XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2: Review Drum VST Plugin, How to Use and Install for Free

XLN Audio Addictive Trigger ▶︎Plugin Boutique

2. Advantages

There are three advantages when using XLN Audio “Addictive Drums 2“

Easy to use even for beginners
Trigger can be used
You can choose your favorite drum kit

(1)Easy to use even for beginners

Compared to other drum software, even beginners can use it easily.

Use of drum software requires knowledge of drum recording.

Addictive Drums 2 is easy to understand the operation screen, and I think that it is easy to make sounds even if you do not have knowledge of drum recording.

(2)Trigger can be used

Addictive Drums 2 has a Trigger sound added to the drum.

For this reason, a strong sound can be produced.

What is a trigger?

Trigger is a sound that adds attack and power to the drum. Triggers are also used for acoustic drum recordings. Recently, triggers have also been used in live performances. If you are using other drum software, a plugin called Addictive Trigger is sold separately, so you can use only the trigger.

(3)You can choose your favorite drum kit

Addictive Drums 2 allows you to select only your favorite drum kit with Custom (3 types) or Custom XL (6 types). So you don’t get a drum set you don’t need. You can buy only what you like.

3. Disadvantages that you should know before using

However, there is a disadvantage to know before using XLN Audio “Addictive Drums 2“

That is, there are not enough parameters to seek realism.

For example, for the cymbals, the popular drum software “BFD 3” has more tracks and can be set in detail.

However, if you want realism, you need to have knowledge of drum recording.

4. How to buy (Explain ADpaks)

Addictive Drums 2 has a total of 21 different drum kits (ADpak), and each package has a different drum kits. Each package is as follows.

Package	ADpaks
Complete Collection 699.95USD	All ADpaks
Creative Collection 329.95USD	Fairfax Vol.1,2 Session Percussion Black Velvet Vintage Dry Reel Machines
Custom XL 329.95USD	Choose any 6 ADpaks
Basic 169.95USD	Fairfax Vol.1,2 Black Velvet
Custom 169.95USD	Choose any 3 ADpaks
Rock & Metal Edition 169.95USD	Fairfax Vol.1 Studio Rock Metal
Beat Producer Edition 169.95USD	Session Percussion Vintage Dry Reel Machines

The package that I think is evenly covered is the Creative Collection, but I recommend choosing your favorite ADpaks with Custom or Custom XL. If your favorite drum kit is packaged together, choose that package.

From here, I will introduce each ADpak.

Basically you should choose ADpak according to the genre of music you make, but personally I thought United Pop and Vintage Dry were good.

* If you buy ADpak by itself, it is an extended function because it does not have AD2 engine. Please be careful.

Boutique Mallets

ADpak using felt mallet. It is suitable for movie music or jazz, but it can be used for pop because it has a sound with an ordinary stick.

United Heavy

Drum kit suitable for hard rock and metal. It is also recommended if you need a drum that has a strong impact.

Modern Soul And R&B

Drum kit suitable for Soul and R&B. It features a fat sound.

United Pop

Drum kit suitable for pops. It is a sound source recorded in Studio A of Ocean Way Studio where many famous songs were recorded.

Fairfax Vol. 1

Sound source recorded at the Fairfax Recordings studio in Los Angeles. Suitable for standard rock sound.

Fairfax Vol. 2

Sound source recorded at Studio Fairfax Recordings in Los Angeles. This is a sound source using Gretsch’s Round Badge from the late 60’s. There is an old feeling compared to Vol.1.

Funk

Drum kit suitable for funk.

Vintage Dry

It features a dry drum sound of the 70’s.

Black Velvet

Drum kit suitable for stadium rock.

Session Percussion

This is a percussion kit.

Indie

Drum kit using analog tape and vintage microphone.

Metal

As the name suggests, it is suitable for metal. Produced by music producer Ross Robinson of famous artists such as Korn and Slipknot.

Reel Machines

This is the sound source which recorded the famous rhythm machine Roland TR-808, TR-909, Lindrum, and Electronic Drum Simmons using analog tape.

Modern Jazz Sticks

As the name suggests, it is a sound source that is hit with a jazz stick.

Includes Premier Gen-X drum set and Ludwig Acrolite Snare.

Modern Jazz Brushes

As the name suggests, it is a sound source that has been hit with a jazz brush.

Retroplex

You can get drums like 70’s Glam Rock, David Bowie and Lou Reed.

It is recorded in a transparent acrylic Vistalite drum set and features clear sustain.

