New Music Gear Monday: SSL Drumstrip Plugin
If there’s one thing we can’t get enough of its drum processors. No matter how much you like your drum signal path is already, I bet you’re on the lookout for something that works even better or faster. If that’s you and you’ve always admired the sound of Solid State Logic consoles, then SSL might have come up with just the sound you’re looking for with it’s Drumstrip plugin.
Drumstrip consists of 5 sections: Gate, Transient Shaper, Listen Mic Compressor, and Low and High Frequency Enhancers – everything you need for a kicking drum sound. The order of these modules can be easily changed from a strip at the bottom of the plugin.
The Modules
Using a gate on drums is a useful way of tightening up the sound and controlling leakage, and Drumstrip has a good one. It has the normal Range, Attack, Hold and Release controls, but also has separate Open and Close controls, which allows the signal to decay more naturally. There’s also a combo meter that shows the Range, Gain Reduction, Input, and Open/Close levels to the left of the module.
The Transient Shaper is also interesting in the way it’s implemented. The Gain parameter controls the detection level of the controller signal, but doesn’t directly affect the output signal’s gain. The Amount parameter controls the amount of the processed signal that’s added to the unprocessed signal, while Speed controls the length of time the added attack takes to fall back down to the normal signal level. The unique Invert switch inverts the processed signal so that it is subtracted from the unprocessed signal, which has the effect of softening the attack resulting in more body in the drum sound.
The High and Low Frequency Enhancers aren’t really EQs as they offer no attenuation, but I’m sure you have many EQs that will do that job already. Instead you’re able to control the Amount of the effect added, while the Drive control adjusts the amount of harmonic content that’s added. The Frequency point for the Low Enhancer is adjustable from 20Hz to 250Hz and 2kHz to 20kHz for the High.
Probably the most unique of the modules is the Listen Mic Compressor, which emulates the one responsible for the Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight” drum sound from the original 4000 E console. Here you have Comp level, Makeup Gain, and Mix adjustments, but also the ability to switch from a narrow band compressor like the original to full band version with a flip of the Narrow Band switch.
The Input and Output sections of the plugin also contain both peak and RMS metering, as well as Gain controls, while the Output section also features a Mix control.
And It’s On Sale
Here’s the best part though. Drumstrip is on sale for just $19.99 instead of its normal $199. Better hurry though, because this deal is only good until January 3rd!
You can find out more or purchase it here, or watch the video below.
