The Stories SDX Go to product viewer dialog for this item. by Toontrack is a versatile sound expansion for Superior Drummer 3, released on September 5, 2023. Produced by multi-Grammy winner Frank Filipetti, it was recorded at the legendary Power Station New England. Key Features & Content
The library is designed to cover a broad spectrum of musical genres from the last 40 years.
Six Full Drum Kits: Each kit represents a different "mile marker" in Filipetti's career.
Modern Rock: 2000s DW Collectors Birch, designed for grit and power.
Classic Rock: 1960s Rogers Londoner, ideal for big 80s ballad and rock sounds.
Art Rock: 1970s Premier Elite, a "workhorse" kit with a loud, historical NYC sound.
Acoustic Songwriter: 1980s Gretsch Stop Sign Badge, focused on nuance and subtle singing tones.
Vintage Pop: 1960s Ludwig Super Classic, bringing out natural acoustic timber.
Musical Theater: 1930s Slingerland Radio King, recorded with sticks, rods, and mallets for extreme adaptability.
Percussion Collection: Includes 34 instruments like timpani, gongs, congas, bongos, and shakers, all recorded in the same 5.0 surround setup.
Recording Spaces: Captured in three distinct rooms—the main room for depth and brightness, and two isolation booths for tighter, more intimate sounds. Technical Specifications
⚠️ Storage Warning: This is a massive library requiring significant disk space. Toontrack Stories SDX - Expert Review | Audio Production
The Power of Narrative: Exploring the Toontrack Stories SDX Soundbank The Toontrack Stories SDX
is a premier sound expansion for Superior Drummer 3, designed to capture the "sonic DNA" of multi-Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Frank Filipetti. Released in late 2023, this library moves beyond simple drum samples, offering a curated collection of instruments that tell the story of Filipetti's illustrious five-decade career. Recorded at Power Station New England
The heart of this soundbank lies in its recording location: Power Station New England. This facility is a meticulous recreation of the legendary New York Power Station, featuring a signature 35-foot dome in the main room and wood-paneled isolation booths. The sessions utilized a historic Neve 8068 MK II console—the same board used by John Lennon and AC/DC—to provide an authentic, warm, and musical signal path. Six Kits, Infinite Versatility The Stories SDX Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
includes six full drum kits, each selected to represent a specific era or sound from Filipetti’s work with artists like James Taylor, Foreigner, and Korn: Modern Rock: 2000s DW Collector’s Series. Classic Rock: 1960s Rogers Londoner 5. Art Rock: 1970s Premier Elite. Acoustic Songwriter: 1980s Gretsch Stop Sign Badge. Vintage Pop: 1960s Ludwig Super Classic. Musical Theatre: 1930s Slingerland Cloud Badge Radio King.
A standout feature is the Musical Theatre kit, which was sampled not just with traditional drumsticks, but also with rods and mallets, and with snares on and off, providing the "polite" yet detailed tone required for Broadway productions. Comprehensive Percussion and Immersive Audio
Beyond the standard kits, the library features a massive collection of 34 percussion instruments. This includes orchestral elements like timpani and gongs, alongside studio staples such as bongos, congas, and shakers.
For modern producers, the soundbank is "immersive-ready." Every instrument was captured with a dedicated 5.0 surround microphone setup, allowing for seamless mixing in stereo or multi-channel formats. Key Specifications at a Glance Total Size ~160 GB (full installation) Microphone Options Stereo up to 5.0 Surround Presets Over 60 mix-ready presets by Frank Filipetti MIDI Library Custom grooves for each kit and percussion Requirements Superior Drummer 3.3.6 or higher The Toontrack Stories SDX
is available for purchase and download through retailers like drum-tec or directly from Toontrack. Stories SDX by Frank Filipetti – The Making Of
The Stories SDX is a sound expansion library for Toontrack's Superior Drummer 3. It was produced and recorded by multi-Grammy award-winning engineer Frank Filipetti at the legendary Power Station New England studio.
Designed to cover massive musical ground rather than digging into a specific niche, the library is an incredibly versatile "genre-buster" that spans over five decades of musical history. 🥁 The Drum Kits & Articulations
Rather than focusing on just one era, the Stories SDX delivers a diverse cross-section of drum archetypes: Modern Rock: 2000s DW Collector’s Series. Classic Rock: 1960s Rogers Londoner 5. Art Rock: 1970s Premier Elite. Acoustic Songwriter: 1980s Gretsch Stop Sign Badge. Vintage Pop: 1960s Ludwig Super Classic. Musical Theatre: 1930s Slingerland Cloud Badge Radio King.
