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Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion

The professional composer series

Smc0534 Cinemascope

The professional composer series

Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion combines both an expertly curated library of orchestral staples and a crafted collection of distinctive sounds and textures. With 58 hand-picked instruments in total, versatility is key — whether you need a classic crash sound or want to experiment with the variety of inspiring tones offered by the oil drum — this library covers all your bases. 

Masterfully engineered by GRAMMY® -Award-winner Simon Rhodes in the legendary space of Abbey Road Studio One, and performed by world-renowned percussionist Joby Burgess, Metal Percussion takes sampling to new heights to incite you to add more inspired percussion, with shimmering metallic textures, shattering hits and otherworldly sounds. 

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58 instruments

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409 articulations

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16 mic signals

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Cinematic and alternative sounds

Listen to Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion

All Hell Breaks Loose — Oliver Patrice Weder
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Hiding in The Crowd — Homay Schmitz
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Thin Line — Oliver Patrice Weder
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Smc0543 Walkthrough Video

Walkthrough

33:45

What makes this collection incredibly special is all of this attention to detail — Joby’s incredible understanding of his collection of instruments, Simon’s particular way of micing everything and setting up the mixes, the level of detail offered in the features, such as the right/left mapping — and you get so much more than some percussion chucked at the back of the room - it can become such a significant part of your production.

Paul Thomson

Spitfire Audio

Metal poles and a hammer

All encompassing metal

Expertly captured by Simon Rhodes (Avatar, The Banshees of Inisherin), Metal Percussion encapsulates a thoughtfully curated collection of versatile and diverse percussive instruments. Inclusive of both classic orchestral staples, such as a variety of cymbals and crashes, and more eclectic cinematic sounds and texture, such as the Oil Drum, Waterphone and Giant Crasher, this library truly inspires organic composition. 

Hand selected by world renowned percussionist Joby Burgess the majority of these instruments come from his personal collection — which has been used extensively on major Hollywood productions — and offers true diversity. Whether you're looking for the delicacy of Bells and Chimes, the roaring sounds of the Thundersheet or something more abstract like the variety of textural elements played on the Oil Drum, this library layers and combines beautifully to spark your imagination and inspire your own patches and creations.

Detailed close up of cymbal

Curated versatility

Close up of mix desk

The ARO Metal Percussion is definitely a milestone in how a sample library can sound. The cymbals and gongs are captured in their fully sustained, shimmering glory. The choice of articulations is plentiful and deliberate, all with long, natural tails, multiple dynamics and round-robins. An unexpected gem: the oil drum.

Abel Korzeniowski

Nocturnal Animals, Penny Dreadful

Left: Large cymbal being hit. Right: 4 different sized cowbells.

Orchestral staples

The finest orchestral samples 

  • An expertly curated selection of 58 percussive instruments, including but not limited to a myriad of cymbals, tam-tams, and 3 triangles
  • Up to 10 dynamic layers 
  • Up to 10 round robins
  • 409 articulations including discrete right and left hand performances

Boundless creativity

Inspirational instrumentation

  • A Joby Burgess hand-selected range of unique elements and metallic tones including an oil drum, trash cans, a waterphone and many more to inspire your creativity
  • A wealth of both standard and alternative beaters and techniques, including mallets, brushes, sticks, hammers, bowed cymbals, scrapes and superball drags
  • A huge sonic pallet, from trashy scrap metals to meditative temple bowls which excite the glorious acoustic of Studio One
Left: Joby playing a unique coiled percussion instrument. Right: Brushes on a drum.

Left: Joby using a string bow on a cymbal. Right: Two RCA microphones

Realism at play 

Key features to heighten playability 

  • Voice Choking precisely controls the end of roll techniques when pressing the corresponding hit keys
  • Two Handed Layout which mirrors mapped keys further up the keyboard to enable flexibility and speed when playing
  • Right/Left Mapping recalls left and right hand performances on adjacent keys for playing and programming true-to-life rudiments
  • Presented in the same plug-in as Low and High percussion, with the same intuitive layout and mapping. 
Metal Percussion GUI
Wide shot of the Studio One mixing desk

Studio One: Icon of the past, innovator for the future

Host to celebrated classical recordings from Elgar and Prokofiev, as well as iconic film scores from The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, and the more recent releases of Avengers: End Game, Black Panther and Tar, Studio One needs no introduction. Home to one of the greatest in-house collections of vintage and modern microphones, and a unique and comprehensive surround monitor section, Studio One is the perfect setting for our meticulously planned recording sessions. Our aim is to work with the best to deliver you the world’s most detailed sampling orchestra, and Abbey Road - one of the most in-demand recording studios in the film scoring landscape - was the perfect space to make this happen.

