The claim XLN Audio makes for the Modern Jazz Sticks ADpak is that it delivers "the perfect jazz sound" straight out of the box. That's a bold line, and it only half holds up. This expansion gives Addictive Drums 2 owners a compact, tuned-up modern jazz kit that works well in the right hands. But "perfect" is a stretch, and some of what owners actually report about this pack is pretty far from that word.
This review is built around the people most likely to buy it. Because whether it's worth $89 depends almost entirely on what you're trying to do with it.
What XLN Audio Promises
The pitch is simple: modern jazz needs tight, slightly brighter tuning than vintage kits, and this ADpak delivers that tuned-up character with the right hardware choices to back it up.
The kit is built around a Premier Gen-X kick (18x14"), a Ludwig Acrolite snare (14x5"), four Premier Gen-X toms ranging from 10x8" to 16x16", a 14" Sabian HHX Groove hat, three crash options from Meinl Byzance, Paiste Mellow, and Sabian HHXtreme, and a 21" Meinl Byzance Medium ride. There's even a Meinl small black cowbell thrown in.
Thirty presets come ready to load. The developer says they let you get to work immediately. And the whole thing fits under 1GB on your drive.
What Actually Holds Up
The Ludwig Acrolite is the star here. Owners consistently describe it as tight, bright, and focused, which is exactly what you want for complex up-tempo jazz and fusion work. Put a snare hit in a busy arrangement and it cuts without having to fight for space. That kind of character is satisfying when you find it in a sample pack.
The close mic setup works well for that purpose too. Detailed and dry, they suit intricate playing where every stroke needs to land clearly.
Flip to the room mics and the picture changes. Owners report that's where you can push toward a live big-band feel, something more spacious and open. It's not the same as close-miked fusion but it's a different, useful tool.
The sub-1GB footprint is genuinely clever design. When you're managing a full sample library setup, an expansion that doesn't bloat your drive is worth appreciating. Thirty presets is a reasonable number too, and Addictive Drums 2's interface means you can tweak them without starting from scratch.
Owners also note very subtle per-hit variations that add texture. Not dramatic, but enough to keep repeated patterns from sounding mechanical.
What Doesn't
Here's where it gets frustrating. The bass drum is described by owners as traditional jazz but a one-trick pony. You get one character, and that's your lot. For a lot of modern jazz production, that might be fine. For anyone wanting tonal variety or a more contemporary hybrid feel, it's limiting.
The snare situation is messier. While some owners love the Acrolite character, others report it sounds metallic, thin, and cheap compared to real jazz drum recordings. That's not a minor complaint. Snare tone is often the emotional core of a drum sound, and "thin and cheap" is a difficult thing to program your way around.
There are no built-in articulations for rolls and flams. You're building those manually in your MIDI editor. That's annoying in a genre where brush rolls and ghost-note flams are foundational vocabulary, not ornaments.
Overall, some owners describe the pack as lifeless and unnatural even for jazz. That's a hard critique to dismiss.
Who It Suits, by User Type
The AD2 owner who needs jazz fast
You've got a session booked, you need a believable jazz kit inside your existing Addictive Drums 2 setup, and you don't want to spend three hours building from scratch. Load a preset, dial in the room mic blend, and you're moving. This is exactly the use case this ADpak was built for.
Buy it.
The fusion and up-tempo producer
You're programming complex parts where the snare needs to pop cleanly through dense chord voicings and the hi-hats need to feel precise. The close mics and the Acrolite's focused character work in your favour here. The lack of built-in rolls is annoying but manageable if you're already comfortable with MIDI programming.
Buy it, with patience.
The producer chasing acoustic realism
You want something that holds up against a real jazz kit recording, the kind that passes an A/B test next to a Blue Note record or a studio date. The complaints about thin, metallic tone are real enough that this is a genuine risk. You'd be frustrated.
Skip it.
The non-AD2 owner considering the whole purchase
This expansion requires Addictive Drums 2 to be owned and installed. If you don't own AD2, you're looking at a much larger investment to access this kit. Don't start here.
Hard pass until you own the host.
The big-band or orchestral arranger
If you're working on arrangements where the kit sits behind brass and woodwinds in a live-sounding room, the room mic options owners describe are worth exploring. This is probably the most underrated use case for this pack.
Worth a look at $89.
The Verdict
The Modern Jazz Sticks ADpak does one job well: it gets an AD2 user into a functional modern jazz kit without chewing up drive space or requiring hours of setup. The Acrolite snare has real character when the stars align, and the room mics add flexibility that the close-mic sound alone can't cover.
But "perfect jazz sound" is overcooked marketing. The bass drum is one-dimensional, the snare divides opinion more than it should at this price, and the absence of articulations will annoy anyone doing detailed MIDI work.
At $89, it earns a conditional recommendation. The condition is that you're already inside the AD2 ecosystem and you need this specific toolkit without fuss. If you're chasing realism or tonal depth, some users report the pack sounds too metallic, lifeless, thin, and unnatural even for jazz.
Specs & Technical Details
| Developer | XLN Audio |
| Price | $89 |
| Plugin Format | N/A (expansion for Addictive Drums 2) |
| OS Support | N/A |
| Activation | N/A |
| CPU Usage | N/A |
| Trial Available | N/A |
| Version Reviewed | N/A |
| Disk Space Required | Under 1GB |
| Host Required | Addictive Drums 2 |
| Presets Included | 30 |
| MIDI Grooves | Sold separately (Jazz Sticks Grooves MIDIpak, 350+ grooves) |
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 3.0/5 | Acrolite snare has real character; bass drum and overall tone divide opinion |
| Value for Money | 3.0/5 | Reasonable at this price for AD2 owners, but limited articulations reduce return |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/5 | 30 presets and the AD2 interface mean fast workflow from first load |
| Features | 2.5/5 | No built-in rolls or flams; bass drum variety is thin |
| CPU Efficiency | 4.0/5 | Sub-1GB footprint is a genuine advantage in a full library setup |
| Overall | 3.0/5 | Solid for the right AD2 user, but doesn't earn "perfect jazz sound" billing |
If you're at the point in a session where you need a jazz kit loaded in five minutes and you don't want to think about disk space, this ADpak earns its place. But if you're sitting there A/B-ing it against a real Acrolite recorded in a decent room and something feels off, trust that instinct. The MIDI grooves pack is sold separately, which means the headline price doesn't include the actual playing. Keep that in mind before you hit buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Addictive Drums 2 to use the Modern Jazz Sticks ADpak?
Yes, without exception. This is an expansion pack, not a standalone plugin. If you don't already own and have installed Addictive Drums 2, the ADpak is unusable. Factor in the cost of AD2 before you consider purchasing this expansion.
Does the Modern Jazz Sticks ADpak include MIDI grooves?
No. The MIDI grooves are sold separately as the Jazz Sticks Grooves MIDIpak, which contains 350+ professional grooves and fills. The ADpak itself covers the kit sounds and 30 presets only. If you need ready-to-use patterns, you'll want to budget for both.
Can I customise the sounds in this ADpak?
Yes. All 30 presets are editable inside the Addictive Drums 2 interface. You can adjust mic blends, tuning, and other parameters the same way you would with any other AD2 kit. The close mics and room mics each have their own character worth exploring separately.
Is the Modern Jazz Sticks ADpak good for fusion drumming, or is it strictly acoustic jazz?
Owners report the close mic setup and the Acrolite's tight, focused snare character work well for complex up-tempo and fusion playing. The room mic option leans more toward live big-band territory. It's not built for electronic or hybrid fusion work, but for purely acoustic fusion it's a credible option if the snare tone suits your ear.
