Impact Soundworks has introduced its upcoming Kontakt instrument library featuring a collection of acoustic drum kits (and kit ensemble) recorded and mixed by Japan’s top recording engineer Mitsunori Aizawa at the legendary Sound City Studio.

Performed by drum master Ken Higeshiro, the unique and versatile drum sounds of Tokyo Scoring Drum Kits can be heard across countless anime openings, battle themes, jazz fusion tracks, and everything in between.

Japanese soundtracks are known for blending elements of rock music with orchestral tracks, often through incorporating a drum kit alongside more traditional orchestration. This is an essential feature of the Tokyo Scoring sound we seek to bring to composers around the world, and it’s a particular area of expertise for our mixing engineer partner Mitsunori Aizawa. That’s why we selected acoustic drum kits for the second entry in the Tokyo Scoring Series!

Tokyo Scoring Drum Kits was recorded in the same space and by the same engineer as Tokyo Scoring Strings, ensuring that it can be easily mixed with that library. Besides plenty of detailed close micing and overheads, the library includes three ambient positions, delivering superb flexibility to dial in as much (or as little) of SOUND CITY’s unique room sound as you’d like.

With five unique kits, a drum kit ensemble, and so much mix flexibility, Tokyo Scoring Drum Kits delivers not only ideal sounds for Japanese-style soundtrack scoring, but also rock, metal, pop, funk, and epic music.

Tokyo Scoring Drum Kits for Kontakt and the free Kontakt Player is available to pre-order for $249 USD (regular $299 USD). The library is scheduled for release by the end of 2022.

More information: Impact Soundworks