Rubaddrum V1: A Game-Changing Reggae Drum VST Plugin for Authentic Roots and Dub Sounds
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Before I started playing drums and instruments live, I relied heavily on drum software and plugins to create my riddims. I spent countless hours scouring the web for unique samples, experimenting with different combinations and mixing them through my DAW.
At the time, I was satisfied with the results, but something always felt off when I compared them to the authentic acoustic sound of real drums.
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A Journey Toward Real Drums and Authentic Sound
Seven years ago, I made a pivotal decision: I would learn to play the drums, tune my drum heads, and experiment with microphone placement to capture the true essence of the sound. This journey led me to the realization that I could create a drum plugin using my personal drum kit, infused with my own unique sound.
That's when Rubaddrum V1 was born.
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What Makes Rubaddrum Unique?
Rubaddrum V1 is not just another drum plugin—it's a tool built for serious music producers and sound designers who want to capture the true vibe of live drum sounds in their digital work. What sets Rubaddrum apart is its innovative keyboard mapping, which is specifically designed for live MIDI performance. It’s not a standard General MIDI setup; this plugin allows you to play realistic grooves with a level of expression that feels like you're playing the drums live.
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I call it "Fingers Drumming," and it’s perfect for those who want to add a human touch to their drum programming. The plugin includes special joint configurations for the snare, hi-hat, and timbale, allowing you to effortlessly perform rolls and fills with just a few finger taps.
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Capture the Spirit of Reggae, Dub, and Beyond
Rubaddrum shines particularly when it comes to creating Reggae Dub beats, but it also works wonderfully for other genres like Disco, Soul, and any music style that benefits from a raw, muffled sound. The core of Rubaddrum’s sound is based on the 1980s-era drum sounds—tight, punchy, and full of character.
I focused on capturing a raw, muffled tone with minimal resonance to ensure that the drums deliver maximum punch with as little "shell" sound as possible. To achieve this, I dampened the kicks, snares, and toms using traditional methods like towels, duct tape, and more, just like the great engineers did in the 80s.
Authentic Sound, Detailed Sampling
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Rubaddrum includes a selection of carefully recorded drum elements:
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Two bass drums: A Pearl 22” and a 24” (both unported, with no resonant head and fully muffled for that classic dub sound).
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Two snares: The first snare is aggressive and punchy, with a mid-range tone, while the second snare offers a dry, cardboard-like sound with a controlled bottom thanks to thicker snare wires.
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One hi-hat, one set of toms (mic'd inside the shell for a more intimate, raw sound), and two timbales for added flavor and variety.
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These sounds were captured with the utmost care and attention to detail. In the studio, I added a pre-EQ to the recordings to shape the sound just slightly—but no compression or further processing, leaving the space open for your signature sound to shine through.
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Create Your Signature Sound with Rubaddrum
To further enhance the sound, Rubaddrum allows you to apply additional processing in your DAW. Whether you’re using Echo Chamber reverb, EQ, saturation, or band compression, you can polish and refine your sound to perfection.
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The combination of vintage drum sounds, precise sampling, and intuitive performance features makes Rubaddrum V1 the ultimate drum plugin for producers seeking an authentic Reggae Roots or Dub experience, with the flexibility to explore other genres as well.
Try Rubaddrum V1 Today and Elevate Your Drum Programming
Ready to take your drum programming to the next level? Rubaddrum V1 brings the timeless sound of 80s reggae, dub, and roots rhythms to your digital workspace with authentic drum tones, unique performance features, and unmatched flexibility.
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Try it for yourself and hear the difference. Your next hit is waiting.
ECHO CHAMBER ROOM
In the upside map of plugins you can tweak Echochamber potentiometer.
This room isn t an algorythme reverb but a true space.
To be clear , it's an small vintage theater room, full of wood .I choose that sound to print the kit over themuffled sound , it can give more breath for certains songs
SNARES / KICKS SELECTION
You can choose the best sound for your songs
KICK 1 is a Pearl 22X12 bass drum , i remove the reso head to give full attack and minimum sustain
KICK 2 is a custom Kick drum 24X14 , it can give little more smack attack and have a solid bottom end.
Snare 1 is a Pearl Free floater Copper Shell 14X6.5 and Die cast Hoop ( More open / agressive ) Med / low tuning
Snare 2 is a Ludwig Supraphonics 14X5 from 1972
LAYERING THE "REAL"
Layer Snare Panel
VOLUME knob add a 707 snare from a TR-707. Especially know for disco sound.
This sample have a big "thud " on low frequency and a good snap. When you layer with another acoustic snare , it can help to the sound. you are looking for. Try it !
BOTTOM Knob is a multisample created with a Speaker over a real snare and it capture just the bottom snare wire with a technique used in Disco 70's era ( Thanks Mr Tarsia ! )
The goal is to capture JUST the wire sound. Crisp and Clear
You can layer up if you think the snare deserve a good definition in high registry
REVERB Knob add a room layer ( Theater vintage room ) to the 707 sound t
Layer Kick Panel
VOLUME knob add a warm and satured layer kick sound, it can kive a solid bass drum sound ( tweak with KICK1 or KICK2 sound )
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ATTACK knob add a "clic " sound to the main bass drum , when you need a big and sharp attack for the kick. It can help to give clarity and punch in your final mix. Give it a try !
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MIDI PANIC keep the midi information intact. If you send a "wrong " midi file into daw and your software begin to slow down , sound strange ... Maybe use this function can " purge " the midi and solve problems
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BLEED / ROOM
BLEED menu is totally optional
Use it if you want to add a little "realism" to your drum sound
When you record a real drum in a studio , each mic pick up the sound of other kit. A lot of engineer hate that ! Because sometime it create phase problems or so ...
So we decide to propose this function but I tweak it to avoid this problem , so that it becomes an improvement
Try it and use it if you think is necessary into production
ROOM will give another impact of layering to add realism to the drum programmation. With multi output option in the plugin ,try to use Bleed and Room as separated channel , tweak with an EQ , Compression , Saturation . It can give a super parallele layering to the existing closed mic...
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MULTI OUTPUT
By default, the software engine uses 1 stereo output
But when you start the mix, the goal is to use the multitrack drums to process each drum shell! This allows everyone to offer a different signature.
YOU NEED TO LEARN how to enable multiple output in your DAW
Cockos Reaper for example indicates if you want to use 1 stereo or 16 stereo .... but in Cubase you have to right click on the plugin and choose the multi-out routing configuration. I advise you to look on the Web "How to make VST multi output for ...."
When your setup is correct in DAW, simply choose one of the 16 available stereo tracks and mix it up!
Save the template once and for all
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VELOCITY SCALE & TUNE