Abbey Road film posters: Thor Love and Thunder, The Rings of Power, Disney's Polar Bear and The Secrets of Dumbledore

Joby Burgess

Joby’s playing can be heard on major film and TV scores, notably leading the percussion sections on Black Panther, Rocketman, Ad Astra, Mission: Impossible, The Darkest Hour, Dr Who and The Green Planet.

Simon Rhodes

Simon joined the EMI Abbey Road Studios in 1987. He is now Senior Engineer and has a long standing association with various composers including the late James Horner with whom he worked for 18 years on over 40 projects including Avatar, one of the highest grossing films of all time.

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What's included

Instruments

Anvils (x3)

Metal bars struck with hammers creating ringing sounds with excellent projection - A modern equivalent to the traditional metalworker's anvil used in orchestral settings.

Lump Hammer

Hits performed with a heavy lump hammer with a dark but metallic attack

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Brake Drums (x3)

Literally the brake drums from an automobile, these produce a surprisingly clear and resonant tone when struck - presented here as a set of three.

Poly Beater

Single hits performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


China Cymbal

A traditional 24" China cymbal hand-hammered in Wuhan, producing a distinctive attack with a dark, washy sustain.

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with felt mallets for a rounded attack

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Crashers and Stack

A set of two crashers and a cymbal stack creating a palette of short, sharp and dirty metallic sounds - great for fast passages or layering.

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Rods & Dreads

Techniques performed with a mix of rods and dreads for a variety of crisp transients

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Giant Crasher

Two thundersheets (rectangular metal cymbals) stacked together and struck from above to create powerful, shattering hits with little sustain

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

Puili

Hits performed with bamboo puili sticks creating crisp attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Oil Drum

A 40 gallon oil drum struck with a variety of beaters producing very unorthodox but highly complex sounds

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with poly beaters creating a bright attack

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre

Hands

Techniques performed with the hands producing very natural 'tapping' sounds

Superball

Drags across the instrument with a superball creating other-worldly textures

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Piatti (x3)

An orchestral staple, piatti are hand-held clash cymbals struck together creating a dense and brilliant shimmer - presented here as a set of three (21” Dark/Germanic, 19” Mellow/Viennese and 17” Bright/French) performing a range of techniques.


Scaffolds (x3)

A trio of scaffold poles struck with beaters or hammers producing bright ringing sounds with discernible pitch

Yarn Beaters

Hits performed with yarn beaters for a rounded attack

Pin Hammer

Hits performed with a light pin hammer creating a bright, metallic attack

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Spiral Cymbal

A spiral cymbal with a very bright attack, moderate sustain and a distinctly 'trashy' character

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack


Splash Cymbals

A pair of splash cymbals (8” and 10”) with a fast attack and short sustain - ideal for accented hits

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack


Suspended Cymbals (x3)

A set of three suspended cymbals (20” Dark, 21” Mellow and 16” Bright) performed with a variety of beaters providing a huge range of crashes and shimmering textures

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with wire brushes for a delicate timbre

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

Dark - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the dark 20" cymbal presented across the keyboard

Mellow - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the mellow 21" cymbal presented across the keyboard

Bright - All in One

All beaters and techniques for the bright 16" cymbal presented across the keyboard


Tam Tams (x2)

A pair of orchestral Tam Tams - large ‘gong-like’ instruments of indefinite pitch with a very long, deep resonance and dark overtones

Tam Tam Mallets

Techniques performed with tam tam mallets producing a soft attack and blooming sustain

Scrapes

Scrape techniques across the surface of the cymbal

Superball

Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures

All in One (Tam Tam A)

All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam A (30" Swiss) presented across the keyboard

All in One (Tam Tam B)

All available beaters and techniques for Tam Tam B (36" Wuhan) presented across the keyboard


Temple Bowls (x4)

A set of four temple bowls to create meditative sounds with a rich blooming sustain

Rubber Mallets

Techniques performed with rubber mallets producing a balanced attack

Brushes

Techniques performed with nylon brushes producing a delicate attack with reduced fundamentals

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Thundersheet

An extremely large (64” x 42”) but very thin suspended metal sheet which produces a characteristic thunder effect when struck or shaken

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Dreads

Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the instrument to produce unearthly overtones

Superball

Drags across the surface of the instrument with a rubber 'superball' producing other-wordly textures

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Small Metals

A comprehensive collection of smaller metals to add additional colours and textures

Bell Tree

An instrument comprising of cup-shaped bells played by stroking with poly mallets

