Programming Acoustic Drums

Transform your productions with realistic, expressive drum parts in Programming Acoustic Drums, a deep-dive course taught by producer, composer, and mix engineer Will Marshall—a trusted collaborator of Oscar-nominated composer Nicholas Britell and Grammy-nominated jazz legend Patrick Gleeson. This course is designed for producers, composers, and musicians who want to harness the power of sampled drum libraries to create lifelike acoustic drum tracks that feel as real as a live performance.

Through 24 comprehensive lessons, Will walks you through his professional workflow using Kontakt, one of the most popular virtual drum samplers. You’ll learn what goes into a modern drum kit, how sampled drum libraries function, and how to choose the right kit for your track. From there, you’ll dive into the heart of drum programming: manipulating grooves, adding articulation and human feel, and structuring your patterns into complete performances. Whether you're enhancing demos, writing cinematic scores, or building tight pop productions, this course gives you the tools to program drums with nuance and authenticity.

Beyond programming, Will also covers the essential mixing and production techniques needed to make your drums sit well in a mix. You'll explore mic levels, reverb, overheads, room mics, and how to blend live-style drums with electronic elements for hybrid textures. By the end of this course, you’ll not only be confident using sampled drums in any DAW—you’ll also have a musical approach that elevates your drum tracks from mechanical to masterful.