse - Inhumane Harvest
This song is from Cannibal Corpse's latest album Violence Unimagined, which was produced by Mark Lewis at Sonic Ranch studio. It features the Death kit with some modifications, such as using the Ludwig Black Beauty snare instead of the Tama Starclassic snare, and adding some extra cymbals from the Darkness kit. The song also uses the Blast preset, which adds some EQ, compression, and distortion to the drums to make them more brutal and intense. The song showcases the speed and precision of Cannibal Corpse's drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz, as well as the clarity and punch of Mark Lewis' production.
Meshuggah - Bleed
This song is from Meshuggah's album obZen, which was produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm studio. It features the Darkness kit with some modifications, such as using the Pearl Reference snare instead of the Ludwig Supraphonic snare, and adding some extra cymbals from the Death kit. The song also uses the Ambient preset, which adds some reverb, delay, and modulation to the drums to make them more spacious and atmospheric. The song showcases the complexity and creativity of Meshuggah's drummer Tomas Haake, as well as the depth and resonance of Tue Madsen's production.
Whitechapel - The Saw Is The Law
This song is from Whitechapel's album Our Endless War, which was produced by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer studio. It features the Death kit with some modifications, such as using the Pearl Reference snare instead of the Tama Starclassic snare, and adding some extra cymbals from the Darkness kit. The song also uses the Metalcore preset, which adds some EQ, compression, and reverb to the drums to make them more clear and punchy. The song showcases the groove and energy of Whitechapel's drummer Ben Harclerode, as well as the brightness and balance of Mark Lewis' production.
What are some tips and tricks for using DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) is a very versatile and flexible soundbank that can be used for many different purposes. Here are some tips and tricks on how to use it for different genres and styles:
How to create a brutal death metal drum sound
If you want to create a brutal death metal drum sound that can match the intensity and speed of bands like Cannibal Corpse, Nile or Suffocation, here are some steps you can follow:
Load the Death kit and select the Blast preset. This will give you a basic sound that is already optimized for death metal.
Adjust the pitch of the bass drum and snare drum to your liking. You can use the pitch knob on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the tuning slider. A lower pitch will give you a deeper and heavier sound, while a higher pitch will give you a sharper and tighter sound.
Add some EQ and compression to the bass drum and snare drum to make them more prominent and powerful. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to boost the low frequencies and cut the mid frequencies of the bass drum, and boost the high frequencies and cut the low frequencies of the snare drum.
Add some distortion to the bass drum and snare drum to make them more aggressive and dirty. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to use a moderate amount of drive and mix, and adjust the tone to your taste.
Adjust the volume, pan and bleed of each drum individually or use one of Tue Madsen's presets as a starting point. You can use the knobs on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the sliders. A good tip is to balance the volume of each drum according to its importance in your mix, pan them slightly to create some stereo width, and reduce the bleed of each drum to avoid unwanted crosstalk.
How to create a dark and atmospheric metal drum sound
If you want to create a dark and atmospheric metal drum sound that can create a moody and immersive atmosphere for bands like Opeth, Katatonia or Anathema, here are some steps you can follow:
Load the Darkness kit and select the Ambient preset. This will give you a basic sound that is already optimized for ambient metal.
Adjust the pitch of the bass drum and snare drum to your liking. You can use the pitch knob on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the tuning slider. A lower pitch will give you a deeper and softer sound, while a higher pitch will give you a sharper and brighter sound.
Add some reverb and delay to the bass drum, snare drum, toms and cymbals to make them more spacious and ethereal. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to use a large room or hall reverb with a long decay time and a low dry/wet mix, and a stereo delay with a moderate feedback time and a low dry/wet mix.
Add some modulation effects such as chorus, flanger or phaser to some of the drums or cymbals to make them more dynamic and interesting. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to use a subtle amount of modulation and mix, and adjust the speed and depth to your taste.
Adjust the volume, pan and bleed of each drum individually or use one of Tue Madsen's presets as a starting point. You can use the knobs on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the sliders. A good tip is to balance the volume of each drum according to its importance in your mix, pan them slightly to create some stereo width, and increase the bleed of each drum to create more ambience.
How to create a fusion-inspired metal drum sound
If you want to create a fusion-inspired metal drum sound that can blend technicality and groove for bands like Animals As Leaders, Periphery or TesseracT, here are some steps you can follow:
Load the Progressive kit and select the Fusion preset. This will give you a basic sound that is already optimized for fusion metal.
Adjust the pitch of the bass drum and snare drum to your liking. You can use the pitch knob on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the tuning slider. A lower pitch will give you a deeper and softer sound, while a higher pitch will give you a sharper and brighter sound.
Add some EQ and compression to the bass drum, snare drum and toms to make them more balanced and defined. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to cut the low frequencies and boost the high frequencies of the bass drum, boost the mid frequencies and cut the low frequencies of the snare drum, and cut the high frequencies and boost the low frequencies of the toms.
Add some reverb and delay to some of the cymbals to make them more smooth and shimmering. You can use the effects panel on the top of the interface or double-click on the cymbal and use the built-in effects. A good tip is to use a small room or plate reverb with a short decay time and a high dry/wet mix, and a ping-pong delay with a short feedback time and a low dry/wet mix.
Adjust the volume, pan and bleed of each drum individually or use one of Tue Madsen's presets as a starting point. You can use the knobs on the right side of the interface or double-click on the drum and use the sliders. A good tip is to balance the volume of each drum according to its importance in your mix, pan them slightly to create some stereo width, and increase the bleed of each drum to create more ambience.
Conclusion
DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) is an amazing sound library for Superior Drummer 3 that can help you create realistic and expressive drum tracks for modern metal production. It offers a huge variety of drums that can cover any facet of today's fragmented metal scene, from brutal blast beats to hard-hitting grooves, from dark atmospheres to fusion-inspired hybrids. It also gives you full control over your drum sound, allowing you to customize and mix your drums with ease using Superior Drummer 3's powerful features.
If you are looking for a powerful and versatile collection of drums for modern metal production, you should definitely check out DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK). You can purchase it from Toontrack's website or any authorized dealer.
FAQs
Q: Do I need Superior Drummer 3 to use DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?A: Yes, you need Superior Drummer 3 installed on your computer to use this soundbank. You can download it from Toontrack's website.
Q: How much disk space do I need to install DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK)?A: You need about 65 GB of free disk space to install this soundbank.
Q: Can I use DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) with other drum software?A: No, this soundbank is only compatible with Superior Drummer 3.
Q: Can I use DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) with other soundbanks?A: Yes, you can combine this soundbank with other soundbanks for Superior Drummer 3, such as DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Death part (SOUNDBANK), The Metal Foundry SDX, The Progressive Foundry SDX, etc.
Q: Can I use DEATH and DARKNESS SDX Darkness part (SOUNDBANK) with MIDI packs?A: Yes, you can use this soundbank with any MIDI pack for Superior Drummer 3, such as 21st Century Metal MIDI, Fusion Fills MIDI, Metal Beats MIDI, etc.