Native Instruments Introduces Abbey Road 70s Drums

March 23rd, 2010 by Janice Brown

Native Instruments is releasing Abbey Road 70s Drums, the second instrument developed together with the iconic British recording studios since the January launch of Abbey Road 60s Drums.

Providing two classic drum kits for use in the free Kontakt Player and the Kontakt 4 sampler — a Premier and a Ludwig — Native Instruments’ Abbey Road 70s Drums reportedly delivers “the essential punch and flair for typical Seventies sound aesthetics and various modern music styles.”

The Premier and Ludwig drum kits were recorded in Abbey Road’s Studio Two. While the Ludwig kit provides the typical big and roomy sound of 70s classic rock, the Premier kit was recorded in a deadened environment within the studio to create a tight and punchy tone that also lends itself to R&B, disco and other contemporary genres.

All samples were captured by Abbey Road’s engineers and outstanding arsenal of vintage equipment. Classic microphones from the studios’ famed collection, the exclusive EMI TG mixing desk, an analog 2-inch tape machine and other authentic outboard gear all contribute to the sound of Abbey Road 70s Drums.

Features include: “up to 34 velocity layers per instrument with up to six additional variation samples guarantee ultimate authenticity both for rhythm programming and for real-time MIDI-controlled playing, with a selection of different MIDI mappings accommodating the established layouts of various popular electronic drum kits and third-party drum libraries. Separate “vintage” and “modern” microphone setups provide a choice between classic and contemporary tone, with the Ludwig kit also offering an optional “Glyn Johns” configuration, a technique used for some of the most acclaimed drum recordings of the Seventies era.”

Abbey Road 70s Drums is available for purchase in the NI Online Shop on DVD and as a download for $119.

Check out this video on the 70s Drums recording process at Abbey Road: