ZERO G PLATINUM DFH 2

Drumkit From Hell 2 (DFH2), from East West Sounds' Pro Samples Platinum Series, is one of the new breed of products that combines a high quality sample set with a highly functional sample player. In this case, the sample set was produced by Toontrack Music with Tomas Haake (Meshuggah), the same team responsible for the critically acclaimed, and highly popular, Drumkit from Hell sample set. The DFH2 sample set is a subset of the library portion of Toontrack's Drumkit From Hell Superior, augmented with a special version of Native Instruments' KOMPAKT sample player.

Whereas DFH Superior, one of the high end choices alluded to above (and the subject of a future CakewalkNet review), weighs in with a huge (35 GB) library with multiple drum kits plus percussion, DFH2 focuses on a single Sonor drum kit. To that kit, DFH2 adds three snare options (Sonor cast bronze, Pearl birch, and Pearl brass) plus Sabian hi-hats and a healthy selection of, primarily Sabian, cymbals (also one each Zildjian, Meinl, and Istanbul, as well as one custom cymbal). Instruments in the kit include: 5 toms (3 rack, 2 floor) 2 kick drums (left, right) with changeable felt or wood mallet beaters, 3 ride cymbals, 1 china ride cymbal, 2 china cymbals, 1 spock cymbal (like a cross between a china and crash cymbal), 5 crash cymbals, 2 splash cymbals, 3 snares (including removable bottom snares on the Sonor snare, which, if chosen, also affects the sound of the kick and toms), 2 hi-hats, and a cowbell. The resulting sample set comes in just under 2.4 GB.

The sounds are unprocessed, multiple mic drum sounds, with programming and instrument assignment conventions that interact with the KOMPAKT sample player in ways that provide an interface to the digital audio work station that is very similar to what you'd get from actual mic inputs from a multi-mic drum setup. There are also humanization-oriented instrument customizations such as left- and right-handed drum and cymbal hits. The KOMPAKT player provides up to 8 stereo outputs plus a main mix output, any of which can be used as inputs into the DAW. It also provides several sound tweaking capabilities and a limited slate of audio effects. We'll get into more detail on the programming and instrument features below.