ahrayephOk, so, a while back when SD3 first came out, I already posted this request to allow the MIDI note names (F#3, E5, etc.) to be shown on the electronic drum mapping. Almost three years on, this hasn’t happened, so I’m repeating the request, because it’s the easiest way to remap kit pieces and sounds to one’s preferences. The piano roll is ok, but it’s not as easy as the system that was implemented until SD2, hence my repeated request. Other than that, I’m still insanely happy with SD3 and all its possibilities and capabilities. Its release was a masterstroke.
My second request is something that I’ve been thinking about for years, but has taken on a fresh sense of vigor since earlier this month, for obvious reasons : a Neil Peart library, complemented by a MIDI library based on as many Rush drum parts as possible. I know IK Multimedia have a sampled Peart kit, which was engineered by Nick Raszkulinecz and which sports a nice MIDI file library for their SampleTank sampler, but I feel Toontrack can do it better and on a larger scale. Of course, we need to let his family – both personal as well as the Rush family – and us fans grieve and come to terms with his untimely death, but when the time is right, it would be a great project.
Here’s the proposal : sample his last three kits; this being the Time Machine/Clockwork Angels kit and the two R40 kits. Why these kits? Because the former is the culmination of the type of kit he’s been using for ages, and the latter two (for those who didn’t know : Peart used two different kits for the entire R40 set each night) were made with a special type of wood, which would make their sound different.
Where to sample these kits? My preferred studio would be Galaxy here in Belgium, because of its stellar job on the SD3 library, and I feel that Neil’s kits should get the same Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 capabilities as the standard SD3 and the Orchestral Tools libraries. If there’s one drummer’s drum kit which definitely deserves that treatment, it’s Neil’s. Also, it’s a great sounding room. I never turn off the room mic channels, because they add so much to the drum sound, whichever drum kit you use.
Who should produce? I’d request two producers, if you can get them : the aforementioned Nick Razkulinecz for the Time Machine/R40 kit and David Bottrill for the R40 kits. These choices are based on logic : Razkulinecz engineered Rush’s last two albums, so is intimately familiar with this kit. Bottrill came out of retirement to engineer and mix the R40 live album/Blu Ray, which he also did in 5.1 for the latter format. That aside, he’s the producer of several of my favourite rock albums (Tool’s ‘Lateralus’ being one of my all time favourites in terms of production), so I’m sure that, even with raw drum samples, he’ll deliver the goods. If you can get him out of retirement, that is. In any case, if they would be on board, I’m sure they would also come up with a great bunch of presets for these kits.
As for the library : I don’t know what the deal is with the rights, but I imagine that if a deal could be struck with the rights holders, whoever they may be, getting the drum tracks from at least their live albums – so not just ‘Time Machine’ and ‘R40’ – and feeding the songs into SD3’s tracker would result in the perfect MIDI library, because it is literally Neil who would provide it. I wouldn’t limit this library to just entire songs, but also interesting drum patterns he played. He was, after all, accomplished in several styles of drumming. Even a simple 4/4 kick-snare-hi hat pattern was never ‘just’ a simple 4/4 pattern with Neil.
The only thing I’m unsure about, is the electronic samples and percussion sounds Neil used. These might come from custom made samples, or from other brands, so that may be an issue that needs resolving. It would be great, though, to be able to mix these kits and that percussion with the Orchestral Tools kit, so the gong, crotales and pipe bells he used back in the late 70’s could be incorporated into one giant kit. Sure, it would probably require a really powerful computer, but just imagine having those possibilities! In 7.1.4 surround, even!
I hope you guys would consider this. If anyone deserves, nay, requires a Toontrack tribute library that does justice to his musical genius, as well as shares this genius with the music community now that he’s gone, it’s Neil Peart.
Bobby CampbellSo even as I admit this is a fanboy request, I would totally buy it. I’ve spent so many hours with SD2 & now SD3 chasing various of Neil’s instruments… and my results are not what I’m hoping for. Even the Groove 3 video about recreating Tom Sawyer’s drums is …. OK, I guess. But it doesn’t get me where I want to go. I’m now searching for companies/individuals who have already done the work of assembling the correct kit pieces, tunings, and processing to match the prototype of each Rush tour’s kit.
I guess you have to start somewhere, but I’m looking for a comprehensive solution, like “Peart Decades”:
Kit 1 – 1970’s: The Slingerlands
Kit 2 – 1980’s: Tama Artstar
Kit 3 – 1990’s Ludwigs (with add ins for the concert toms he used early on)
Kit 4 – 2000’s early DW’s.
Kit 5 – the electrics
I’d be set if it stopped here. We already have a good representation of the DW kit he used on the last few tours.
I think we may already have the tools to create most of this. But, as with drumming itself, I have too little talent and too little time to do it myself.
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