Addictive Drums Authorization Code 100
Taj Barnett
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Note: This product is delivered as license code. No box, no data medium or similar. Please check registration/download/compatibility with your system BEFORE purchasing. Software is not returnable after registration.
XLN Audio's popular Addictive Drum 2 Engine is a drum production studio in software form that allows you to play and record the various soundpacks in real time on a MIDI keyboard or e-drums. But that's not all: In order to create a tasteful overall picture, all individual instruments can be mixed and their sound changed. For this purpose there are eg. Compressor, Equalizer, Tape Saturator etc. are available, while the integrated reverbs provide that certain something.
Is the snare carpet a bit too loud? No problem - with just a few clicks you can change the ratio to the snare hit. Looking for a quick fill-in because you don't have time to program due to deadlines? In the browser you'll find various MIDI files that you can simply "drag and drop" into your MIDI track. Even the splitting of all played instruments into single tracks is possible in DAWs, saving time-consuming separation of the MIDI notes.
1) How easy is the install/registration process? Does this involve registering and installing multiple services just to use AD2? (I've seen this strategy before and it doesn't please me.)
2) What is the value for my money? I find the package(s) details/verbiage a bit confusing. How many *actual* drum kits are bundled in each package? Are those "presets" (what are presets?) or actual kits?
3) For one who composes mostly rock, pop, ballads, and alternative, what AD2 drum paks would you consider most sufficiently cover such mainstream genres across the board? (After all, I'm competing with Session Drummer 3 and SI-Drum Kit.)
XLN Audio install and activate their products using a proprietary installer. For installation and activation the PC must be connected to the internet. AFAIK, nothing runs in the background. Once installed and activated there is no requirement to be connected to the internet.
AD2 includes the ability to do a lot of editing and processing to the instruments, so that's where the presets are coming from. It's a lot more than a basic drum vsti. I have several different ADpacks that I got for free, or cheap, when offered by Cakewalk/XLN as promo packages. They all sound different and all are useful for getting different kinds of sounds. Most of the presets have a bit TOO much processing in them for my taste so when I use it I tend to strip it down and use Cakewalk for processing.
I'm currently trying out the AD2 Demo, and I'm quite pleased so far. However, it seems as though some of my key mapping is missing. I can sample every preset in the AD2 browser screen, but on my DAW Piano Roll, I'm only able to play some drum pieces (usually kick drum, sometimes the snare and a few cymbals). Some presets play more notes on the PRV, and some play only a few. Also, on the AD2 browser screen, some of the visual drum kit's pieces are greyed out.
I, too, only use the PRV for MIDI but I use a drum map instead of the keyboard. I've never seen anything grayed out so it's because it's a demo version. Here's a screencap of a slightly altered Fairfax Vol. 2 City Nights Preset. You can add, remove or change any of the kit pieces to any you have available. You can always buy more. You can use any kit piece with any ADpack or preset.
You get AD2 with your choice of content. So pick any 3 kits (ADPaks), plus any 3 MIDIPaks, plus 3 additional kit pieces. You don't have to select them all up front, as XLN will show unused credits until you select all the parts you registered.
The only issue I have with Addictive Drums is the periodic loss of authorization and the subsequent "wrong computer" error message. This is I believe triggered by window updates. Its not a big job to go into online installer and rectify it but I should really not be happening and it does not inspire confidence.
I am not sure of the frequency of the problem these days as I usually use Superior Drummer of BFD3 both of which I prefer. Addictive drums is a good solution however if you like you drums a little more "mix ready".
I have AD2 on account (waiting to get some kits, etc.) so I haven't faced the re-authorization issue. Maybe someone know, does that need to be done just with Windows upgrades? I have had issues with Pace iLok and uninstalled it along with software that uses it. However, please correct me if I am wrong, it seemed like Pace/iLok and/or the software that uses that protection scheme needs to log in every time the software is boot. In fact, one software package tried to sync to the corporate servers frequently (i.e., while using the software). I opted out of that "feature." but the software still tried and failed.
The issue with XLN is that if your Windows machine ID changes, then it looks like you are using a different computer that has not been activated with XLN yet. Usually a quick fix, Nothing running in the background like some other protection schemes. Just the XLN Installer that you run on demand.
Or they could do whatever nearly everybody else does. I don't know exactly what that is mind you, only that I have a lot of paid s/w from Arturia, iZotope, IKM, and NI, (not to mention Adobe CC), and none of them ever periodically lose their authorization, despite the semiannual Win10 updates.
AD2: I like it and use it, too. But as one said before, there is a lot of processing in their presets and I prefer to do the processing in the DAW (CbB) by myself! I don't like those over-defined presets, because they often conflict with the rest of the mix. Yes, they sound cool when you run the drums on its own. But as soon as you add several other tracks (bass, guitars, synths, ...) they get your mix too busy!
The 2nd thing that I dislike in AD2 is that many of their drum instruments are too roomy. If you listen e.g. to their snare track only, then it is very quiet, i.e. the snare goes mainly thru the overheads and room mics. This makes it very difficult to mix when you want to increase or decrease the snare, because you also affect other components and the sound of the snare. And if you want to choose your own room and reduce the room/overhead on some instruments, then the sound is quite weak (snare, toms). Regarding roomy the worst for me is the kick, because until today I have never managed to get the more natural sound that I want (that is very easy to achieve within NI drum kits).
I agree on the processing - I too prefer to control that from the DAW, and also concur on kits like AD2 that sound great played by themselves, but often have to be tweaked a lot, to get them to sit in the mix. I find the Native Instruments kits in Kontakt libraries to be absolutely amazing, and have generally switched to using those, as firstly I get more output channels available to split kit pieces to their own audio output channels in Kontakt, the sounds are amazing, and the mapping is at least on par with AD2, and quite possibly even provides more midi note choices. (the Kontakt Studio Drummer library, for example, has notes mapped from note number 22, all the way up to note number 105, and includes note numbers mapped to things like Hi-Hat fully closed, 1/4 open, 1/2 open, 3/4 open, loosely open, and fully open).
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