Mark Tree

Suspended metal tines played by stroking with the fingers to produce the instrument’s signature glissandi

Agogos (x2 pairs)

Pairs of cone-shaped bells with a short decay, each occupying a different pitch and struck with thin sticks to create characterful rhythms

Spring Coil

A large coiled spring played with a triangle beater - either suspended from a stand (open) or resting on a soft surface (muted) 

Cowbells (x3)

Clapperless bells with a short, hollow decay and struck with drum sticks - presented here with three pitches

Cabassa

A hand instrument with beads wrapped around a ridged metal cylinder and turned with a handle, often used in place of a shaker

Chains

Heavy gauge chains dropped into a trash can to create aggressive metallic accents and textures

Finger Cymbals (x2)

Pairs of small cymbals struck together to produce a long and high pitched ring

Guira

A Caribbean instrument with a heavily textured metal surface, either tapped or scraped to create characterful repeating rhythms

Reco Reco

Popularised in Brazilian music, the Reco-Reco consists of springs extended across a hollow metal frame which are struck or scraped

Sleigh Bells & Indian Bells

Pellet bells attached to a handle (Sleigh Bells) or rope (Indian Bells) and shaken to produce a crisp 'jingle' sound

Tambourines (x3)

Metal 'jingles' attached to a hoop and either shaken or struck, equally adept at fast, repeating rhythms or single note accents - presented as a set of three 

Wind Chimes

Small suspended metal tines which add light splashes of colour when flicked

Triangles (x3)

An orchestral staple, the triangle produces a bright, high pitched bell sound with a long decay - presented here as a set of three


Trash Cans (x2)

A spread pair of trash cans creating a 'street' sound - great for both layering and creating complex polyrhythms

Sticks

Techniques performed with drumsticks producing a hard and pronounced attack

Dreads

Techniques performed with heavy gauge coiled metal brushes producing a very metallic sound

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Waterphone

A remarkable instrument of metal tines surrounding a water-filled chamber. Played with a bow, the tines create a otherworldly sounds with mesmerising harmonics

Bow (Arco)

Bow strokes performed across the instrument's tines to produce the signature waterphone sound

Bow (Col Legno)

Taps performed on the instrument's tines with the back of the bow

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Wind Gong

A 26" Wind Gong with quick and bright attack which produces a sound resembling the rushing of wind when struck

Felt Mallets

Techniques performed with soft felt mallets producing a mellow attack

Bows

Techniques performed with a bow across the edge of the cymbal to produce unearthly overtones

All in One

All available beaters and techniques for the instrument presented across the keyboard


Mics and Mixes

Mix 1

A full-sounding room mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 1, Overheads, Outriggers 1, and a curated blend of spots.

Mix 2

A tighter mix by Simon Rhodes, formed from Tree 2, Mids and Outriggers 2 with a curated blend of spots.

Section Overhead

A set of large diaphragm condenser microphones above the orchestral section capturing a clear representation of the instruments in the space.

Close 1

A blend of spot mics close to the source. Used in conjunction with the other close mics and section overhead to achieve the desired close sound.

Close 2

An alternative blend of spot mics which add body and air to the source.

Close Ribbons

A pair of close ribbon mics capturing a rounded and detailed image.

Tree 1

A decca tree formed of Abbey Road’s finest trio of classic valve omnidirectional microphones creating a lush and full sound.

Tree 2

A tighter, closer decca tree formed from mics with a more directional pattern, suited to faster, more detailed material.

Outriggers 1

Used in conjunction with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair utilises omnidirectional mics to reproduce the full width of Studio One.

Outriggers 2

Used together with either tree to obtain a wider image. This pair uses mics with a more directional pattern, pulling the edges of the room inwards.

Mids

A pair of valve REDD mics placed between the conductor and the source which adds extra focus to the sound when combined with the Tree and Outriggers.

Ambients

A pristine pair of small diaphragm omnidirectional microphones to the rear of the room for a natural ambience.

Vintage 1

A pair of original 1940s RM1B ribbon microphones placed in front of the conductor to create a vintage scoring stage sound

Vintage 2

A pair of classic 44BX ribbon microphones placed by the conductor for an alternative vintage scoring stage sound

Pop Close

A Simon Rhodes mix of close mics panned centrally to give a flexible image not restricted to the orchestral layout.

Spill

A summation of spot mics placed around the other sections. These capture the natural 'spill' from the source across the orchestra for added realism.


Key Features

A notable list of features to extend the playability and natural realism of this sample library

Right/Left Mapping

Recalls discrete right and left hand performances on adjacent keys, tapping into the distinct timbral difference between each sticking hand. This allows the programming or playing of true-to-life rudiments when needed.

