The Black Oyster Drum Kit - Kontakt Edition
The Black Oyster Drum Kit - Kontakt Edition
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Introducing The Black Oyster, a next-level virtual drum instrument created by 10x GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer and producer Darrell Thorp — the sonic architect behind iconic drum sounds for Foo Fighters, Beck, Switchfoot, and Twenty One Pilots. Built in partnership with Drumatica, this KONTAKT-powered instrument captures the unmistakable energy, punch, and warmth of Darrell’s signature rock mixes.
At the heart of The Black Oyster is a Ludwig® Black Oyster Pearl kit, recorded with precision and vibe. You’ll have access to a full arsenal of drum options — including 22”, 24”, and 26” kicks, multiple snare types (maple, brass, and beyond), floor and rack toms, and an expressive selection of cymbals. The result is an incredibly versatile drum instrument that’s ready to deliver everything from tight radio rock to massive arena tones.
With over 500 custom MIDI grooves inspired by classic and modern rock, you can build, arrange, and finalize complete drum performances directly inside the instrument. Whether you’re tracking, producing, or scoring, The Black Oyster gives you instant access to a mix-ready, authentic rock sound — right out of the box.
If your productions demand real rock energy with Darrell Thorp’s signature touch, The Black Oyster is your new go-to virtual drum kit.
BUILT FOR PURE ROCK ENERGY
In a world full of generic drum libraries, The Black Oyster delivers the unmistakable grit, tone, and punch that define real rock.
This KONTAKT-powered instrument channels the legendary Ludwig® Black Oyster Pearl kit — the same sound that changed music history when Ringo Starr and The Beatles took the stage on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. That unmistakable character went on to shape generations of rock, echoed in performances by icons like Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, Bill Ward, John Bonham, Marcus Mumford, and Dave Grohl.
We’ve taken that timeless foundation and given it modern muscle. The sampled Black Oyster kit in this collection delivers a fuller, more powerful tone with stunning dynamics — a perfect fit for Hard Rock, Alt-Rock, and Classic Rock productions. Whether you’re chasing vintage warmth or massive stadium energy, this kit captures the essence of rock drumming — bold, authentic, and built to move air.
MIXED BY A ROCK LEGEND
Every detail of The Black Oyster was meticulously crafted by Darrell Thorp — the 10x GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and mix engineer behind the unmistakable sound of Foo Fighters, Beck, and Switchfoot.
Drawing from years of experience shaping Dave Grohl’s drum tones, Darrell fine-tuned every mic channel and preset to strike the perfect balance between raw power and studio polish. The kicks hit hard without ever getting muddy, the snares crack with energy, the toms punch through the mix, and the cymbals shimmer with clarity.
The result? Authentic, mix-ready rock drums that capture the intensity and realism of a live performance — engineered by one of the greatest ears in modern rock.
SCULPT YOUR PERFECT ROCK MIX
Inside the intuitive mixer and submixer, you’ll find powerful studio tools including SSL-style EQ, a 1176-inspired compressor, and a curated suite of custom reverbs and FX. Shape the tone of each drum exactly how you want it — from tight and dry to huge and atmospheric.
Adjust individual mic levels, fine-tune room ambience, and craft unique reverb blends for every piece of the kit. Activate the “Electrify” mode to add warmth, excitement, and subtle harmonic saturation — ideal for bringing your room mics to life.
Plus, you’ll get access to a wide range of Classic Reverb Impulse Responses, meticulously captured from rare studio gear, giving your mix that unmistakable vintage depth and polish.
No endless menus. No cluttered workflow. Everything you need to shape your sound is right in front of you — ready to deliver a mix that’s uniquely yours.
MORE HUMAN. LESS MACHINE.
At Yurt Rock, feel is everything. That’s why the Black Oyster engine features our exclusive Anti-Machine-Gun (ATMG) mode — designed to eliminate those mechanical, repetitive hits you hear in lesser drum libraries. The result? Natural, expressive performances that groove like a real drummer, not a robot.
To push realism even further, our Rim Blend control lets you dial in the perfect balance between center and edge articulations on the snare. Whether you want a sharp crack, a woody rim tone, or something in between, you can shape it to match your track’s attitude.
