Why LA Session Drummer Stands Out Among VST Drum Kits: A Comparison with Toontrack Superior Drummer and Steven Slate Drums
In the crowded world of virtual kits, few names shine brighter than Toontrack Superior Drummer, Steven Slate Drums, and LA Session Drummer. Each of these VSTs (Virtual Studio Technology plugins) has carved its niche, but when it comes to delivering an unmatched combination of realism, versatility, and user experience, LA Session Drummer stands tall. Whether you're a producer working in a professional studio or a songwriter crafting ideas at home, choosing the right VST can make all the difference in your workflow and the final sound of your track.
In this article, we’ll explore why LA Session Drummer outshines the competition, focusing on its unique offerings and comparing it with Toontrack's Superior Drummer and the iconic Steven Slate Drums lineup.
The Role of Drum VSTs in Modern Music Production
Before diving into the details, it’s worth highlighting why VST instruments are essential for today’s producers. The ability to access professionally recorded kits, MIDI grooves, and dynamic articulations within your digital audio workstation (DAW) has revolutionized music production. VSTs in combination with midi controllers and electronic kits allow users to tap into a vast world of pro level drum sounds to produce rock music, soul music, hip hop music, pop music, electronic music, indie rock, progressive rock, heavy metal music, funk, jazz, reggae, and even drum and bass. All without setting up a sigle microphone.
Producers often look for the best VST to save time, avoid hiring live drummers, and achieve the flexibility needed for genres as diverse as electronic music, soul, and blues. But the key to a truly standout VST lies in its ability to blend organic, human-like performances with virtual studio technology. This is where LA Session Drummer excels.
If you're a songriter, music producer, or drummer wondering how to start using a VST drum look into getting a digital audio workstation; Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Reaper, Studio One, Cubase, FL studio, all of which are avalible for mac or windows operating system. Programming these VST drum sample instrumnets can be a challenge at first but tutorial videos for using midi to program a groove are only a few clicks away!
LA Session Drummer vs. Toontrack EZdrummer 3
Realism and Sampling Depth
Toontrack Superior Drummer is a favorite among producers for its ease of use, intuitive interface, and highly detailed sampling. It offers a massive library of grooves and fills, along with genre-specific expansion packs like funk, techno, and jazz. Its GrooveAI feature simplifies MIDI programming and helps users drag and drop grooves into their sessions effortlessly.
However, LA Session Drummer takes realism to a new level. Unlike Superior Drummer’s algorithmic approach to dynamics, LA Session Drummer is built around what drummers and producers actually reach for in live studio recording settings. Straight from the experienced hands of Zak St. John (one of the only 2 Drum Doctors) with meticulous attention to detail. These kits were not just selected but methodically curated from the personal collections of today’s most in-demand Los Angeles session drummers. These kits have been featured on countless iconic recordings, ensuring that every cymbal, shell, and beater represents a piece of music history.
To capture this authenticity, each kit was expertly recorded using the same microphone techniques, placements, and treatments used on major-label projects. The process focused on delivering a sound that is release-ready straight out of the box, offering users an organic, immersive quality without the need for additional processing. Whether it’s the tonal warmth of the shells or the shimmering detail of the cymbals, every nuance has been captured to replicate the feeling of playing a real kit, whether you're a live drummer playing from an eKit or a composer editing with a sampler or midi keyboard, your drum rhythm will feel full of dynamic range and real feel for your music productions.
Genre Versatility
While EZ drummer 3 offers specialized packs tailored to different genres, LA Session Drummer takes a more organic, hand-selected approach to its drum kits. Instead of focusing on specific genre, each kit is carefully curated based on the overall sound and how the individual components complement one another. The selection process prioritizes real-world drum recording sessions, where the choice of snare drums, shell types, tuning, and cymbals matters most for achieving a balanced, cohesive sound.
LA Session Drummer’s kits feature a range of must-have snare drums, iconic shell sizes, and thoughtfully chosen cymbal sets that fit together like they were part of a real recording session. Every element has been selected to ensure that the sounds work in harmony, making it an ideal tool for producers seeking a versatile, authentic sound that translates well across genres. This handpicked combination ensures that the final product has the depth and character needed for professional productions, with no need for constant tweaking or over-processing. They sound great out of the box and becuase of effort made in tuning, mic placement, and recording, there is little processing done to the samples, allowing the drum kit to be mixed as needed for the sound you're going for.
Workflow and User Interface
Superior Drummer’s drag-and-drop functionality is undeniably user-friendly, especially for beginners. However, LA Session Drummer combines simplicity with depth. Its interface gives users the freedom to fine-tune every aspect of the sound, from pitch, mic sources, panning, and all the basic mix tools in a single page, saving you all the menue diving that would be required in other drum VST. This balance between ease of use and customizability appeals to both novice producers and seasoned professionals as LA Session Drummer allows for multi-out routing allowing the user to use all of the processing they would be using on a live kit recording.