Two Handed Layout

Duplicates the main original mapping blocks to a higher octave, spacing the keys out further for a faster, more ergonomic performance - akin to playing a real instrument.

Voice Choking

Playing a hit when a roll key is held will interrupt (choke) the roll. This allows for very tight roll ends to be played in using a single hit. In Metal Percussion this extends to single note cymbal hits, allowing choked ('secco') cymbal hits to interrupt the ringing of preceding hits.

Soft Takeover

Roll dynamics become velocity sensitive whilst still maintaining modwheel functionality, allowing rolls to be triggered sympathetically and intuitively when playing without having to set the position of the modwheel. The modwheel remains active, however, with the option of being able to crescendo/diminuendo if desired.

Testimonials

The holy grail of percussion sampling[...]just perfect out of the box. Beautiful dimension and depth, yet also very detailed when required. The same room and engineer combo as so many iconic film score recordings, and it certainly sounds it!”

Blakus Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Beauty and the Beast

The ARO Metal Percussion is definitely a milestone in how a sample library can sound. The cymbals and gongs are captured in their fully sustained, shimmering glory. The choice of articulations is plentiful and deliberate, all with long, natural tails, multiple dynamics and round-robins. An unexpected gem: the oil drum.

Abel Korzeniowski Nocturnal Animals, Penny Dreadful

The richness and detail of ARO Metal Percussion is like being immersed in 3D! There is plenty of subtle nuance to give added realism without being shrill and harsh. I’m also loving the musicality of the brake drum and the Scaffolds which are a real treat!

Nainita Desai 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, For Sama, Call of Duty

Small Metals has so much variety and wonderful sample selections and everyone loves a good Cowbell but this one is distinct and not obnoxious. The Temple Bowls Brushes have such a pleasant and direct texture. The Trash Cans sound tight and will be great alone and layered. Features that make it more wonderful are the close microphone tightness which is very crisp and the velocity detail is great.

Chase Bethea Video Game Composer

FAQs

What is the difference between Abbey Road Orchestra and Abbey Road One?

Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion is the third instalment in the new Abbey Road Orchestra product line. Crafted for professional composers, producers, sound designers and music editors, Abbey Road Orchestra brings you every section of the orchestra in breathtaking detail. It’s the culmination of over 20 years of sampling experience and innovation.

Abbey Road One is a range of ensemble libraries captured in Studio One at Abbey Road, created by Spitfire Audio in partnership with Abbey Road Studios. This is made up of a core library called Abbey Road One: Orchestral Foundations, and then smaller libraries called Abbey Road One: Film Scoring Selections series.

 The Selections are smaller and more focused libraries inspired by classic films, offering pre-orchestrated instrument pairings and themes. Featuring pre-arranged ensembles of classic orchestral pairings, each Selection is designed to help you accomplish a simple task phenomenally well.

 

What makes Abbey Road Orchestra modular?

Over the coming years, Spitfire will release each section of the orchestra, bit by bit in huge detail. Similar to that of the BML / Sable range in Spitfire's history, each section can be purchased separately to suit your needs.

The practical difference is that each Abbey Road Orchestra release will install into the same plugin, ensuring you don't need to load multiple different libraries as it will all be housed in one plugin. 

 

Is there a cross grade for this library? 

Yes, owners of Abbey Road Orchestra - Low Percussion, or High Percussion, during the promotional period will save an additional 11% off the introductory pricing. This will be a full 31% off the RRP.

Read more FAQs for this product

Tech specs

Mac system requirements

Mac OS X 10.15 to OS 13

Minimum: 2.8GHz i5 minimum (quad-core), 8GB RAM

Recommended: 2.8GHz I7 (six-core), 16GB RAM

Both Intel and Apple Silicon/ARM are supported

32-bit systems are not supported.

PC system requirements

Windows 10 or Windows 11 - (Latest Service Pack, 64-bit)

Minimum: Intel 2.8 GHz i5 (quad-core) or AMD Ryzen 5, 8GB RAM

Recommended: Intel Core i7 6th gen and later or AMD Ryzen 7, 16GB RAM

32-bit systems are not supported.

File size

136GB disk space required during install

Abbey Road Orchestra: Metal Percussion sounds great with…

Abbey Road One: Orchestral Foundations
  • The iconic sound of cinema
    Abbey Road Two: Iconic Strings Professional
  • The most famous string sound in the world
    Abbey Road Orchestra: Low Percussion
  • The professional composer series
    Abbey Road Orchestra: High Percussion
  • The professional composer series
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