Drums

The Ministry of Rock 2 drums are set up as drum kits that you can use as the producers arranged them, or that you can customize by swapping out elements, for example, replacing the Sabian cymbals with Istanbul cymbals. They all use the same mapping of MIDI notes to drum and articulation, so it's easy to try out other drum kits combinations without having to change the notes you've recorded in your sequencer.

All the drums were recorded with multiple microphones, and you have control in the Player UI over how much of each sampled audio to include in the mix, and where to pan it in the soundscape. One set of microphones sits close to the drum kit and overhead. Another set of microphones is positioned further back to capture more of the sound of the room. These room mics are available in 2 versions, using the signal: directly from the mics, or after passing through a compressor to increase the overall volume (without distortion of the loudest hits).

The Drums in Ministry Of Rock 2 feature positional sampling, so you can access the sound of different parts of the drum. It also features left and right hand sampling, round robin repeated notes, and repetitions sampling. Repetitions sampling makes the drums play like a live performance. These samples were extracted from a live performance and they play back when you play fast repeated notes. We call this "Live Technology."

Full and "less load" instruments are included for all three drum kits: DW, Ludwig, and Gretsch. Each kit has a rock and a metal variant. Some kits feature a tighter sound and with tuned kicks and snares. Use these versions for a more polished sound. Many different snare drums options are available: Black Beauty, Brady, DW, GMS, NC1, NC2, Sonor, and Tempus.

Articulations and hits include:

• beater off kick drum RRx4 (with repetitions)
• beater on kick drum RRx4 (with repetitions)
• bell hat position:
• cowbell
• cymbal 1 edge RRx2 (with repetitions)
• cymbal 1 edge stop RRx2
• cymbal 1 middle position RRx2 (with repetitions)
• cymbal 1 middle position stop RRx2
• cymbal 2 edge RRx2 (with repetitions)
• cymbal 2 edge stop RRx2
• cymbal 2 middle position RRx2 (with repetitions)
• cymbal 2 middle position stop RRx2
• cymbal 3 edge RRx2 (with repetitions)
• cymbal 3 edge stop RRx2
• cymbal 3 middle position RRx2 (with repetitions)
• edge hat position:
• hats closed
• hats closed
• hats closed
• middle hat positions:
• more open
• more open
• more open
• open RRx4 (with repetitions)
• open RRx4 (with repetitions)
• open RRx4 (with repetitions)
• pedal hat
• ride bell RRx4 (with repetitions)
• ride edge position RRx4 (with repetitions)
• ride middle ride position RRx4 (with repetitions)
• rimshot RRx4
• rimshot RRx4 duplicate for 2 handed playing
• slightly open
• slightly open
• slightly open
• snare middle head RRx4 (with repetitions)
• snare middle head RRx4 (with repetitions) duplicate for 2-handed playing
• snare outside head RRx4 (with repetitions)
• snare outside head RRx4 (with repetitions) duplicate for 2-handed playing
• snare rim crack RRx4 (with repetitions)
• snare rim crack RRx4 (with repetitions) duplicate for 2-handed playing
• toms bounce RRx2
• toms flam RRx4 (with repetitions)
• toms RRx4 (with repetitions)

Guitars

Fender Jaguar

A legendary Strat-like guitar used by artists such as Kurt Cobain, Smashmouth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Johnny Marr.

• Right channel: Fender Amp
• Left channel: direct

Fender Telecaster Thinline

The 1972 Telecaster Thinline guitar features a warmer sound and a rounder semi-hollow ash body, a C-shaped maple neck, bullet-style truss rod, '70s vintage hardtail strings-through-body Strat bridge, three-bolt neckplate, and two wide-range humbucking pickups.

• Right channel: Divided By Thirteen Amp
• Left channel: Vox Amp

Carvin

Rock/metal guitar with a full tone. It has 11-gauge strings and is tuned to Drop C. Each note (for both the neck and bridge pickups) was sampled twice; during playback, both samples are automatically played together, though one panned hard right and the other hard left, for a genuine double-tracked sound. In the instrument names, these two samples are referred to as S1 and S2. Both the S1 and S2 articulations, panned hard left and hard right respectively, are loaded together on the same MIDI channel. The image at the right shows both the S1 and S2 instruments appearing together in PLAY's Instrument drop-down and both on channel 1.

• Both channels: Carvin Amp

Baritone

The Baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar with a longer scale length. The baritone played here is made by Danelectro and uses custom modified lipstick pickups. The greater length of the strings allows it to be tuned to a lower range and, together with thicker 14-gauge strings, gives it a wicked full tone. The Baritone is available for both lead and rhythm styles.

