Addictive Drums 2 Review – Does it Sound Real?

Ever felt your beats could hit harder, sound richer, and be more immersive? You’re not alone.

When writing this review for Addictive Drums 2, I wanted to keep in mind music creators that really want to perfect the drum sound, and this drum library’s ability to do that is what sets it apart from the competition.

Why else is it a game changer? Even though Addictive Drums 2 has been around for a while, it remains one of the most powerful tools for producers. With classic kits like the Vintage Kit and a steady flow of new releases, it continues to stay relevant.

What makes it stand out is its flexibility. You can change drum sounds instantly and manipulate natural-sounding drums into hyped electronic sounds with ease.

The Drums Don’t Just Sound Real… They Sound Really Good

The reason AD2 drums sound so real is because all of the samples are based on real recordings of professional drummers playing on real drum kits. But let’s face it, not all real drums sound good. What makes AD2’s drum samples sound so good is that they were recorded with great sounding drums in world class studios by great mics positioned perfectly by professional engineers who knew what they were doing. Not only do you get the close mic sounds of the drums, but you can easily manipulate the overhead mics and room mics to completely change the overall sound of the drums.

Each drum and cymbal was meticulously sampled hundreds of times with different velocities and articulations, giving anyone the ability to program a drum part with nuances like ghost notes, snare rolls, both snare and tom rim shots, and choked cymbals. In April’s 2.7 update, they even created a toggle switch to turn on and off the snare buzz (snare bleed) you naturally hear when you strike the kick or tom mics. This is one of the many features that makes AD2 drums sound so natural and real.

This is why the overhead and room mics that blend the sounds of the individual drums are so important to a drum kit sounding real. If it’s more of a drum machine or hyped up 80s sound you’re going for, then the overhead mics do not play as important of a role. AD2 has many different genre-specific drum kits with different preset mic balances to help you get started. They have recently added new drum kits such as Vintage Dead, which is a follow-up to their earlier Vintage Dry Kit. The team continues to expand the library with fresh and modern options for all kinds of music styles.

Modern and Popular Kits

Addictive Drums continues to improve upon existing kits while constantly releasing new and ever more popular kits.

The built-in drum kits offer an impressive array of sounds from deep, bombastic sounds perfect for genres influenced by the 60’s thru today’s current rock vibes to intimate jazz club scenes with deeply sampled kits played with brushes.

There’s even a cool custom kit deeply sampled playing the drum kit with mallets (something I haven’t found anywhere else). Even seasoned musicians seeking to improve their compositions can find value in experimenting with its array of features.

Here are some of Addictive Drums’s most popular drum kits:

Modern Heavy

• Designed for aggressive and hard-hitting genres like metal and modern rock.
• Features a double kick setup and densely layered samples for maximum impact.
• Recorded in Studio Grondahl where rock and heavy metal bands such as Bloodbath, The Hives, Carcass, and Sepultura recorded their drums.
• Comes with six different snare drums including a Ludwig Black Beauty, TAMA Mastercraft “The Bell Brass” tuned high, medium and low, a piccolo pearl free floating brass, and a fat TAMA star reserve.

Jazz Brushes Kit

• Sampled entirely with brushes for a soft, swishy texture.
• Ideal for jazz, lo-fi, and intimate acoustic styles.
• Recorded at Soundtrade Studios which has hosted recordings by bands such as ABBA and Childish Gambino.
• Samples created with an old discontinued Premier kit tuned specifically for modern jazz.

Boutique Mallets

• Played using mallets to create a warm, cinematic tone.
• Perfect for film scoring, ambient tracks, and experimental production.
• Drums are sampled using both mallets and sticks as well as snare drum with the snares both on and off.

Vintage Dead Kit

• Successor to Vintage Dry but more polished and processed.
• Excellent for 70s-inspired grooves and dry funk.
• Recorded with no resonant heads and every type of classic dampening method possible giving a thumpier dead sound that makes the drums hit harder.

Fairfax Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

• Recorded at Sound City; the studio that recorded legendary rock bands Nirvana, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Weezer and many others.
• Both drum kits were older Gretsch kits with many special snare drums from a Craviotto, to a Ludwig Black Beauty and 20’s Brass snare, to a special snare nicknamed the “Terminator”. The rumor is that the Terminator was used on many hit records, most notably Nirvana’s Nevermind.

Is Addictive Drums Free?

Although Addictive Drums is not a free plugin, you can get a 10-day trial with three drum kits (Fairfax 1, Vintage Dead, and Modern Heavy). While being limited to just three different drumkits, you can still get a feel for the power behind how much you can control the sound of the drums through AD2’s powerful mixer, FX, and editing page.

Features That Make Addictive Drums Work Better Than Other Drum VSTs

From meticulously recorded acoustic drums to a suite of high-quality effects, Addictive Drums 2 is a powerhouse. Users can access countless preset sounds and modify them to their hearts’ content.

I like to start from the Explore page to listen to previews of presets designed by producers and mixers like Spike Stent. From there, I go to the Kit page where I can swap out or add any drums or cymbals I want for the drum kit.

In the Edit page, I tweak the sound starting with the kit piece controls, which allow me to adjust velocity response, drum pitch, and volume envelope. Another favorite section lets me adjust mic balances for the kick and snare, each recorded with two mics. The 2.7 update added the snare buzz toggle switch, letting you hear or mute the natural bleed of snare wires into other mics.

AD2’s built-in effects include noise, compression, distortion, EQ, tape simulation, transient shaping, and saturation limiting. For each drum slot, you can send the sound to overheads, room, and bus channels, each with its own effects chain. The room channel even lets you adjust mic distance. There are also two sends for delay or reverb, each with EQ and gate controls.

Start Toggling Through Drums to Get the Most of Them

While having numerous preset options can seem like a treasure trove, what makes Addictive Drums truly powerful is its ability to tailor performances. Start with baseline sounds, then inject your own flair. Pitch snares up or down, swap kicks, or blend mic perspectives for unique tones.

Whether you want an open, natural kit or a heavily processed drum bus, AD2 gives you the tools to craft your signature sound.