


The pack comprises five full drum kits, 12 snare drums, nine kick drums, and a broad collection of cymbals and hi-hats, all supplied by the legendary Drum Doctors rental store in Hollywood. Kits With HistoryĪs the SDX suffix indicates, Decades is an expansion pack for Superior Drummer 3 so, just to clarify, you need Superior Drummer installed to use it. Since moving to Hollywood, Schmitt has almost exclusively worked at Capitol Studios, so the impressive space of Studio B, with its exceptionally crafted acoustics, was the obvious choice for recording Decades SDX. He has a wealth of experience that has been rewarded by the amazing total of 160 Gold and Platinum albums, 23 Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.Īl Schmitt's working life began before the equalisers and compressors we know (and often over-use) today were commonplace in studios, so his technique is based around achieving the best sound at source, using a skilful combination of microphone choice and placement, in conjunction with the best-sounding recording spaces. Even from this short description it sounds like a pretty mouthwatering prospect - so does Decades live up to the hype? They Can Call Him Alīorn in 1930, Al Schmitt has had a career spanning six decades of classic recordings, from Frank Sinatra, Elvis and Sam Cooke through to Toto, Steely Dan and Michael Jackson.

The latest addition to the SDX range is Decades, a collection recorded by the legendary engineer and producer Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios, and drawing upon the expertise of his 60-year career. Each one features exquisitely recorded drums and percussion captured in some of the world's most incredible-sounding studios.

It's hard to imagine that the extensive library that comes with it isn't enough for any musical style or production, but Toontrack continue to produce an incredible array of SDX (Superior Drum eXpansion) packs, covering a multitude of genres and styles. Toontrack have been at the forefront of virtual instrument development for many years, and the release of Superior Drummer 3 (reviewed by myself and John Walden in SOS October 2017) raised the bar to a new level of authenticity and sophistication. Recorded by Al Schmitt, Toontrack's Decades SDX is a tour de force.