💡 Unique Feature: The Musical Theatre kit is recorded with standard sticks, rods, and mallets, as well as with the snare wires switched off. This provides a massive range of tonal control and softer textures rarely found in standard drum expansions. 🎻 Dedicated Percussion Library
A standout feature of this soundbank is its comprehensive percussion library. Instead of just adding a few basic shaker samples, this SDX delivers over 34 individual percussion instruments, including: Orchestral timpani, concert bass drums, and gongs.
Classic rhythm section tools like bongos, congas, and woodblocks. Shakers, cowbells, and tambourines for extra track spice. 🎛️ Recording Environment & Tech Specs
The audio was captured at the epic Power Station New England studio to yield hyper-realistic natural reverberations.
Three Room Ambiences: Recorded in the main room and two isolated booths of varying sizes, giving you everything from booming, atmospheric rock tones to tight, completely dry isolated sounds. toontrack stories sdx soundbank new
Surround Sound Ready: Includes an integrated 5.0 surround microphone setup to provide endless options for immersive audio mixing.
Library Size: Clocks in at approximately 160 GB of uncompressed, meticulously sampled data. 🎹 Presets and MIDI Grooves
Mix-Ready Presets: Features over 60 presets custom-tailored by Frank Filipetti and the Toontrack team to give you a massive polished sound immediately.
Custom MIDI Library: Played by veteran session drummer Norman Garschke, mapping out specialized beats for all the kits, alongside custom patterns specifically played for the handheld and orchestral percussion instruments.
The Stories SDX, released on September 5, 2023, is a high-end sound expansion for Toontrack's Superior Drummer 3. Developed in collaboration with multi-Grammy-winning engineer Frank Filipetti, this library is designed as a "multi-genre" toolkit rather than a niche genre expansion. Core Content & Technical Specs
The expansion is substantial, requiring approximately 160GB of disk space for a full installation, which includes immersive 5.0 surround sound options.
6 Drum Kits: Sourced from Filipetti’s private collection and iconic sessions, spanning sounds from the 1930s to modern rock.
Extensive Percussion: Features over 30 percussion instruments, including timpani, congas, bongos, gongs, woodblocks, and orchestral bass drums.
Recording Location: Captured at Power Station New England, a studio modeled after the legendary Power Station in New York.
Versatile Tooling: Kits are sampled with various tools, including sticks, rods, and mallets, and feature "snare wires on/off" options for selected kits. Key Highlights & Features
Broad Sonic Palette: Unlike many SDXs that focus strictly on metal or jazz, Stories covers pop, rock, singer-songwriter, and even musical theater styles.
Mix-Ready Presets: Includes 64 presets engineered by Filipetti and the Toontrack team, ranging from raw, natural tones to highly processed, "glossy" sounds.
Custom MIDI Library: Comes with dedicated MIDI grooves for each drum kit and specific patterns for the percussion collection, performed by Norman Garschke.
Acoustic Environments: Users can blend sounds from three distinct spaces: the main room and two different isolation booths. Expert Consensus
Reviewers from platforms like Sound On Sound and Production Expert highlight its value as a "first expansion" for those who want a versatile, high-quality addition to the core library without being boxed into a specific genre. It is particularly praised for its organic warmth and the rare inclusion of a comprehensive percussion set within a drum expansion.
Introduction
Toontrack Stories SDX is a new soundbank for Toontrack's EZdrummer and Superior Drummer drum software. This soundbank is designed to bring a unique and versatile drum sound to your music productions. In this guide, we'll explore the features and sounds of the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank and provide tips on how to get the most out of it.
What's new in Toontrack Stories SDX?
The Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank features a wide range of drum sounds, from clean and crisp to dirty and gritty. The soundbank is inspired by the sound of classic rock, pop, and indie music, but with a modern twist. Here are some key features of the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank:
Key Features
Here are some key features of the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank:
Tips for using Toontrack Stories SDX
Here are some tips for getting the most out of the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank:
Drum Kit List
Here is a list of the 7 new drum kits included in the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank:
Conclusion
The Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank is a versatile and powerful tool for music producers and drummers. With its wide range of drum sounds, customizable parameters, and high-quality sound design, it's an ideal choice for anyone looking to create high-quality drum tracks. By following the tips and guidelines outlined in this guide, you'll be able to get the most out of the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank and create drum tracks that sound amazing. The Stories SDX Go to product viewer dialog for this item
The Stories SDX Go to product viewer dialog for this item. by Toontrack, released on September 5, 2023, is a comprehensive soundbank for Superior Drummer 3. Produced and recorded by seven-time Grammy-winning engineer Frank Filipetti at Power Station New England, this expansion is designed to span the diverse sonic "stories" of Filipetti's 50-year career. Overview of Contents
The expansion features approximately 160 GB of raw, unprocessed drum sounds recorded through a legendary Neve 8068 MkII console.