• Right channel: Carvin Amp
• Left channel: direct

Gibson Les Paul

The Gibson Les Paul guitar is a solid-body electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s. It is a favorite amongst metal guitarists.

• Right channel: Mesa Boogie Amp
• Left channel: direct

Schecter 7-String

The C7 FR Hellraiser from Schecter is a guitar that metal players love, with its deep and crunchy 7-string tones and a Floyd Rose tremolo for breaking out tremolo tricks. It has a mahogany body and 3-piece mahogany neck. Its Active EMG 707-TW humbuckers push the limits of high-output guitar mayhem.

• Right channel: Marshall Amp
• Left channel: Bogner Amp

Basses

Music Man Stringray 5 String Bass

The Stingray 5 was the first bass to feature active electronics and advancements such as a 6-bolt neck joint, contoured body, superior neck truss-rod system, and rock-solid bridge. The instrument is constructed with a select hardwood body, maple neck, Schaller BM tuners, 3-band active EQ, and a Music Man humbucker/piezo bridge.

• Right channel: Ampeg Amp
• Left channel: SWR Amp

The rest of the basses in Ministry of Rock 2 are remasterings of the classic basses in EastWest's popular Hardcore Bass library (2003) and Hardcore Bass Expansion (2004). The original sounds, including the separate amplifiers on the left and right tracks, where that technique was used in the XP basses, have been retained.

Lakland Bass

The Lakland 55-94 Skyline Standard bass is equipped with their familiar MM/J pickup configuration and a custom 3-band preamp. The master volume pot can be pulled to bypass the active preamp. The 55-94 has a 3-way toggle for coil splitting. Features include an ash body, maple neck with a 35" scale and 22 frets, Hipshot-licensed Ultralight tuners, and a Lakland Dual Design bridge. The Lakland Bass is available both fingered and picked.

• Same left and right channels: Ampeg/SVT rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic

Music Man Vintage Picked

This is also a Stingray 5, but only available as a picked instrument. It uses alternate pickup settings.

• Same left and right channels: Ampeg/SVT rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic

61 Fender Jazz Fretless

This 1961 Fender Jazz bass was converted to fretless and has an amazing warm tone.

• Right channel: 50s Ampeg rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic and a Manley tube signal path
• Left channel: 80s large Ampeg rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic and a Neve solid state signal path

63 Höfner Violin Bass

This vintage '63 Höfner is the "Beatles' Bass." It has a two-piece neck, exotic bird's eye maple finish, and gold-plated hardware. Many players revere Höfner's Violin Bass as a legend because of its historical significance and its warm, woody, doublebass-like amplified tone. The Höfner Violin Bass is a unique instrument with a smooth, sweet sound.

• Right channel: 50s Ampeg rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic and a Manley tube signal path
• Left channel: 80s large Ampeg rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic and a Neve solid state signal path

65 Gibson EB2 Bass

The EB2 bass guitar was launched in early 1958. It is a hollow-body electric bass that features a Bass/Baritone pushbutton for two different tonal characteristics. It features a curly maple arched top, back, and rims with ivoroid binding. A slim, fast, low-action neck joins the body at the 18th fret. Three-piece laminated mahogany neck is equipped with adjustable truss rod. The combination bridge and tailpiece are adjustable horizontally and vertically. There are humbucking pickups with separate tone and volume controls. It has a 30½" scale with 20 frets.

• Right channel: 50s Ampeg rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic and a Manley tube signal path
• Left channel: 80s large Ampeg rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic and a Neve solid state signal path

66 Silvertone Bass

This is a 1966 Silvertone solid body, single-pickup electric bass guitar made by Danelectro. It's one of the last Danelectro-made Silvertone basses offered before Danelectro went out of business. It has one lipstick pickup and a brown burst finish.

• Right channel: 50s Ampeg rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic and a Manley tube signal path
• Left channel: 80s large Ampeg rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic and a Neve solid state signal path

72 Rickenbacker Bass

The Rickenbacker 4003 Bass has a strong ringing sustain, treble punch, and solid underlying bottom end. It's also famous for its distinctive, elegantly curved body shape, deluxe triangular fretboard inlays, stereo output, neck-thru-body construction, double truss rods, and high output single-coil pickups with wide response range and brilliant clarity. The Vintage Tone Selector activates a capacitor in the treble pickup circuit to emphasize the high end.

• Right channel: 50s Ampeg rig with an RCA 44 ribbon mic and a Manley tube signal path
• Left channel: 80s large Ampeg rig with a Sennheiser 451 dynamic mic and a Neve solid state signal path