David Olivers Drum Kit — Free Download

Overview and Instrument Character

David Oliver’s Drum Kit is a deeply sampled red 1980s Pearl DLX drumset, selected and performed by British instrumentalist and media composer David Oliver. This kit has a versatile sound suitable for multiple genres, from jazz to rock. It was recorded extensively at The Whitehouse Studios in the UK, capturing the kit’s character with a variety of stick types for expressive dynamics, from ultra-soft to ultra-loud.

The core kit includes an 18-inch kick, a 12-inch rack tom, and a 14-inch floor tom. The drum heads were carefully chosen for sound control and fidelity, using Evans Level 360 heads on the toms and a Remo Powerstroke on the kick. The snare drums include a vintage Pearl Super Gripper Brass Shell and a Mapex Peace Snare. A custom 22-inch concert bass drum, hand-built in the UK, adds extra depth.

Cymbals and Microphone Positions

The library includes an extensive array of cymbals, mostly Zildjian, with some Sabian, Paiste, and Wuhan. It features eight crash cymbals, four hi-hats, two rides, and seven splashes, offering rich character for expressive playing. Some effects cymbals were customized with a grinder and rivets, and a 20-inch crash ride was reworked by artisan cymbal maker Dave Collingwood for a uniquely rich sound.

The kit was recorded with multiple microphone positions: a stereo pair of Blue Dragonfly overheads, close-up Neumann TLM 103s, and an M-S front pair using figure-8 and cardioid microphones. This setup gives users the ability to blend and customize the drum kit sound, dialing in their preferred balance for any genre.

Sound-Shaping and Effects in Kontakt

In Kontakt, the interface includes a suite of automation-ready sound-shaping controls. You can adjust swell, attack, release, offset, vibrato, filter, pitch (coarse and fine), and articulation switching. Cross-fading and layering are supported, allowing for detailed expressive control. An adaptable LFO system offers selectable shapes, modulation targets, speed, intensity, tempo sync, and fade-in time, enabling dynamic movement.

Choose from 12 low-pass, high-pass, and FX filters, with assignable modulation targets like velocity, mod wheel, expression, after-touch, and key position. The customizable arpeggiator includes a velocity table and control over direction, timing, swing, randomization, and duration. A key and scale lock system constrains notes to common scales for easier melodic composition and live performance.

FX Rack and Presets

The interface features a modular FX rack panel with 27 different DSP effect modules, assignable in any order across 8 available slots. Effects include phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, amp and cab simulators, compressors, EQ, and rotator. The reverb effect includes convolution impulse responses of 99 rooms, halls, chambers, and outdoor environments, plus 40 additional custom FX impulses for unique transformations.

To get started, a bank of factory FX rack chain presets is included. The library is licensed for use in the free Kontakt Player, and includes 10 Kontakt instrument presets. It works with Komplete Kontrol and all S-Series Keyboards, and supports the Kontakt Libraries browser with Native Access registration.

Key features

• Deeply sampled drumset with five microphone positions
• Extensive cymbal selection including crashes, hi-hats, rides, and splashes
• Customized effects cymbals for unique tones
• Adaptable LFO system and 12 filter types
• Modular FX rack with 27 DSP modules and 8 slots
• 99 convolution reverb rooms and 40 custom FX impulses
• Made for Kontakt Player, Komplete Kontrol, and S-Series keyboards

Best for

Best for composers and producers seeking a highly customizable, realistic drum kit for jazz, rock, or pop. The multiple mic positions and extensive effects make it ideal for detailed studio mixing. Works well in Kontakt Player for convenient use in any DAW.