Virtual Drummer

Virtual Drummer is a collection of drum plug-ins for building programmed parts in a music production. It is best suited to producers who want ready-made grooves with MIDI routing and mix controls. Its appeal is the range of styles and phrases; producers who need their own samples should look elsewhere.

Overview

Virtual Drummer focuses on drum tracks, pairing built-in sounds with styles and phrases rather than letting you assemble a kit from a personal sample library. MIDI drag and drop into a DAW and Direct MIDI Out to other instrument or MIDI tracks give you two useful ways to edit or route its parts beyond the plug-in.

The Drummer’s Bundle spans eight drummers, 35 kits, 301 styles and 6,941 phrases, alongside 895 presets and 36 mix presets. That breadth suits producers exploring different drum identities across projects; an individual plug-in is a more contained purchase, but covers only one title. The shared limitation is significant for sound designers: Virtual Drummer does not accept user samples.

Key features

• Styles and phrases: The titles cover Nu Disco, 70s, rock, grunge, punk, contemporary 60s and 70s sounds, and urban or funky grooves. This gives producers a broad set of genre-oriented starting points, though the palette remains tied to the included material.
• MIDI export and routing: Drag-and-drop MIDI into a DAW is useful when you want to edit a part in the piano roll; Direct MIDI Out instead sends it to another instrument or MIDI track. These options make the plug-ins more flexible than a closed groove player.
• Mix controls: Each drummer has five kits, six mix presets, individual sound-shaping controls, multiple audio outputs and a master section. That allows adjustment of the supplied sounds and separation of outputs, but does not replace the ability to bring in custom samples.
• Studio One integration: Studio One users see style and drum-element names on piano-roll keys, with style and instrument ranges highlighted. This makes the MIDI workflow more legible in that DAW; the described integration is specific to Studio One.
• Trial and compatibility: The user guide describes a 30-day trial without plug-in limitations, while the pricing note gives a 7-day trial. Current UJAM plug-ins require 64-bit software, so checking compatibility during the trial is prudent. Virtual Drummer 2’s existing Reason Rack Extension lacks newer features such as MIDI drag and drop.

Pricing

There is a free Odd Meter MIDI Pack with over 30 MIDI drum styles, a useful no-cost way to explore grooves, but it is a MIDI pack rather than one of the paid Virtual Drummer plug-ins. The individual plug-ins are one-time purchases: HEAVY 2, SOLID 2 and PHAT 2 are shown at 9.52 USD each, while DEEP, LEGEND, HOT and BRUTE are 28.56 USD each. NEON is 119.00 USD. The pages also show $119.00 for the lower-priced titles, so check the purchase price before committing.

The Drummer’s Bundle costs 99.50 USD once and includes all eight drummers, 35 kits, 301 styles, 6,941 phrases, 895 presets and 36 mix presets. It is the clearest fit for producers who want the collection’s breadth; a single plug-in costs less for someone with a narrower style requirement. A 7-day trial is given in the pricing note, while the user guide says 30 days without limitations, so verify the trial terms when starting it. No recurring renewal is attached to the stated one-time purchases.

Platforms

Virtual Drummer supports macOS and Windows, with standalone installers for both as well as installation through the UJAM App. Current plug-ins require 64-bit software. The Reason Rack Extension is a legacy format and does not include newer Virtual Drummer 2 features such as MIDI drag and drop.

Who it's for

Virtual Drummer is a good fit for producers who want ready-made drum styles and phrases, then need to edit the MIDI or route it to other tracks. The bundle particularly suits users who value variety across the included genres and kits. It is a poor fit for anyone whose workflow depends on importing a personal drum-sample collection, or whose software is not 64-bit.

Pros and cons

• Pro: The bundle combines eight drummers with hundreds of styles and thousands of phrases, giving producers substantial variety in one purchase.
• Pro: MIDI drag and drop and Direct MIDI Out support both piano-roll editing and routing to other tracks.
• Pro: Multiple outputs and individual sound shaping offer control over the built-in kits.
• Con: User sample import is unavailable, limiting producers who need their own drum sounds.
• Con: Current plug-ins require 64-bit software, making compatibility checks essential before purchase.
• Con: The Reason Rack Extension lacks newer features such as MIDI drag and drop.

Alternatives

For a different kind of virtual instrument, IK Multimedia ReSing has a free plan with two voices, two instruments and one RVC import, while its paid plan is 129.99 USD once. Choose it if those voice-focused capabilities suit the project better than drum grooves.

Vital offers a free synth plan with 75 presets and 25 wavetables, and supports Linux as well as macOS and Windows; choose it for a free, cross-platform synth rather than a dedicated drum plug-in. Dexed is free software under GPL v3 and is a no-cost alternative to consider. PREMIER SOUND FACTORY has free instrument options, including Kontakt-dependent products, for readers considering a different instrument collection.

Surge XT is a free, open-source virtual instrument plug-in for Linux, macOS and Windows, making it an option for producers seeking a cross-platform instrument. BBC Symphony Orchestra has a free Discover tier with 34 instruments, 47 techniques and one mix signal, for those looking for orchestral instruments instead of drums. Voltage Modular offers free software in standalone and plug-in versions for Windows and macOS, an alternative for readers interested in modular synthesis. Pianoteq starts at 139.00 USD once for Stage, with two instrument packs, support up to 48 kHz and limited preset loading; choose it if a modeled piano instrument is the goal.

Browse more options in Virtual Instruments.

Verdict

Choose Virtual Drummer if you want a dedicated drum plug-in with a broad catalogue of styles, editable MIDI and useful routing and mix controls; the bundle is the strongest choice for variety. Look elsewhere if custom sample import is central to your workflow, or confirm 64-bit compatibility before buying.