The interface is designed to be incredibly intuitive. It allows users to quickly dial in the perfect sound without feeling overwhelmed by a complex set of controls. Whether you're adjusting levels, tweaking snare drum tone, or fine-tuning the overhead or room microphone, the user experience is streamlined and highly responsive. Even for those new to the world of drum VSTs, LA Session Drummer offers a low learning curve while still providing advanced features for more experienced users.
What sets LA Session Drummer apart from other plugins is its deliberate approach to sampling. The samples are lightly processed to give the user the most accurate representation of a drum kit in a real room. This allows the producer to take the raw, organic sound and shape it into their mix, rather than being restricted by a pre-processed kit sound. The decision to lightly process the samples ensures that the drums sound authentic but also versatile enough to be molded into any musical context, whether you’re creating punchy rock beats or smooth, subtle grooves.
Built for Electronic Drum Kits
One of the standout features of LA Session Drummer is its design for use with electronic drum kits. From the very beginning, the software was developed with the electronic drummer in mind, ensuring that users could have the most authentic playing experience possible. For all of you who know how frushtrating the Hi-Hat control can be, know that LA Session Drummer provides a toggle to switch between CC4 and keyboard style control of the open/closed High-Hat cymbal right in the user interface.
The plugin includes custom velocity curve controls that allow drummers to dial in each midi drum pad to correspond with the correct articulation and response. This feature provides an experience similar to playing a physical drum kit, making it much easier to achieve the perfect feel and inspire some creativity in a groove. This custom velocity feature can be edited in a global mode or one every single peice and articulation. It really brings a detailed reponse to every single tap tap tap on your midi keyboard or virtual ekit.
Setting up the velocity curves and midi mapping on physical electronic kits can be a daunting task, often requiring intricate adjustments and multiple layers of setup. With LA Session Drummer, this process is far easier, allowing users to focus on the performance rather than the technicalities. These feature adds another layer of realism and playability that makes LA Session Drummer an excellent choice for electronic drum kit users.
LA Session Drummer vs. Steven Slate Drums
Sound Quality and Sampling Philosophy
Steven Slate Drums, particularly Steven Slate Drums 5 (SSD5), has long been regarded as a staple for producers seeking punchy, radio-ready sounds. Its samples are pristine, making it a go-to for pop music, rock music, and drum and bass. SSD5’s ability to integrate with the Steven Slate Drums Trigger 2 plugin has further solidified its reputation for replacing or enhancing recorded tracks.
However, the highly processed nature of Steven Slate Drums can sometimes feel too polished, especially for producers seeking a rawer, more human sound. LA Session Drummer addresses this by focusing on unprocessed samples that capture the natural acoustics of live kits. By leaving room for producers to craft their mixes, LA Session Drummer offers a level of flexibility that SSD5 lacks.
The key difference lies in LA Session Drummer’s attention to realism and entirely useable samples. While SSD5 offers excellent sound for commercial, radio-ready tracks, LA Session Drummer provides a more customized dynamic range of sounds, the sounds used by actual session drummers working in Los Angeles. It’s ideal for users who want the flexibility to shape their own sound rather than rely on the preset qualities of processed kits that can often be too limiting.
Free Options and Accessibility
One standout feature of the Steven Slate ecosystem is the availability of Steven Slate Drums Free—a stripped-down version of the full plugin. While this is a great entry point, it can’t compete with the depth and realism of LA Session Drummer, even at its base level. Additionally, LA Session Drummer provides free audio downloads, allowing users to test out its premium-quality sounds before committing.
This free access is a great way for producers to experience LA Session Drummer’s core offering without any financial commitment. It ensures that the user can experience the true depth of the sound library and decide whether it meets their needs before purchasing. Download your free set of audio sounds by signing up to the LA Session Drummer newsletter.
Integration and Performance
For those working in Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Reaper, Studio One, Cubase, FL Studio, or any other major DAW, seamless integration is essential. LA Session Drummer is specifically built for Native Instruments’ Kontakt Player, making it an incredibly powerful tool for producers and engineers. Unlike other drum plugins, LA Session Drummer takes full advantage of Kontakt’s advanced features, offering a smooth, intuitive experience within a familiar, robust platform.
By being built for Kontakt Player, LA Session Drummer ensures compatibility with the wide array of DAWs that support Kontakt, delivering exceptional performance across both macOS and Windows systems. Whether you're using a high-performance Mac with Apple Silicon or an Intel-powered rig, LA Session Drummer takes advantage of Kontakt's optimized architecture to provide a fluid, responsive experience. This ensures low latency and minimal CPU usage, even when running complex MIDI grooves or large, multi-layered drum kits, making it ideal for demanding studio sessions and live performances.
The Kontakt Player integration also provides producers with advanced sound-shaping tools, deep modulation options, and powerful articulations that elevate the versatility and expressiveness of each kit. With Kontakt's built-in support for multiple outputs, users can easily route individual drums and cymbals for precise mixing, giving them total control over their drum sounds without overloading the system.
