Drum MIDI inspired by contemporary R&B and other related beat-centric genres like hip-hop, soul and modern pop.
| ADD TO CARTFor the past decades, Ash Soan’s contagious pocket groove has been the hypnotic midpoint on hit records by the likes of Adele, Seal, Alicia Keys, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and many, many more. In this pack, he takes all his years’ worth of experience at the drum throne playing material across all genres and distills it down to a collection of grooves specifically for contemporary R&B. Expect a wealth of fundamental beats that you can loop, dissect, mix and match without the one central component that’s made Ash a household name with the artist elite go missing: feel. Ash has tons of it, infused in every stroke, bar and beat of his clockwork-like pocket.
In a style where the groove is the undeniable pivot, it doesn’t have to be hard or overly embellished to make a point, it just has to be right. Welcome to a collection of drum MIDI that gives you just that – fundamental beats that focus on the heart of the matter: the groove. Expect anything from lush and laid-back hip-hop feels to big backbeats and reggae-inspired one drops – all lathered in the patented feel of one of the world’s most in-demand session players.
Works with EZdrummer, EZdrummer 2, EZdrummer 3, Superior Drummer 2 and Superior Drummer 3.
Note: This MIDI is unique and not the same as the library included with the In the Pocket EZX.
This collection of drum MIDI was created alongside the Contemporary R&B EZbass MIDI and Contemporary R&B EZkeys MIDI packs. As always, any MIDI pack is great on its own – but awesome combined with its counterparts!
For the past three decades and counting, Ash’s contagious pocket groove has been the bedrock of the sound on songs by the likes of Alicia Keys, Dua Lipa, Cher, Robbie Williams, Adele, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and many, many more. With 29 number-one albums and 10 number-one singles as well as a staggering 58 top 10 albums and 17 top 10 singles, his track record speaks for itself. Meet one of today’s undoubtedly most in-demand session players, the human beat machine: Ash Soan.
For the past three decades and counting, Ash’s contagious pocket groove has been the bedrock of the sound on songs by the likes of Alicia Keys, Dua Lipa, Cher, Robbie Williams, Adele, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and many, many more. With 29 number-one albums and 10 number-one singles as well as a staggering 58 top 10 albums and 17 top 10 singles, his track record speaks for itself. Meet one of today’s undoubtedly most in-demand session players, the human beat machine: Ash Soan.
Q: Take us back to the very beginning. How did your interest in music first begin?
A: My father played me a song by Sandy Nelson called “Let There Be Drums.” From then on that was it – the sound and feel of that instrument stayed with me.
Q: Was becoming a drummer a given from the start?
A: Absolutely. I now play guitar and a little keys and bass, but drums was and still is the main beat in my heart.
“Drums was and still is the
main beat in my heart.”
“Drums was and still is the
main beat in my heart.”
Q: Over the years, you’ve played on projects covering pretty much any style imaginable. If you had to pin down a style that is truly you, what would it be?
A: Songs all the way any songs, but vocal music is the one. I love lyrics and the journey they take people on.
Q: Take us through a typical day in the life of Ash Soan.
A: Coffee, walk to my studio across my field then into whichever project is in my life at that time. This could be a track or an entire album, a TV theme or movie cue. When I have free time, I’m working on music and sounds for my projects.
Q: When it comes to playing, you’ve always highlighted the importance of feel. To you, what is ‘feel,’ exactly?
A: Literally for me a gridded beat is in time, but what else is there? It’s in time, right? For me there is much more. Feel I think is the connection of the notes when joined together by the player, how the bass drum interacts with the snare and snare to hi-hats. Each of us has our unique way of connecting those parts and therefore our own feel. Some people have a very good way of doing this and some people concentrate on getting it perfectly in time and are mainly concerned with the click. With modern DAWs playing to grid isn’t what is needed now. Feel is.
Q: You’ve been working as a drummer for upwards of thirty years now – touring the world, recording and performing in all kinds of scenarios. Looking back on this journey, are there any events or moments that particularly stand out for you personally?
A: I think playing the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony with Mike Oldfield, supporting The Rolling Stones at 24 years old, recording “Set Fire to the Rain” with Adele in the studio with me and playing with all the artists live including Bryan Adams, Sinéad O’Connor, Van Morrison, Ronnie Wood and more have been some highlights. The movie work has been fun too.
Our very own Rikk Currence gives you three reasons why your songs will thank you for using Toontrack drum MIDI.
Note: Drum MIDI packs do not contain sounds, only MIDI files. Any audio or video demos on this page portray examples of the MIDI played back by EZdrummer or Superior Drummer with various EZX/SDX expansions.
