Native Instruments recently teamed up with renowned drummer/producer Butch Vig at United Recording for Native's Play Series instruments, the first in a run of collaborations with major artists.
Vig is best known as a co-founding member of the alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of seminal albums such as Nirvana's Nevermind, Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown.
Butch Vig Drums is the first in a new line of artist-created Play Series instruments, bringing world-famous music producers' signature sounds together into intuitive and inspiring instruments with excellent sounding presets and real-time control.
Butch Vig Drums were recorded at United Recording's iconic Studio A in Hollywood just before Los Angeles issued its Safer at Home order. Vig was joined by engineer Billy Bush, United staff engineer Wesley Seidman and drummer Mike Fasano. Also on hand were Native Instruments product owner Dino Vallianatos and The Loop Loft founder Ryan Gruss.
"When Butch and I decided to partner on this project, we discussed our options for studios, and United's iconic Studio A quickly became our #1 choice," said Gruss. "We knew it would allow us to capture a more 'wide open' sound by placing the drums out in the middle of the live room and also a 'dry and tight sound' by utilizing the various vocal booths. In addition to that flexibility, the acoustics in that particular studio are unparalleled. Original owner/designer Bill Putman was a sonic genius and the results you get when recording at United speak for themselves."
The United Recording sounds were further processed through a bespoke selection of analog and digital preamps, compressors, stomp boxes and more at Vig's home studio "GrungeIsDead." The results are hard-hitting drums, grooves, and FX presets created by one of rock music's most influential producers, with hands-on control for easily programmed drum tracks that work in various styles.
Butch Vig Drums includes 21 individual drum kits, each with 16 one-shots created using Butch Vig's distinctive approach to percussive sound design. Each kit also comes with 16 preset MIDI patterns, which can be triggered using a MIDI controller or edited within any DAW using drag and drop technology.
Pictured in United Recordings Studio A are (l-r) Dinos Vallianatos, Priscilla Jimenez, Zane Gedler, Ryan Gruss, James Ellington, Mike Fasano, Butch Vig, Wesley Seidman, and Billy Bush. Photo by David Goggin
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