Submersible Music has started shipping version 2.5 of DrumCore drum software. DrumCore 2.5 adds new features to increase DrumCore’s capabilities as a MIDI instrument and make workflow even easier when writing songs with DrumCore.

New DrumCore 2.5 MIDI Features:

• “Pad Swapping” – for easily creating personalized, hybrid drumkits. – DrumCore 2.5 makes it easy for users to create their own customized, hybrid kits. Combine Matt Sorum’s thunderous kick with Zoro’s snappy snare or throw in an electronic drum sound to add some low-end boom. Mix and match sounds by using a simple pop-up menu on each drum pad. Users see a list of all available DrumCore kits and can select any sound assigned to that pad from any of those drumkits. All sample layers plus pitch, pan and volume settings are automatically copied to your new kit.
• Drag-and-Drop Sample Assignment and kit editing – create your own kits by dragging and dropping WAV or AIFF files to the Pad Editor. Now it’s even easier for users to create new drumkits “from scratch” using their own audio samples. 2.5 enables drag and drop of .wav and .aif files into the Pad Editor. Also you can re-order velocity layers on a pad by simply dragging them.
• Real-Time Editing – In 2.5 user edits to the Pad and DrumKit editor happen in real-time, which makes editing and creating drumkits even easier. Users can change the velocity assignments of the sample layers on a pad and get immediate feedback by hearing how they respond to a MIDI controller or sequence. Also there is a new velocity “Audition Strip” which lets users preview velocity assignments using DrumCore without any MIDI controllers or other software.
• MIDI Standalone Mode – play DrumCore live as a drum module – With 2.5, DrumCore now acts as a standalone MIDI drum instrument and responds to input from any MIDI controller and MIDI interface connected to a users’ computer. Now play DrumCore directly from a pad controller and use its great drumkits for playing live.

New Songwriting Features:

• “Queue Mode” – hear loops and/or fills in context and back to back. – In Queue Mode a selected audio or MIDI file will not play until the previously selected file has ended. Hearing content play directly one-after-the-other allows users to hear how different loops and fills work together before they are exported to the main recording software (like Pro Tools, Cubase, etc.). It’s a great time saver!
• New content – extra downloadable content for registered users. Available all registered DrumCore 2 and 2.5 users, there is a collection of additional content available in the downloads area at www.submersiblemusic.com. It includes more MIDI fills and a GrooveSet by Latin percussionist Luis Conte (Sergio Mendes, Clapton, etc.).

Standard DrumCore Features:

• Loop Librarian/Search Engine – the fastest way to the perfect groove. The DrumCore search engine provides quick access to thousands of grooves, fills, variations and individual drum sounds. Search content based on drummer, style (rock, funk, country, and others), feel (straight, shuffle, etc.), time signature and tempo. Users can change criteria (create a new “style” for example) and enter their own comments for searching. It is a great tool for organizing audio and MIDI libraries.
• GrooveSets – building blocks for creating a great drum track – Content is organized in “GrooveSets”, with a basic groove, variations and fills that support standard song structure (intros, verse, chorus, etc.).
• The “Gabrielizer” – fuel for the creative process – DrumCore’s “Gabrielizer” technology intelligently generates variations on audio or MIDI content based on a set of “drummer rules”. Gabrielized files can be saved back into your library and/or exported to your digital audio workstation (DAW).

DrumCore 2.5 for PC (XP and Vista) and Macintosh (G4, G5 and Intel) is available via the DrumCore website and selected dealers for $249 US retail, ($199 MAP). Upgrades will be free for those who have purchased DrumCore 2, or DrumCore 2 upgrades, in 2007. The upgrade price for pre-2007 DrumCore 2 users is $29.99 US and is $49.99 for all DrumCore 1/1.5 users. Upgrades are only available at www.submersiblemusic.com.