Drum software has evolved greatly over the past decade, and the current crop of virtual kits and drum machines are all capable of detailed sound editing and creating grooves ranging from cerebral jazz to foot-stomping funk and bone-crunching metal. But which one is best for you, your budget and the way you work?

To save you the legwork and expense of hunting down the hottest software, we’ve rounded up nine of the best packages available today. For an in-depth look and OS requirements for each product click through to the full review at the bottom of each page. First up: Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0...

Easy to use, slick as you like, and with a 'superior' sound, SD 2.0 has beaten back the competition to claim its place as perhaps the best drum ROMpler going.

The included MIDI library (if a little samey), mixer and effects are particularly useful.

Now read: Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0 review