PROS: Beautifully recorded kits from an all-star cast of
drummers. Tons of flexible MIDI sequence files. Drag-and-drop import of
grooves into your DAW for editing.
CONS: Error in documentation for how to swap kit sounds. Electronic drums aren’t quite as spectacular as acoustic material.
NEED TO KNOWWhat does it do? It delivers lovingly
recorded drum sounds, which you can play yourself or via included MIDI
sequences recorded by legendary drummers.
Biggest differences from Drum-Core? DrumCore includes audio loops; KitCore’s are strictly MIDI. DrumCore can run standalone; KitCore is plug-in only.
Why would I want it? If you rely on acoustic drums in your production, why not get some of the top players in the world to assist?
What do I need to run it? PPC or Intel Mac with OS 10.3.x or
later, or PC with Windows XP/Vista, 800MHz CPU or faster.
VST/RTAS/AU-compatible host program, 512MB RAM, and 2GB free disk space
for content.
Once I was up and running, I created a four-bar classic rock groove and started switching between kit presets. The first thing I noticed was the detail in the recordings. The mics and preamps are warm as sunshine and the room tone makes sense in the context of each kit. The result is a very authentic feel — even if playing a MIDI groove you whipped together in a few minutes.
In addition to a killer batch of drums, KitCore also includes an assortment of MIDI grooves tailored to each drummer’s kit. Want Alan White’s sequences to play Matt Sorum’s kit? You can mix and match. Better still, you can drag these grooves into your DAW so you can edit and customize them.
A little less straightforward was how to roll your own kits. On my Mac, swapping drums from one pad to another involved either right-clicking or control-clicking. In the VST version, only control-clicking worked. In the AU version on my dual G5, only optionclicking worked. On my Intel Mac, option- or control-clicking worked, but not right-clicking. On a PC, everything worked as advertised. Turns out the documentation was wrong — KitCore doesn’t currently support right-clicking on Mac mice, though the docs suggest it does. Submersible also said the option-clicking thing is peculiar to PowerPC-based Macs. They’re looking into it.
KitCore is worth a serious look and listen if your productions rely on acoustic drums and percussion. The recordings are consistently wonderful. The kits and players are truly legendary. That you get all this for around $99 makes it a Key Buy.