Users will find an onslaught of variety in Virtual Drumline 2.5, again featuring the world champion percussion section of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Virtual Drumline 2 also provides a seemingly infinite array of concert and pit percussion sounds. A vast array of creative tools are available to make your next arrangement extraordinary.

• Drumline 2 Free
• Tapspace Virtual Drumline
• Virtual Drumline Sounds
• Virtual Drumline 2.5 5.1
• Virtual Drumline 2.5 5th

The current default marching instruments in Dorico for e.g. marching tenor drums or bass drums are not automatically mapped for use with Tapspace’s Virtual Drumline (VDL) and also do not contain as many notehead types (percussion techniques) as you might need. I’ve therefore created a Dorico template file (link below) with the noteheads created and mapped for playback using VDL 2.5.5.

You may have used a template for other software before and will hopefully find this one uses a similar mapping of noteheads to percussion techniques. To make writing for drumline as quick as possible in Dorico I’ve also mapped the noteheads/techniques across two octaves of your MIDI keyboard. By setting the Dorico preference for note input to ‘use staff position’ and with a minimum four-octave keyboard you can both switch notehead types and enter notes for any drum. For ease, the notehead mapping is the same across snare drums, tenor drums and bass drums, with only a few minor tweaks for cymbals.

• The current default marching instruments in Dorico for e.g. Marching tenor drums or bass drums are not automatically mapped for use with Tapspace’s Virtual Drumline (VDL) and also do not contain as many notehead types (percussion techniques) as you might need.
• Delete the main 'Virtual Drumline 2.5' library folder and all its contents (wherever you've placed it) Ensure that Native Access is NOT launched. In the Start Menu search bar, type regedit and press enter. This will open the Registry Editor.
• Tapspace Publications Virtual Drumline has made its mark as the industry standard for marching and concert percussion sounds. Composers, percussionists, studio musicians, and educators alike will discover a sonic onslaught of variety in Virtual Drumline 2.5. Features the world champion percussion section of the Santa Clara Vanguard.

Standardised notehead mapping for snare, tenor and bass drums in Dorico

For full details, please also see the included Drumline documentation PDF as it explains the note input preferences you need to set in Dorico to use the template as well as the mapping across the keyboard and a full list of the available noteheads for snareline, tenorline, bassline and cymballine.

You will also need Dorico 3.1 or later, and if playback is important to you, please make sure you have VDL 2.5.5 installed and working before using this template.

• Download Dorico VDL Template (zip, 2.6MB, updated 20th October 2020)

You can also watch the Discover Dorico session where we discuss and show the template in detail here: Discover Dorico Hangout on YouTube.

FAQs

The included Drumline documentation PDF also has a common questions section as the noteheads will not audition correctly as you enter the notes (but will on playback) and there are also some tweaks you can make in Play mode for some of the extra techniques that require MIDI CC messages.

I do not suggest making your own changes to this template at the moment, but if there changes and suggestions that you have to improve the template please get in touch with John via our forum or community Facebook group.

Virtual Drumline has made its mark as the industry standard for marching and concert percussion sounds. Composers, percussionists, studio musicians, and educators alike will discover a sonic onslaught of variety in Virtual Drumline, featuring the world champion percussion section of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Using Virtual Drumline along with your favorite music composition software will arm you with an enormous palette of percussive possibilities.

Drumline 2 Free

ENDLESS VARIETY AND DETAIL FOR ULTRA REALISM
Virtual Drumline is not just about marching drums. Its huge collection of orchestral, world, effect, drumset, rhythm section, and drumline instruments are programmed with virtually any articulations and playing techniques imaginable. Enhanced multi-sampled velocity layers, attack/release and EQ control, multiple mallet selections, rolls, glissandi, solos and ensembles, and automatic RH/LH alternations are but a few of the powerful features programmed into the VDL instrument collection.

NO SAMPLER REQUIRED!
The entire VDL library integrates seamlessly into Native Instruments' powerful Kontakt Player software (included). There is no need to purchase a separate sampler program. This player is capable of loading up to 64 channels of MIDI in stand-alone mode or can be run as a VSTi, AU, DXi, or RTAS plug-in within various music applications. It is a Universal application compatible with Intel/G5 Macs or Windows and will incorporate seamlessly into Sibelius or Finale, which both come with built-in support for Kontakt Player.

Tapspace Virtual Drumline

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Visit our list of frequently asked questions about Virtual Drumline.

FINALE USERS
Since Finale (2009 or newer) ships included with a small sub-set of 'VDLite' instruments from VDL, you may have already tapped into what it sounds like. There's a whole lot more to be found in the full version of VDL 2.5, though. Click here to see how the full version of VDL compares to what comes with Finale.

WHAT'S NEW IN VDL 2.5

• Now integrated into Native Instruments’ powerful Kontakt Player 2 engine
• Universal application for Mac-Intel speed and compatibility
• Load up to 64 channels in stand-alone mode
• Save multi’s for easy loading of projects
• Host VDL instruments alongside other Kontakt Player 2 formatted libraries in the same player
• New instruments – steel drum orchestra (lead pan, double seconds, triple guitar, 6-piece bass pan set), rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass guitar), waterphone, showband single tenors, swish knockers, typewriter
• Instrument Bank support
• Enhanced velocity control for more natural accent/tap sensitivity
• More specialized controls for enhanced customization on each instrument (EQ control, attack/release control, Auxilliary send levels)
• Monitor Mod-Wheel or Keyswitch settings onscreen
• Much improved DFD (direct from disc) streaming functionality
• Unlimited polyphony
• Rack view and minimized view
• Integrated effects
• Searchable electronic documentation
• New NI Service Center application to manage activations and updates

Virtual Drumline Sounds

Virtual Drumline 2.5 5.1

KEY TO TERMS:

Virtual Drumline 2.5 5th

• (KS) - Instrument contains Keyswitch functions
• (MW) - Instrument contains special features controlled by Mod-Wheel
• (AutoRL) - Instrument uses 'Auto Right/Left' feature to automatically rotate between right and left handed strokes
• (PED) - Instrument may be controlled via standard sustain pedal
• Manual - Instrument allows manual user-control over right and left-hand strokes
• LITE - Instrument is streamlined to help conserve system resources