1. What "recording" means with SD3

MIDI is your DI: why programming virtual drums is closer to recording than to sequencing, and the stereo vs. multi-output decision.

Your drums don’t come in through a microphone: Superior Drummer 3 plays them. That changes what “recording” them means, but it doesn’t change the order of priorities. You still need a take with a good groove and good dynamics; the difference is that here the “take” is MIDI.

Superior Drummer 3

Virtual instrument (drums)

Your drums: a virtual instrument with an internal mixer, multiple mic channels and separate outputs. It isn't an effect plugin, it's the entire source.

Superior Drummer 3 isn’t a processing plugin: it’s the source. It plays the role that the instrument, the microphone and the room play on guitar, all at once, which is why working with the drums is closer to mixing a recorded drum session than to playing a synth.

The three parts that matter to you

The kit and the library: the pieces (kick, snare, toms, cymbals) and their samples. They define the character before any EQ.
The internal mixer: SD3 has its own console with the mic channels: kick in and out, snare top and bottom, toms, overheads and room. You can mix in there or send everything to Studio One.
The output routing: in stereo it delivers an already balanced mix on two channels; in multi-output each channel goes to its own channel in Studio One, so you can mix it with your plugins.

The key piece: MIDI

What you “record” with SD3 is MIDI, not audio. And MIDI plays exactly the role the DI plays on guitar and bass: as long as you have it, you can change the kit, the library, the internal balance and the routing without redoing anything. It’s the safety net for all of the drums.

Where you’ll use it

In recording (programming the groove and choosing the kit) and in mixing (deciding the balance and the routing). The detail of each step is in the drum sections.

Alternatives (for reference)

GetGood Drums (libraries aimed at modern metal)
Steven Slate Drums 5 (simpler and more direct)
Addictive Drums 2 (lighter, a good starting point)

Captura de Superior Drummer 3 (de tu Studio One Pro 4)Pending — this one is on you

The Superior Drummer 3 window open in Studio One, showing the loaded kit and the internal mixer tab, with the kick, snare, toms, overheads and room channels visible. Ideally the output routing panel (multi-out) is visible too.

Formato: PNG o JPG, legible (que se lean los valores). Dejala en prodmus_frontend/public/img/plugins/ y avisame para integrarla y validarla.

MIDI is your DI

This is the equivalence worth keeping clear, because it organizes everything else:

The same logic as guitar and bass

On guitar and bass you keep the raw DI so you can change the tone later without playing again. On drums, MIDI plays that role: as long as you have the notes, you can change the entire kit, the library, SD3’s internal balance and the output routing without redoing anything.

Practical consequence: never delete the MIDI or replace it with the exported audio. Audio is a result; MIDI is the source.

The full flow

MIDIthe 'take': notes and dynamics

SD3kit, internal mixer

Outputsstereo or multi-output

Studio One channelsthe mix

🔴 Set this NOW· in recording

Saving and versioning the MIDI costs nothing and it's the only irreplaceable thing at this stage. If you work only on the exported audio, you lose the ability to change the kit, balance and routing, which is exactly the advantage of virtual drums.

What you DON’T have to fight (and would with microphones)

It’s worth saying explicitly, because it saves a lot of time and anxiety:

The central decision: stereo vs. multi-output

It’s the only structural decision at this stage, and it’s worth making early because it changes how you’ll mix.

Stereo: fast and enough to move forward

SD3 delivers its already balanced internal mix on two channels. A single channel in Studio One, zero setup.

Advantage: you start playing and sketching the song in minutes, and SD3’s internal mix usually sounds pretty good out of the box. Limit: in the mix you can’t treat the kick separately from the cymbals. For sharing frequencies with the bass (which is critical) you have much less control.

Multi-output: full control

Each channel of SD3’s mixer (kick, snare, toms, overheads, room) goes to its own channel in Studio One, with your plugins.

Advantage: you mix the drums like a real session. It’s what lets you do everything in the mixing sections. Cost: more channels, more CPU and a bit of setup time.

🔵 Can wait· in recording

The routing decision is reversible and free thanks to MIDI. It isn't worth setting up 12 channels before you have the groove: program first, open the outputs later.

What NOT to chase yet

Quick path: getting the drums started

Quick path

Create an instrument track in Studio One with SD3 loaded.
Leave it on stereo output for now.
Load a kit that fits the genre and leave it alone for today.
Program the groove (next sections). The MIDI is the take.
Save the project: the MIDI is the only irreplaceable thing.
When you're going to mix, that's when you open the multiple outputs.

Expected result

SD3 running in your project with a kit loaded, the output on stereo to move fast, and a clear idea that MIDI is your DI: the source that lets you change everything else later. With the framework in place, what comes next is choosing the kit’s base sound.