EZ Drummer 2 review

[AudioGeekZine]

Toontrack sent me EZ drummer 2 this week for review and I've started digging into it. It's pretty great and I haven't even started playing with the best new features yet (the MIDI editing).

Check out the boring Install video here
http://audiogeekzine.com/2014/04/video-ezdrummer-2-review-part-1-install/

and the first impressions video
http://audiogeekzine.com/2014/04/video-toontrack-ezdrummer-2-review-part-2-first-impressions/

The final part will be at the end of the month, once I've used it for a few projects. First impressions are very positive so far.

What do you guys think? Are you going to get it or upgrade?
Is there a feature you want me to cover in a video?

 

[FIXXXER]

i wonder if the new kits are actually new or "toontrack new" which means old samples re-re-re-re-re-re mixed again and again...

 

[AudioGeekZine]

5 new kits recorded by Chuck Ainlay.

 

[JasinElric]

Very underwhelming to say the least. I just wonder about future expansions, is the original EZ Drummer not going to be able to load them? Not that it matters to me, personally, I load through Superior. Just curious.

 

[drew_drummer]

I'm very curious about the groove browsing experience.

 

[Nolly]

I got to drop in on one of the expansion pack recording sessions, and I'm aware of some of the others - I think people are going to be very happy with the samples that will be coming out

 

[rvs0002]

Thanks for the videos! Can you drag grooves from the library straight to the project (the old way) without going into the arranger first?

 

[EOC]

Can i ask what reaper theme are you using? Thanks!

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Very underwhelming to say the least. I just wonder about future expansions, is the original EZ Drummer not going to be able to load them? Not that it matters to me, personally, I load through Superior. Just curious.

It doesn't give complete control. The real strength is in the new MIDI stuff which I didn't show in the video.
All the previous expansions are getting a free update with new mixer presets for EZDrummer 2. The effects are based on EZMix.

I'm very curious about the groove browsing experience.

It's killer. Very innovative. Definitely demonstrating it in the next video.

Thanks for the videos! Can you drag grooves from the library straight to the project (the old way) without going into the arranger first?

Yes but there are some really neat benefits to editing it within EZDrummer. You can change the drums in the groove, simplify it or make it more complex, add ghost notes to the snare by just turning a knob.

 

[rvs0002]

Awesome, thanks for the answer. Can't wait to see more videos!

 

[JasinElric]

It doesn't give complete control. The real strength is in the new MIDI stuff which I didn't show in the video.
All the previous expansions are getting a free update with new mixer presets for EZDrummer 2. The effects are based on EZMix..

Well that's cool, do you know anything about the default midi velocities? I know on the original EZDrummer by default the kicks and snares were at 127 with slight variations on the toms and cymbals. Do you know if there will be any improvement/actual humanization in that area?

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Well that's cool, do you know anything about the default midi velocities? I know on the original EZDrummer by default the kicks and snares were at 127 with slight variations on the toms and cymbals. Do you know if there will be any improvement/actual humanization in that area?

By default it's fairly hard hits, especially for the metal patterns. Scaling back the velocity triggers softer hits and it really feels like the drummer tightens up and is holding back.

Another really cool feature is the Tap function, where you can enter your own step sequenced pattern, or via MIDI, and it will sort the groove library to show which grooves are similar. I've never seen that done before.

I will cover all this in a video later in the month but all these questions make me want to make it right away. maybe.

I don't have a manual for this so I don't have all the details for these functions, but again that kind of proves how easy and intuitive it is.

I showed it to one of my singer-songwriter clients today and he's already decided to kick the drummer out of his band. haha

 

[HeadCrusher]

Isn't the manual accessible from the menu like in the previous versions?

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Isn't the manual accessible from the menu like in the previous versions?

I just don't think it's written yet. There's a 1-sheet promo pdf accessible from the menu. Still a month away from public release, I've heard documentation is one of the last things done for a software product.

 

[HeadCrusher]

Makes sense.

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Here's a quick demo of the metal style patterns and mixer preset along with guitars and bass. No processing on ezdrummer aside from the built-in reverb (there is processing but it is not adjustable). Guitars and bass are running through Grind Machine.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1053122/other_audio/demo apr 13.mp3

 

[Ribbon]

Here's a quick demo of the metal style patterns and mixer preset along with guitars and bass. No processing on ezdrummer aside from the built-in reverb (there is processing but it is not adjustable). Guitars and bass are running through Grind Machine.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1053122/other_audio/demo apr 13.mp3

Quite impressive.

Here's another clip. This time in an orchestral context:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZCh4EY_kug&t=1m36s[/ame]

 

[Alphanumeric]

Like 90% of Toontrack kits again the snares sound amazing but always too thin, but not as thin and weedy as the kicks/toms, christ.

Can we expect some more ezx kits like Metal Machine? Which is legitimately the best thing they've ever done.

Is their ever going to be a dedicated kit like Superior but for metal, y'know, since (i assume) the vast majority of toontrack customers/producers and people that produce the hype them up are metal based?

Or ever just Superior 3, its been half a decade ....

 

[HeadCrusher]

There is the Metal Foundry SDX you know?

 

[AudioGeekZine]

Ola has made a demo of the Tap, song creator and groove editing functions. Drum tracks in 5 minutes