Blue Oyster

You can get a drum sound like Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. A sound reminiscent of the late 60’s.

Black Oyster

Sound source recorded with a drum set called Ludwig Black Oyster. It is exactly the Beatles sound of the early 60’s.

Studio Prog

A clean and balanced sound source suitable for progressive rock.

Studio Pop

A clean and balanced sound source suitable for pop music.

Studio Rock

A clean and balanced sound source suitable for rock.

5. Free version

Addictive Drums 2 is available for free.

The free version includes kicks, snares, hi-hats and crashes for Fairfax Vol 1. Toms and rides are not available.

6. How to install and activate XLN Audio products

Plugin Boutique explains how to install and activate.

It is completed mainly in the following 4 steps.

Register an account with XLN Audio
Download XLN Online Installer
Launch XLN Online Installer and enter serial number from “Register Product”
Install product from XLN Online Installe

7. How to use

I will explain the main parameters of Addictive Drums 2.

Addictive Drums 2 has presets from the upper left and KIT, EDIT, FX and BEATS from the upper right.

KIT

You can see each drum at a glance.

Each drum is linked with the same name at the top and the name of the mixer.

Cymbals other than hihat (SYM1-6, RIDE1-2) have no separate mixer and are reflected in OH and Room.

What is OH?

Abbreviation for overhead. Sound recorded in stereo (two microphones LR) from the top of the drum.

You can select a drum by the name below, “L”, “▼”, “▲”.

“M” is mute and “S” is solo.

The slider on the right is volume. Go to EDIT with “E”.

Those with the Link mark on the upper right are linked by dragging and dropping the link mark, and when you play the drum, the linked one also sounds at the same time.

EDIT

KITPIECE SELECT

You can switch the drum you want to edit in the upper left.

You can decide the level, PAN, and Width to be reflected in OH and Room.

KITPIECE CONTROLS

All KITPIECE CONTROLS can be turned on and off with the orange button at the top left. You can also turn them off all at once.

RESPONSE controls the volume, filter, and sample width that change with velocity. By pressing “No Alts” you can also turn off alternative samples (Multiple samples are played).

You can control the pitch of Main or OH and Room only.

PITCH ENVELOPE allows you to change the pitch over time.

PITCH ENVELOPE can be changed to TONE DESIGNER, where you can control the tone change.

VOLUME ENVELOPE can control the volume that changes over time. The “CUT” next to it acts as a filter by adjusting the Range.

By clicking on the name at the top of the mixer, the effects applied to each will be displayed.

There is a picture of the drum on the left end. The drums that can be controlled are limited, and the following three are available.

Snare: Top / Bottom balance, Snare Buzz resonating volume

Kick: Beater / Front balance

Room: Distance

NOISE

This effect adds noise. There are 8 types, Decay and Level can be controlled.

Tube U47 & Tape
JB White Noise
DC Noise & Hum
Muff Stompbox
Vinyl
Tape 7.5ips
Tape 15ips
Fairfax Noise

TAPE & SHAPE

TAPE adds the texture of analog tape, and “SHAPE” emphasizes and suppresses attack and sustain.

“SAT” is a saturation limiter.

COMP & DIST

Compressor and distortion.

There are seven types of distortion, and you can set Amount, Mix, and the band to be reflected.

TubePair
IronTransformer
AirPressure
Crush
Zap
Heavy
BitCrush

TAPE & SHAPE and COMP & DIST can be switched by “◀︎▶︎”.

High pass, low pass and 4 band equalizer

FX

Up to two effects that have both reverb and delay can be used.

Pressing FX will display the parameters of how much to send above the mixer on each track.

You can control four types of reverb and delay: Amb, Room, Hall, and Plate.

BEATS

This is a preset drum pattern.

It is possible to bring the pattern to the DAW by dragging and dropping.

It is also possible to control timing, velocity, accent, etc. with TRANSFORM.

SEPARATE OUT

In the case of drum software, since each drum is not a separate track, it cannot be adjusted with a DAW, which is inconvenient.

You will need to export them on separate tracks. This can be done from the lower left corner of the mixer.

“Pre Fader” does not reflect the mixer volume adjustment, and “Post Fader” reflects the mixer adjustment.

After setting up separate tracks, add new audio tracks and receive each out.

Summary

Addictive Drums 2 is recommended as the first drum software because it is easy to use even for beginners and can change the sound easily.

ADpak allows you to choose your favorite drum kit, so you can buy only the drum kit you need.

However, there are some parts that cannot be set in detail compared to BFD 3.

I hope this article is helpful for you.