UJAM NEON (Digital product)

Hits like a drum machine. Grooves like a drummer.

NEON is UJAM’s Virtual Drummer plugin designed for nu disco drums and dance-pop grooves. Experience tight, snappy drum sounds that sit perfectly in the mix, combined with a driving, forward rhythmic feel.

Inspired by the legends of 1970s disco such as Chic and The Bee Gees, NEON’s rhythm engine delivers the organic liveliness that only a real human drummer can provide. The drum kits are sourced from original vintage kits by renowned makers like Ludwig and Rogers.

Recorded in a small booth using era-specific microphones and outboard processing equipment like the Sennheiser MD 421 and Neve 1073, NEON captures pristine vintage drum quality. This is further enhanced by a state-of-the-art mixing console, controlled by six mix presets, creating NEON’s signature sound through a blend of vintage recording techniques and modern processing.

Built-in Style Phrases

Unlike traditional acoustic sample libraries that require extensive velocity layering and manual ghost-note programming, NEON acts as a studio collaborator, dynamically responding to your performance intensity and style input.

Select from NEON’s 30 styles to match the energy level of your genre or song, and easily combine drum phrases for intros, verses, choruses, and more to quickly build your drum arrangement.

Drag any of the 23 phrases per style into your DAW as a MIDI clip for editing, or trigger ready-made grooves—crafted from human performances—using single MIDI keys in sync with your DAW’s tempo.

Special Control

NEON features a unique Real/Glam-slider that allows you to adjust a drum kit’s sound from natural and acoustic to processed and electronic. The more “Glam” you add, the bigger and slappier the drums become.

Drum Kits & Mix Modes

NEON includes five meticulously selected, tuned, and recorded drum kits designed to sound dry, tight, and punchy. Each kit features seven individual drum instruments, including kicks, snares, hats, toms, and cymbals, along with overhead and room mics.

Choose the perfect kit for your track or mix and match drums from different kits to create a unique sound. Then, select one of six mix presets to instantly shape your drum sound, ranging from snappy and dry to crunchy and slammed.

Hand clapping is a key feature of both classic and modern disco sounds. NEON’s authentic claps, recorded live by a trio, combine a direct mono signal with stereo room and overhead mics, creating an ultra-wide stereo image that blends seamlessly with your snare.

Presets

Stay in the creative flow with NEON’s 100 presets, providing excellent starting points that require minimal tweaking. Trigger a few drum phrases, all perfectly timed with your DAW, to elevate your song’s groove and match your production’s energy.

Alternatively, play NEON’s drums using your MIDI controller, edit phrases in your DAW, and utilize separate outputs for each drum sound to customize your mix.

Features

• Choose from 5 acoustic drum kits and 690 drum grooves in 30 different styles
• 5 vintage acoustic drum kits from the 1970s
• 690 drum phrases in 30 nu disco styles, including ready-made grooves for intros, verses, choruses, fills, and more
• Real/Glam-slider for adjusting drum sound from natural to processed
• 6 mix presets like Snap, Crunch, or Glossy to enhance drum presence
• A professional-grade virtual session musician that follows your direction
• Optional separate outputs for close mics, overheads, and room
• Specialized in nu disco, dance-pop, house, and related styles
• Ideal for professional producers and enthusiasts seeking production-ready drums