Jason’s Piano & API Drums instruments from Sulcata Sound

Sulcata Sound is the latest venture of Jason Graves, a two-time British Academy Award-winnning composer, producer and percussionist renowned for his work on titles such as Still Wakes The Deep, Dead Space, Tomb Raider, Far Cry Primal, Until Dawn and Prey. The first release under the new brand sees Jason share two virtual instruments — Jason’s Piano and API Drums — that have been created in collaboration with programmer Frederic Poirier and mix engineer Joël Dollié.

Jason’s Piano

The first of the two instruments, as its name suggests, captures the composer’s piano, a Boston GP-193 Performance Edition II. Performance, recording and editing tasks were carried out by Jason himself, with the instrument’s scripting and GUI design handled by Frederic Poirier, and the final mixing of the sounds taken care of by Joël Dollié. High-end gear employed on the session includes a matched pair of Telefunken ELA M 260 valve mics and API 3124V preamps.

API Drums

The second offering provides users with a carefully recorded drum kit that promises to deliver a punchy, warm sound that boasts plenty of sustain and power. Here’s an overview of the gear used to create the instrument:

The Drum Kit

Mapex Black Panther Blaster Maple shells with walnut rings Kick 22x18 (Aquarian Super Kick II, Aquarian Regulator) Tom 12x9, 16x16 (Remo Pinstripes & Aquarian Classic Clear) Snare 6.5x 14 (Ludwig Black Beauty, Remo Powerdot & Clear Ambassador) Paiste Signature Series Cymbals (14" Signature Dark Energy Hi-Hats, 12" Signature Splash, 19" Signature Full Crash, 20" Signature Full Crash, 20" Signature Dry Ride)

Microphones

Overheads: AKG B-ULSII Transformer x2 Room: AEA R-88a Kick: Audix D6 Snare Top: Shure SM57 Snare Bottom: Audix i5 Tom High: Audix D2 Tom Low: Audix D4 Hi-Hats: Shure SM7B Ride: beyerdynamic M 160

“I’ve been collecting instruments and recording unique sounds for more than fifteen years. Sulcata Sound is my official audio repository for this constantly growing, project-driven collection. Music conveys emotions instantaneously. These instruments are crafted for compositional inspiration. They are designed to tell a story, from the ‘instrument’ itself (a bit of a stretch for many of my more esoteric, found-sound sources) and microphone choice, to the post-processing through specific and often drastic outboard hardware. I hope these sounds inspire users as much as they have me, and, at the very least, encourage them to take the next steps toward their own personal journey of discovery and adventure in the world of music.” - Jason Graves