Drumforge Launches David Bendeth Drum Sampler, Its Most Ambitious Release Yet

Drumforge has released its most ambitious product to date: Drumforge David Bendeth, a complete drum sampler plugin built around the production sound of multi-diamond, multi-platinum producer David Bendeth. Announced and released on March 13, 2026, the library represents what the company describes as the biggest release in its history, housing the recordings inside a completely rebuilt virtual sampler platform.

The recording took place at IIWII Studios in Weehawken, New Jersey, captured through one of only six operational Focusrite consoles known to exist. The library spans nine kick drums, 25 snare drums, 23 tom configurations, and a full cymbal collection, with the sound shaped by Bendeth's personal hardware reverb chain: a Yamaha SPX90, Lexicon PCM70, Lexicon 480L, and EMT 140 Plate. Those units are baked directly into the library's character, not replicated in software after the fact.

The scope of the drum collection goes well beyond a standard studio kit selection. Drumforge describes the library as a "Time Capsule Of Never Before Sampled Drum Kits," with snares dating back as far as the 1920s and instruments with fewer than 50 units ever manufactured. The centerpiece of that historical preservation angle is Hal Blaine's original session kit: the physical shells used on thousands of recordings from the 1960s through the 1980s, including sessions with the Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel. The library also includes Bendeth's signature Impact one-shot samples alongside the multisampled content.

Bendeth's production résumé gives the library considerable weight in rock and post-hardcore circles. His credits include Paramore, Breaking Benjamin, Bring Me the Horizon, Underoath, All Time Low, Papa Roach, and Of Mice and Men, with Drumforge citing figures of over 80 million records sold, 35 billion-plus streams, eight diamond certifications, and 125 platinum records across his career.

On the technical side, Drumforge David Bendeth runs in VST3, AU, and AAX formats and includes a standalone application. Native Apple Silicon support is built in, and the plugin is compatible with macOS 10.13 or later and Windows 10 or later. Pro Tools users need version 11 or higher; Cubase users need version 6.5 or higher. RAM requirements sit at 8GB minimum with 16GB recommended. Storage requirements listed in the press release indicate 40GB of free drive space, though the product page lists 30GB, and prospective buyers should confirm the current figure directly with Drumforge before purchasing.

The plugin retails at $199 and carries a Single User License with three activations. An introductory launch price of $119 is currently in effect, making this the window to pick it up if the price point is a factor.