XLN Audio Metal ADpak

The Metal pack for the addictive drums adds a certain explosiveness to your repertoire for sampled drum sounds. To be perfectly honest, this program assumes you are simple and just want something quick. That is fine, and what this program lacks in tweaking (I am comparing this to Superior) it makes up for in ease. This program simply works, and as before, if you want to do just a bit of customization, it is entirely possible to do so. The metal pack, in particular, adds a few thunderous drums that are always fun to play with in more bombastic music, and if one is trying to use midi to create metal in any way or even just plan old harder than hard rock, this will certainly have something you can use.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Unfortunately, these drums in and of themselves seem to lack that something. It is not quite noticeable sitting deem in a mix, but I would never trust these particular samples with a solo bit because unless I spend an unfair amount of time on them (and yes, more unfair an amount of time than anything Toontrack makes) then I will not be able to get anything that I would particularly believe. I have had friends tell me they sounded a little bit too sampled when I showed it to them, and I would have to agree. However, a lot of metal bands use samples when they drum nowadays anyway, so is it really so much of a dishonor to do the same?

OVERALL OPINION

In the end though, I have become addicted to the ease of use that this program affords me, and all of these extra drum packs make this program something fantastic. What is odd about this program is that the realism of these samples seem to vary, but being that type of musician I am, I am not to concerned with that, and just need something percussive and nice sounding for my mixes. Take it for what it is.