You’ll also find a deep articulation system built for total playability and realism. The hi-hat features five open and closed positions across multiple hit zones. The snare includes center, off-center, sidestick, and two unique rimshot styles, plus flams, ghost strokes, and more — all recorded in stunning detail.
Every feature in this library serves a single purpose: to create a virtual drummer that sounds alive, dynamic, and unmistakably human.
THE GROOVE MAKES THE SONG
When it comes to realism, nothing beats a real drummer — and that’s exactly what you get here. Every one of the 500 included MIDI grooves was performed by a top Los Angeles session drummer and designed to drop seamlessly into any DAW. No quantizing, no programming — just grooves that feel right.
Each pattern draws inspiration from classic rock legends spanning the ’70s through the 2000s, with countless variations, fills, and transitions that let you arrange your tracks effortlessly. You’ll find hundreds of ready-to-use grooves — and with all the variations, thousands of unique combinations to shape your next song.
Inside, you’ll get 10 full song arrangements and every performance nuance that comes with them — totaling nearly 500 grooves right out of the gate. And it doesn’t stop there: we’ll continue expanding the library with new MIDI Groove Packs launching in late 2025, giving you fresh rhythms and endless inspiration to keep your music moving forward.
BUILD YOUR OWN SOUND
LAYER, BLEND & CUSTOMIZE YOUR SOUND
Take your creativity even further by importing your own kick and snare samples directly into the 1-Shot Trigger Editor — or experiment with a curated selection of Darrell Thorp’s personal favorites. Instantly expand your sonic palette and craft unique textures that fit your exact style.
Layering samples is one of the most powerful ways to design modern drum tones, and our streamlined one-shot editor makes it simple. Blend acoustic warmth with digital punch, add subtle reinforcement, or completely transform your sound — all within an intuitive interface.
Fine-tune every detail with full control over velocity, decay, tuning, panning, and volume, allowing you to decide how each layer interacts within your mix. Want just a touch of extra snap, or a full hybrid kick? You’re in control — blend it to perfection.
A World-Class Drum Recording Experience
To capture the unmistakable tone of The Black Oyster, we teamed up with the incredible engineers at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana — one of the most advanced recording facilities in the world. It’s the same studio where artists like Anthrax, Mr. Big, and Counting Crows have laid down their tracks, and it provided the perfect setting for this session.
Inside Sweetwater’s state-of-the-art Studio A, we tracked the kit in a massive 29’ x 26’ live room designed by world-renowned studio architect Russ Berger. Every detail of the space — from its acoustic design to its pristine Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console — is built for sonic excellence. Surrounded by a collection of vintage and modern microphones, preamps, EQs, and outboard gear, we had access to virtually any piece of equipment we could dream of.
$10,000 overhead mics? Absolutely. A rare British “holy grail” room mic? Of course. If it could help us capture the warmth, punch, and clarity of this iconic drum sound, we used it. The result is a kit recorded with nothing less than world-class precision — ready to bring your productions to life.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• Kontakt is available in VST / AU / AAX / Standalone
• MacOS 12 to MacOS 15 (Latest Update, Intel and Silicon Native)
• Windows 10 to 11 (Latest Update)
• Kontakt Player or Kontakt 8.0 and above
• Native Access 2
• 20+ GB for Kontakt Instrument
*Please note Native Access is required for the activation of our Kontakt-based instruments.
Satisfaction 100% guaranteed.
Have a question? Welcome To The FAQ Section:
How will I receive my order?
Immediately following checkout, you will receive an email containing your download link(s) & you will always have access to your files.
What do you mean by "works in all DAWs"?
For each release that you download, we provide everything into organized folders (by bpm and tempo) that allow you to quickly find the loops and samples that you're looking for. From there, simply just drag and drop the file into Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, FL Studio and any other DAW that you might be using.
Yurt Rock products are 100% Royalty-Free. What exactly does this mean?
This means that you can use any of the loops purchased from Yurt Rock in your own songs and you are free to sell the recording commercially without owing us any money. It’s that simple.