In short, LA Session Drummer’s deep integration with Native Instruments Kontakt Player not only guarantees optimal performance but also enhances the user experience, making it a perfect fit for professional studios and home setups alike.
Why LA Session Drummer is the Best VST
The Go-To Kits for Every Genre
LA Session Drummer stands out not just for its organic sound but for the fact that its drum kits have been hand-selected for their versatility and authenticity in real-world recording sessions. These kits, recorded and produced by drummers Zak St. John and Kevin DePree at a Zaks's drum studio in Burbank, California, are the same ones that top drummers and engineers rely on for a wide variety of projects. Whether you're working on a high-energy rock track, a smooth jazz piece, or an infectious pop groove, LA Session Drummer offers drum kits that excel in their respective genres.
With Zak's extensive career playing with iconic artists such as Stevie Wonder, Corey Taylor, and Metallica, and Kevin’s experience producing music for film, television, and advertising, the drum kits provided by LA Session Drummer have been carefully curated to offer the best possible sound for each specific style of music. These aren’t just generic, pre-made collections—they are the hand-picked choices from a seasoned team of professionals who understand the nuances of drumming and how drums fit into a recording.
For example, LA Session Drummer’s kits include some of the most iconic and sought-after snare drums, bass drums, and cymbals used in the studio today. The collection features drum shells chosen for their tonal consistency and character, ensuring that the drums vst will sound great across a variety of musical genres. These carefully selected cymbal sets offer a range of sounds, from crisp and bright to dark and complex, providing producers with options that can cut through a mix or add nuance and warmth.
What sets LA Session Drummer apart is not just its attention to detail but the natural, organic sound that comes from a genuine recording process. The kits are captured in a real drum studio with high-quality microphone and preamp equipment, preserving the depth, richness, and character of each individual instrument. This approach delivers drum sounds that are not only authentic but also dynamic, allowing for a broad range of expression in every performance.
Whether you’re creating hard-hitting rock beats, intricate jazz rhythms, or smooth R&B grooves, LA Session Drummer’s drum kits provide the sonic palette you need to achieve your creative vision. The kits are designed with flexibility in mind, making them adaptable to a wide range of musical styles, all while maintaining the character and realism that make them stand out.
With LA Session Drummer, you don’t just get a collection of drum sounds—you gain access to the go-to kits that have been used by professional session musicians and producers on some of the biggest projects in the music industry. The sound quality, realism, and versatility of these kits ensure that every groove, fill, and backbeat fits seamlessly into your music, no matter the genre.
The Future of VST Plugin Drums
As the music industry evolves, so does the demand for VST plugin kits free of compromise. LA Session Drummer stands out not just for its quality but for its forward-thinking approach to sampling and user experience. By offering regular updates, new kits, and genre defining drum sounds from entire history of recorded music, it ensures that users always have the tools they need to stay ahead of trends or stick with the ons they love.
Comparing the Ecosystems
When choosing between LA Session Drummer, Superior Drummer, and Steven Slate Drums, it’s crucial to consider the broader ecosystem:
- Superior Drummer is ideal for beginners who value simplicity and pre-made grooves but may feel limiting for advanced users.
- Steven Slate Drums shines in polished genres but lacks the flexibility to cater to more organic, experimental styles.
- LA Session Drummer provides a flexible, realistic experience for both electronic kit users and traditional producers, with unparalleled authenticity and customizability.
Conclusion: Why LA Session Drummer is the Clear Winner
At the heart of LA Session Drummer is a commitment to capturing the real, organic feel of live drumming. This isn’t just about technical precision; it’s about bringing the human touch to every beat, groove, and fill. Created by drummers for drummers, LA Session Drummer reflects the passion, artistry, and emotion that comes with playing real drums in real studio sessions.
What sets LA Session Drummer apart from other drum libraries is its deeply human approach to sampling. The kits are selected not just for their sound, but for the stories they tell in every hit, from the way a snare crackles to the subtle nuances of a kick drum. It’s a product born from years of experience in studios, where every drum sound is crafted with care and attention, and where real players are behind the kit, making every note count.
Whether you’re an electronic drum kit user or someone coming from an acoustic setup, LA Session Drummer connects you to that authentic, human energy in a way that feels natural and responsive. The intuitive design ensures you can get the sound you want, while the flexibility lets you shape it in a way that suits your musical voice. It’s about creating music that resonates—not just technically, but emotionally.
For anyone who craves a VST that feels as real and alive as the drumming sessions it’s drawn from, LA Session Drummer is more than just a tool—it’s an extension of the drummer’s spirit, ready to bring your music to life.
For anyone who craves a VST that feels as real and alive as the drumming sessions it’s drawn from, LA Session Drummer is more than just a tool—it’s an extension of the drummer’s spirit, ready to bring your music to life.