EASTWEST Announces Stormdrum 3 — Virtual Instrument Made with Mickey Hart

This is much more than a sample library – this sounds big, literally.

StormDrum 3 — it’s going to be a big hit.

One of the mightiest percussion-based virtual instruments that we’ve come across is ready to launch from EASTWEST, in the form of Quantum Leap Stormdrum 3 (SD3). Designed for film, TV, and game composers, it’s been designed to “set a new standard in percussion sound quality and performance,” and judging by what went into it, the creators have a good chance of hitting that mark.

Stormdrum 3 was produced by Nick Phoenix, who also created the Stormdrum 1 and 2 percussion collections, and made SD3 with rhythm, musicality and big scores very much in mind. For SD3, Phoenix’ collaborators include Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, along with Greg Ellis, Chalo Eduardo, and Remo from Remo Drumheads.

You’ll need to make space on your hard drive for this one: SD3 packs 90 gigabytes of all new percussion sounds. The range of drums and percussion instruments used to make it (see below) is mouth watering for composers, producers and sound designers in search of dramatic new sounds.

Available on July 15, 2013 for $395.00 at http://www.soundsonline.com/SD3 and €295 at http://www.soundsonline-europe.com/SD3 (for European customers). Read on for the full details, as provided by EASTWEST:

Recorded in famed EASTWEST Studio A, Phoenix had access to two exquisite private collections of instruments when producing Stormdrum 3: He used the best instruments from Mickey Hart’s private collection, and instruments hand-picked by Remo himself from his personal collection. All performances are by Mickey Hart and master percussionists Greg Ellis and Chalo Eduardo. Ellis, who has worked with world class artists such as Beck, is a highly sought-after session musician for film and television, and has left his musical stamp on movies such as The Matrix: Reloaded, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Chronicles of Narnia and many more. Eduardo is a preeminent percussionist who has worked with Carlos Santana, Sergio Mendes, Stevie Wonder, Ricky Martin, and many others.

Stormdrum 3 features 5 user-controllable mic positions for each instrument (excluding performances), and includes Tempo Synced Percussion performances directed and performed by Mickey Hart, with Greg Ellis, Chalo Eduardo and Nick Phoenix.

The SD3 sessions covered an extremely wide range of new sounds.

Storm Drum 3 includes:

•    Big Drums: large, deep and booming sounds, some more complex in nature. There are some real gems in here from Mickey’s magical warehouse of one of a kind hand drums. Highlights in the epic genre here are The Beast, Double Headed Tree Drum, Lord Of Toms Ensemble and Dragon Ensemble.
•    Gongs Clocks Waterphones: These instruments provide the iconic sounds of several gongs and waterphones, some played underwater! The “Clockworks” patches are the result of Nicks field recordings in 6 antique clock shops.
•    Metals: This group includes bells, deep bowls, chimes, and cymbals collected by Mickey on his world travels. Some are well known like the Brazilian berimbau (which is played on a metal wire), others are unusual, such as hammered copper pots and handmade doorstop drums.
•    Shakers: The instruments in this group include several made from naturally occurring objects, such as snake rattles, seed pods, and deer hoofs, in addition to the more common ganza, modern shakers and Mickeys mighty rainsticks. Playability here is key.
•    Small Drums: a very large collection of smaller drums such as bongos, frame drums, and tambourines. Many of the Indian drums in this category are particularly special, such as the tuned tablas and madal. Performance techniques are stellar.
•    Taiko Family: taiko drums ranging from huge to small, many of the sampled instruments came from the collections of Mickey Hart and Remo, others came from the top taiko builders in Japan. They are played both individually and in ensembles.
•    Woods: In this group you’ll hear unpitched sounds from wooden resonators; tuned chromatic instruments, such as a gourd marimba and a balaphone; the mighty gourd drum, a playable 12 ft. long redwood tree branch and wonderful scraped sounds, such as the Thailand frogs.

Stormdrum 3 is the first virtual instrument to include EASTWEST’s new PLAY 4 software. In PLAY 4, EASTWEST replaced some third party components; added Avid’s new AAX format that will allow Pro Tools 11 users to use EASTWEST’s virtual instruments 64-bit, greatly improving performance; added new time-stretch software optimized for loops (with sync to sequencer); added a new mixer page (with sub-channels for mic positions), and other new features.

To top it all off, EASTWEST now offers SSL FX from Solid State Logic, the industry leader in mixing technology; and an upgraded EASTWEST reverb.  The new FX section is available as an optional upgrade for all legacy EASTWEST PLAY collections, but will be included FREE for SD3 users. Customers who place a pre-order for SD3, scheduled to ship July 15, will be able to use the FX section for other PLAY collections as an additional bonus. The FX section includes a SSL EQ and Dynamics Channel Strip, Transient Shaper, and SSL’s legendary Stereo Bus Compressor; plus an upgraded “true stereo” reverb from EASTWEST, and new features.

Now, with it’s combination of the new PLAY 4 software, the best sound processing tools available, and world class percussion instruments, Stormdrum 3 is the most advanced percussion virtual instrument to date and a must-have.

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