6 Full Drum Kits: Handpicked to represent different eras and styles from the 1930s to the 2000s.
34 Percussion Instruments: A massive bonus collection including timpani, gongs, congas, bongos, shakers, and woodblocks.
3 Recording Ambiences: Captured in a main room and two distinct isolation booths for versatility between big, open rock sounds and tight, intimate acoustic tones.
Mix-Ready Presets: Over 60 presets engineered by Frank Filipetti himself.
Custom MIDI Library: Includes a dedicated section for percussion as well as grooves inspired by Filipetti’s iconic projects. Featured Drum Kits
The kits are curated as "mile markers" of Filipetti's career, covering everything from Broadway to modern rock: Modern Rock: 2000s DW Collector’s Series. Classic Rock: 1960s Rogers Londoner 5. Art Rock: 1970s Premier Elite. Acoustic Songwriter: 1980s Gretsch Stop Sign Badge. Vintage Pop: 1960s Ludwig Super Classic.
Musical Theatre: 1930s Slingerland Cloud Badge Radio King (sampled with sticks, mallets, and rods). Key Strengths
Versatility: Reviewers from Sound On Sound and MusicRadar highlight it as one of the most genre-busting SDXs, suitable for anyone needing a high-quality "all-rounder" expansion.
Percussion Integration: Unlike many expansions, the included percussion is comprehensive enough to support pop, rock, and even theater-style pit orchestra scores.
Immersive Audio: All sounds were captured with an additional five room microphones, allowing for mixing in stereo up to 5.0 surround sound. The Stories SDX
is currently available for approximately €179 and requires Superior Drummer 3.3.6 or higher. It can be found at retailers like Toontrack and drum-tec. Stories SDX and other recent releases like The Drum Factory or Real to Reel SDX Go to product viewer dialog for this item. ? Stories SDX | Toontrack
Stories SDX is a massive sound expansion for Superior Drummer 3, recorded by legendary engineer Frank Filipetti. It is designed to capture the "organic, warm, and natural" tones typical of Filipetti’s award-winning work (e.g., James Taylor, Carly Simon). 🥁 Soundbank Overview : Frank Filipetti Total Libraries : 4 distinct libraries (Main, Percussion, etc.) Library Size : Large-scale SDX (roughly 160 GB+) Core Content 6 core drum kits 64 mix-ready presets Extensive MIDI library and song structures 🛠 Included Drum Kits
The main library revolves around three specific tonal profiles: Modern Rock Kit : Punchy and polished for contemporary production. Classic Rock Kit : Warm, vintage response with balanced sustain. Art Rock Kit : Unique, character-driven tones for creative projects. Percussion Library
: A dedicated section featuring shakers, tambourines, and orchestral elements. ✨ Key Features
: Recorded with minimal processing to allow for maximum flexibility in the SD3 mixer. Consistent Cymbal Setup
: The kits share a primary set of cymbals, hi-hats, and rides to ensure smooth transitions between kit swaps. Articulation Depth
: High-resolution sampling including multiple hits per velocity and specialized strikes (brushes, mallets). 💡 Best Uses Singer-Songwriter : Perfect for intimate, acoustic-focused tracks. Pop/Rock Production
: Versatile enough for radio-ready "modern" sounds or retro-leaning "classic" vibes.
: The percussion library adds cinematic textures suitable for film or TV.
If you'd like to get the most out of this library, I can help you: Compare it to other SDX libraries like The Rooms of Hansa Build a custom kit suggestion based on a specific reference track. Understand the installation and disk space requirements.
Which of these would be most helpful for your current project?
Here’s a short piece inspired by the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank — focusing on its cinematic, narrative-driven, and highly expressive drum sounds.
Title: Frames Unspooled
Inspired by: Toontrack Stories SDX (recorded at Utopia Studios with producer Steve Albini, featuring drums by legendary session players)
The first hit doesn’t come as a crash.
It comes as a breath — the low, woolly thud of a 26″ kick drum, felt beater, no pillow. That’s not a drum sound; that’s a room exhaling. Stories SDX doesn’t announce itself. It remembers.
You feel the floorboards of Utopia Studios before you hear the snare. And when the snare arrives — a 1960s Ludwig Supraphonic, wires loose — it doesn’t crack. It unfolds. Rim clicks like old typewriter keys. Ghost notes like footsteps in a hallway. This is not a drum library for metal blasts or pop quantizing. This is for scenes: a motel at dusk, a rain-streaked windshield, a confession spoken too late. New drum kits : The soundbank features several
The hi-hats (Paiste 602, unlathed) don’t sizzle. They breathe — open and close with the uneven pulse of a human leg, not a grid. Ride cymbal? Washed and dark, more like a gong’s distant cousin. Albini’s mics didn’t just capture transients; they captured air moving — the slap of a stick, the rattle of a lug, the creak of a stool.
