For years, the Middle Eastern frame drum has been a fixture in soundtracks and music around the world. Applying our sampling philosophy to the various instruments of the framedrum branch resulted in some very organic and fresh sounding results that, when combined with our X3M percussion engine, are just plain fun.
One of our main goals was to capture consistent round-robin algorithms for as many playing techniques as possible, so that we can write fast, yet smooth and realistic sounding percussive arrangements. To achieve this, we carefully edited each sample of our 10 Round Robins by hand and made as many iterations as necessary after carefully testing the articulations in a real composing environment.
In addition to this, another important goal for us was to expand the sonic palette of the traditional frame drum sound by adding other instruments that enhance, but not change too much, the aesthetic of the main sound. Thus, the DRUM X3M frame not only consists of the same material that we have all heard countless times, but also contains new and yet unheard combinations of instruments that are poured live into your percussion arrangements. Recording took place at the Sofia Session Studio where we also recorded previous X3M libraries to ensure smooth and easy layering.
Impact motor X3M
The concept of this engine is quite simple – the keyboard range is divided into 12 zones to which you can assign different sounds. After creating the template of your choice, just plug it in and play – nothing else is needed!
In addition to this, the engine also allows you to customize individual zones as well as the entire mapped ensemble patch with different effects and mic positions. By pairing them with natural and organic recordings, you get the ultimate in flexibility when it comes to sound.
Once you download the X3M Ensemble Builder, you will automatically download all the samples from the “Samples” directory. However, the tool is designed in such a way that it actually clears all samples, unless you load them into a zone. This means that not only do you have one patch with all the types of percussion you might need, but it is also optimized and won’t damage your RAM resources in any way!