KIT Plugins, known for their acclaimed line of digitally modeled gear from Blackbird Studio in Nashville, has launched KIT Drums-Connor Denis, their first virtual instrument. This versatile drum plug-in was developed in collaboration with Connor Denis, a Florida-based touring and session drummer recognized for his work with Beartooth. The samples were taken from his Gretsch USA Custom Kit.
The Drum Kit page is one of four selectable screens, alongside the Mixer, Groove, and Mapping pages. It features an animated representation of the kit, including five sampled drums: Kick, Snare, High Tom, Mid Tom, and Floor Tom, as well as hi-hats, a ride, and two crash cymbals. While the plug-in includes only one kit, many components have multiple variations accessible through contextual menus, allowing users to switch between 22-inch and 24-inch kick versions.
For snares, users can choose from Gretsch, Craviotto, Phosphoric Bronze, and Keplinger 6.5 x 14-inch models, as well as Q Aluminum and Q Copper 5.5 x 14-inch options. The Crash 2 cymbal can toggle between 19-inch and 20-inch versions, while the ride features both the Zildjian A Custom Sweet Ride 21-inch and Zildjian K Light Ride 24-inch.
As with most virtual drum kits, users can audition any drum or cymbal by clicking on it. When a kit piece is triggered by a MIDI note, real-time hits are displayed on the corresponding drum or cymbal.
The 24-bit samples deliver excellent sound quality, but this comes with high RAM requirements. The plug-in consumes just over 6 GB of RAM when active, compared to 2 to 3 GB for competitors like Toontrack Superior Drummer 3, NI Kontakt 7 Modern Drummer, and Logic’s Drummer instrument. Fortunately, users can switch to 16-bit samples, which maintain good sound quality and reduce RAM usage to about 3 GB by clicking on the 24-bit indicator at the top of the screen.
The instrument is available as both a plug-in and a standalone version, with virtually identical functionality in both formats.
Exceptional Articulation
One of the standout features of KIT Drums-Connor Denis is its sonic flexibility. By clicking the Advanced button on the Drum Kit page, additional windows for performance parameter adjustments become available. Selecting a kit piece makes it active for editing, revealing a vertical window on the left side of the GUI where sliders can adjust the level of available Articulations for each piece.
Articulations represent specific types of hits for drums or cymbals, each triggered by its own MIDI note. The Kick, Toms, and Crashes have one Articulation each, while the Snare features three: Center Hit, Rim Shot, and Side Stick. The ride offers Bell, Edge, and Bow Tip, and the hi-hat boasts an impressive 12 Articulations.
At the bottom of the Articulation window, a Pitch knob appears with a checkbox labeled All Artics. When checked, any pitch change affects all Articulations for the selected drum or cymbal. Unchecking this box allows users to apply different pitch adjustments to each articulation individually.
In Advanced mode, the Instrument Options Panel on the right side of the Drum Kit window enables users to adjust Level, Pan, and Reverb Send for the built-in Reverb for most kit pieces, excluding the ride and crashes.
The Articulation Velocity panel below allows for graphical setting of velocity ranges for a selected Articulation, while the Instrument ADSR controls the volume envelope (Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release) for either the entire kit or individual channels in the Mixer.
Powerful Mixing Capabilities
The robust Mixer is a crucial aspect of the plug-in’s impressive sonic variety. It includes channels for Kick, Snare, Hi Tom, Lo Tom, Hi-Hat, Crash 1, Crash 2, Ride, OH (overhead), Room 1, Room 2, Reverb (return), and Master.
Each channel features a long-throw volume fader, with drum and cymbal channels (excluding the Crashes) equipped with horizontal Pan sliders. Each Crash channel includes a Swap button that inverts the cymbals in the stereo field.
The stereo channels—OH, Room 1, Room 2, Reverb, and the Master channel—include Stereo/Mono sliders, allowing users to enhance the focus and punchiness of the drums in the mix or even achieve a fully mono sound for a retro vibe.
Related Topics
- Kaskade and Wilkinson Collaborate with Paige Cavell on Mesmerizing New Single “Shine On”
- Roland Introduces Earth Piano, Integrating 50 Years of Piano Innovation into Your DAW
- Yukine Kuroki, 2022 Franz Liszt Piano Competition Winner, Set to Enchant Maysville at the Historic Washington Opera House