And the room mics… God, the room mics. Stories SDX gives you the band in the live room — not isolated, not corrected. Bleed is not a bug; it’s the narrator. You can hear the guitar amp humming two feet from the floor tom. You can hear the squeak of the kick pedal as a storytelling detail, not a mistake.
This soundbank doesn’t ask you to play drums. It asks you to direct a memory. Each preset is a location: “Felt & Wire” (lonely, like a train through Kansas). “Ribbon Close” (intimate, like a jazz trio at 2 a.m.). “Trash Overhead” (bruised but beautiful, like a Neil Young record left in the sun).
In a world of sample libraries that scream perfection, Stories SDX whispers imperfect. And that’s why, when you load it up and hit record, you don’t hear a drum track.
You hear a beginning.
Would you like a MIDI drum pattern or a short audio description mock-up written in the style of this soundbank?
Who Should Buy This?
Toontrack Stories SDX is a massive sound expansion for Superior Drummer 3 , recorded at the legendary British Grove Studios
in London. This library is designed for storytellers, offering an immense variety of meticulously captured drum sounds that range from intimate and dry to deep and cinematic. Core Overview of Stories SDX The Concept
: This SDX focuses on the narrative power of drums. It features a vast collection of kits, snares, and cymbals selected for their ability to fit into modern productions, film scoring, and high-end pop/rock. The Recording Space : Produced by award-winning engineer Al Schmitt
and Toontrack’s own team, it utilizes the world-class acoustics of British Grove Studios—a facility built by Mark Knopfler known for its incredible signal chain and vintage gear. Sound Content : It includes roughly
of raw, unprocessed sounds, featuring 6 full drum kits and a massive array of additional snares, kicks, and cymbals. Key Features & Included Kits
The library is divided into two distinct configurations to cover different sonic "stories": Main Library
: Features a wide selection of modern and vintage kits recorded with a standard multi-microphone setup, plus additional room mics for massive scale. : Includes drums from brands like Percussion
: A selection of orchestral and traditional percussion instruments to add cinematic texture. Unprocessed Detail
: Every sample is captured at different velocities and with various striking tools (sticks, brushes, mallets, and rods), ensuring maximum realism. Integrated Presets
: Includes a wide range of mix-ready presets designed by top engineers, allowing you to jump from a "tight 70s funk" sound to a "modern stadium rock" tone instantly. Why It Stands Out Unmatched Detail
: As an SDX (Superior Drummer eXpansion), it leverages the full power of the Superior Drummer 3 engine, including surround sound capabilities (up to 11.1). Versatility
: Unlike genre-specific libraries (like "Metal Machinery" or "Jazz"), Stories SDX is a "workhorse" library. It’s equally at home in a delicate acoustic ballad as it is in a driving indie-rock track. Microphone Options
: It provides access to rare vintage microphones and high-end modern preamps, giving you total control over the "air" and "depth" of the drum mix. Technical Requirements : Requires a working installation of Superior Drummer 3.3 or higher.
: Approximately 160 GB of free hard drive space is required for the full installation (though a "basic" installation option is usually available). MIDI groove library included with this SDX?
The new Stories SDX is not necessarily for metal drummers looking for a triggered kick sound, nor is it for pop producers looking for a dry, gated snare. This is for:
If you own Hans Zimmer SDX or The Rooms of Hansa, you know those libraries excel at bombast and power. The Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank new release is the polar opposite.
If you have pre-ordered or just purchased the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank new library, installation is handled via the Toontrack Product Manager. Be aware: This is a massive library. Weighing in at approximately 36GB uncompressed (22GB download), it requires ample hard drive space. However, due to the long, uncut ambient tails, the sample rate is pristine 44.1kHz/24-bit.
System Requirements:
No SDX is complete without MIDI, and the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank new includes 800+ new MIDI files. These were played by drummer James McAlister (Sufjan Stevens, The National). The patterns are erratic, human, and full of "mistakes" that feel like happy accidents. You get brushes, mallets, fingers, and even drumsticks played on zippers and chains.
Search through the MIDI browser under "Stories" to find categories like "Ghost Notes," "Waltz for the End," and "Foley Pads."
When we say the Toontrack Stories SDX soundbank new library is unique, the proof is in the signal chain. Peter Katis didn't just throw up mics and hit record. He treated the drum kit as a sound design tool.
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