Drums!
Happy New Year, and welcome to the January 2025 issue of RECORDING Magazine.
As has been our tradition for the past eleven years, our January is dedicated to drum recording and crafting the perfect beats for your production. Whether capturing acoustic drums with a well-chosen collection of microphones or employing the latest advances in virtual drum technology, this is the issue for groove creators of all kinds.
Reviews
We have 11 reviews this month, starting with the new Strata Core electric drum kit from Alesis. Moving to the software side of drum production, we check out the literal State Of The Art SDX expansion pack for Toontrack Superior Drummer. Next up, we check out three plugins designed to give your drum tracks more weight and impact––Sub Factory from AIR Music Technology, Trinity Shaper from Three-Body Technology, and Subcraft from UJAM. Also, in this issue’s Plugin Outlet, we have UnitedPlugins Biverb and Transit 2 from Baby Audio. Finally, “in the box,” we dig into the newest version of the popular DAW, Presonus Studio 1.
To help you make and mix your tracks, we have the affordable Forty Series Studio Monitors from M-Audio. Finally, on the hardware side, we check out the new fourth-generation Novation Launchkey 49 MK4 and the snazzy new m303 direct box from Grace Design.
Interview
In what’s also become a bit of a tradition, hand-in-hand with this issue’s Toontrack State Of The Art SDX review, we sit down and talk with 8x Grammy Award winner. Elliot Scheiner, about his years of drum recording experience and the creation of his aforementioned signature SDX. [GET IT HERE]
Features
All of our popular columns are back for 2025. Producer Mark Hornsby returns in Inside The Studio with some drum mix starting points. [GET IT HERE] Giles Reaves begins his second year of recording observations, musings and applications in RECORDING Field Notes, where this month, he helps us think like a drummer. [GET IT HERE] Joe Albano is back with a new syllabus in Studio 101, and this year’s lesson plan focuses on all aspects of the home studio. [GET IT HERE]
Our resident Readers’ Tracks guru begins a new column called Recording Techniques with Dave Martin, and Los Angeles producer Jenso Plymouth returns with another installment of his modern recording techniques column, this time focused on Modern Drum Production. [GET IT HERE]
Finally, we welcome Nashville producer Jamie Tate to RECORDING with some drum session thoughts in this issue’s Fade Out.
That’s more recording advice and gear reviews than you can shake a stick at! Get into the groove with the January 2025 issue of RECORDING Magazine.