XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2 drum plug-in: features and spec-based rating

XLN Audio’s Addictive Drums 2 is a drum instrument plug-in in which you choose the drum kits and MIDI beat packs you like and combine them. It comes in combinations of 3, 6 or 10 kits, and it has a mixer and effects, editing for each drum and “Beat Transformer”, which changes a groove (rhythm pattern).

A drum instrument plug-in lets you play the sound of real drums on a computer. Even if you cannot play drums, you can put drums in your songs.

In this article we compare Addictive Drums 2 with 10 drum instrument plug-ins and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Summary

Among the 10 drum instrument plug-ins, Addictive Drums 2 is rank B. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and B is third from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.3.

Strengths

• Realism and depth (4 points): you can shape the drum sound in detail.

Things to keep in mind

• Range of kits (2 points): there are few kits to choose from.

Who it suits: people who want to choose just the kits they need and start at a reasonable cost.

Main features of Addictive Drums 2

Buy by combining kits

Addictive Drums 2 is a drum instrument plug-in in which you choose and combine genre-specific kits (ADpaks). There are combinations of 3, 6 or 10 kits, and you can add kits later. You can also swap the parts of a kit to make your own kit.

Ready-to-use presets and beats

When you choose a preset, a beat played by a real drummer plays back at the tempo of the song you are working on. The manufacturer explains that because the presets are already mixed, just choosing one gives you a sound you can use in a song. Genre-specific MIDIpaks are also available.

Beat Transformer and per-drum editing

With Beat Transformer you can vary the strength and fineness of a groove. In Edit & FX you can adjust the tone and effects of each drum. You can also play and record with a MIDI keyboard or electronic drums.

Where it is useful

• Choosing a kit and a beat that fit the genre to make a drum accompaniment
• Using Beat Transformer to add variation to the same groove
• Connecting electronic drums and recording your own playing

Rating by criterion

Realism and depth: 4 / 5

We look at how extensively it was recorded and how far you can shape the sound.

It has a mixer and effects, and editing for each drum (Edit & FX).

Speed of programming: 3 / 5

We look at whether you can quickly build drums that suit a song (finding phrases, creating them automatically and so on).

It has MIDI beat packs and Beat Transformer, which varies a groove.

Range of kits: 2 / 5

We look at the number of drum sets (kits) you can choose to suit a genre.

The most affordable combination is 3 kits (there are also 6-kit and 10-kit combinations).

If “range of kits” matters most to you, SSD5.5 and MODO DRUM 1.5 (5 points) are a better fit.

How we score (Drum instrument plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Realism and depth	Scale of the recordings, and how far the sound can be shaped	A library of 200 GB or more, plus a mixer, effects and loading your own samples	Drum sounds can be reshaped part by part, and there is a mixer	A library of 10 to 20 GB and a mixer	A smaller library	—
Speed of programming	How quickly you can build drums that suit a song	A feature that suggests fitting grooves and one that builds a song structure	Song building plus aids such as audio-to-MIDI conversion	Many grooves (1,000 or more), or a feature that varies grooves	Few grooves	—
Range of kits	Number of kits you can choose to suit a genre	10 or more kits	Around 7 kits, plus extra snares and kicks	5 to 7 kits	3 to 4 kits	2 kits or fewer

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: programming the drums for a song. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Realism and depth" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent.

Addictive Drums 2 screens and images

Addictive Drums 2 system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows / Mac
Plug-in formats	VST, VST3, AU, AAX
Standalone	Yes
Trial	Free trial available

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.

Compared with other drum instrument plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• Studio Drummer: features and rating (rank B)
• EZdrummer 3: features and rating (rank A)
• Superior Drummer 3: features and rating (rank S)
• MODO DRUM 1.5: features and rating (rank A)