EZ Drummer - Superior Drummer 2.0 ..

[skiltrip]

Originally Posted by yelmua

Thanks skiltrip! Have other users on this thread had the same experience.

Regarding the promotion, if you go to Guitars, Musical Instruments, and Musical Equipment from Guitar Center and do a search for the expansion packs, they have a link to the rebate. And ezdrummer is only $99!

To the OP:

Dude, $99 + $79 + free EZX. You can have EZD/Vintage/Nashville for $178. Wish I'd gotten that deal. I bought them all separate! Do it!

Then you can upgrade to S2.0 if you want for $229.

EZD + Vintage + Nashville + S2.0 for $400. Yowzers!

[s_sibs]

Originally Posted by skiltrip

Then you can upgrade to S2.0 if you want for $229 (and get ANOTHER EZX free if you do it this month).

This is not correct. The 'Free EZX when you buy S2' is only valid for the full version, not the upgrade or crossgrade version.

EDIT: Nevermind skiltrip. I see you updated your post.

[yelmua]

Haha, just found a 10% off coupon for Guitar Center and shipping is free. So it's everything for $168! Yeah, at that price, it's worth starting small and upgrading later!

[skiltrip]

Originally Posted by s_sibs

This is not correct. The 'Free EZX when you buy S2' is only valid for the full version, not the upgrade or crossgrade version.

EDIT: Nevermind skiltrip. I see you updated your post.

My bad, I realized what I did after I posted, but thanks for looking out!

[Ernest Buckley]

Hey Everyone,

Didn`t want to start another post on the subject but this is the first time I am having trouble installing something. Crazy.

I got the DVDs, installed the EZ Drummer on my MAC HD and I cannot find the program. Where is it?

I also tried opening up Digital Performer to see if I could access EZ Drummer from the plug ins.... nope? Where the hell is it?

I`m looking forward to using this program but so far, I`m not crazy about the installation process.

Just wanted to add, hard to believe you can get sounds this good for $149.

[redddog]

Hey man.

Yeah, it took me a few times to get it up and going. You have to set the right path when installing EZD.

I use Samplitude. So I just found the location of my other VSTi stuff that is working and set the same destination when installing EZD. Make sure you uninstall EZD first.

Give that a shot.

[Ernest Buckley]

The installation process has been so frustrating, it makes me wonder about the company. I have never had an issue finding a program after installing it. And I`m not exactly happy with their website. I have to be patient though because when I first went to DP, I experienced the same frustrations.

[chrisso]

Are you posting on the Toontrack support forum?
Toontrack Support Forum

Also, are you trying to locate EZdrummer as a virtual instrument in Digital Performer?

[Ernest Buckley]

Originally Posted by chrisso

Are you posting on the Toontrack support forum?
Toontrack Support Forum

Also, are you trying to locate EZdrummer as a virtual instrument in Digital Performer?

Did not post yet on Toontrack forum yet. I am trying to access EZD as a plug in DP. Its not showing up. I think its installing it in the wrong folder. What folder should it be in?

No reason an installation should be this confusing.

[harry_seldon]

I picked up BFD2 for $254 at GC today. $299-15%.

The problem is high memory usage in Logic 9. I have been demoing Vienna Ensemble Pro for just this issue. It's like a friggin' disease.

[redddog]

Tha's the beauty of EZD. It's has a very small footprint.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley

Did not post yet on Toontrack forum yet.

Post there and you'll get a swifter response than here.

[Black Shadow]

Or e-mail support. I always get a response within 24 hours.

[chrisso]

I think it's sorted. thumbsup

[Ernest Buckley]

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the help. I had to create a Virtual instrument track in DP and select EZD from there. Then if you want to create your own grooves, you create a MIDI track and select EZD from the Drum Editor Window.

Not exactly obvious and the manual said nothing about this so I`m scratching my head about ToonTracks MO...

However, for $149, these are great drum sounds.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley

Not exactly obvious and the manual said nothing about this so I`m scratching my head about ToonTracks MO...

To be fair, and as the Toontrack techie advised you.... this is about learning how to use virtual instrument plug-ins within Digital Performer, not a Toontrack issue.
Essentially it's assumed you know how your host programme (DP) handles virtual instruments.

[Washington]

Nothing but good things to say here about EZdrummer. The Nashville kit is very, very good, to the point I recently used its kick as sound replacement in a serious prod. The variety of the kits proposed make it a wonderful tool for preprod too.

[Ernest Buckley]

Originally Posted by chrisso

To be fair, and as the Toontrack techie advised you.... this is about learning how to use virtual instrument plug-ins within Digital Performer, not a Toontrack issue.
Essentially it's assumed you know how your host programme (DP) handles virtual instruments.

Yes, I hear what you`re saying but I do not recall reading anywhere in the PDF manual anything about EZD being a VI in DP. Its really not an issue, it just would have been nice to know how EZD is accessed without getting help from kind fellows like yourself on these forums.

[TeraBrite]

Off topic but I have Superior 2.0, Steven Slate Drums, Addictive Drums, Battery 3, and have played with BFD. I prefer Steven Slate Drums over all of the above. Just sayin.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley

Yes, I hear what you`re saying but I do not recall reading anywhere in the PDF manual anything about EZD being a VI in DP.

It's a virtual instrument, whether it's in DP, Reaper or Pro Tools.
Stylus RMX is a virtual instrument, Ivory piano is a virtual instrument.
It just seems that's the way all these DAW producers have decided to group these type of plug-ins.
I suppose Toontrack should cover all bases by making sure customers know that, but they are Swedish and the guy that writes the manual is Spanish (living in the UK).
So I guess they try to get the EZdrummer/Superior specific instructions right first.

[RiF]

A bit off-topic, but...
I recently upgraded from EZDrummer to SD 2.0 (incl. the Lost NY thingy and Metal Foundry SDXes). I am not very happy yet, though. The kicks sound better and punchier than those in EZD (pop/rock kit) but all of the snares I tried sound way to compressed and drum machine like. All of them! I easily could get that sound with a sampler and a single non-velocity layered snare-sample! I kinda like the looser snare sound from EZD (yes I could use that kit in SD2.0, but I thought that I get more of this kind...) which I then process in the mix to my liking. Do I miss something? Does SD 2.0 really sound less realistic/natural than EZD, like it seems to me?

[chrisso]

EZdrummer is the processed version of S2.0 though.
The snares certainly aren't compressed in Superior.
Have you tried different mixer settings within Superior, or playing around with the mixer, and bleeds?
It's a lot more complex to get the desired sound together than EZdrummer.
Are you triggering the snares at high velocities. like 125/127?
I find the snares sound much looser and fatter around 120 or lower.

[jimcroisdale]

I was considering an upgrade from EZ to SSD or whatever, but since discovering the multi-output feature on EZ i've realised there's a ton of extra functionality for me to play with.

With the drums on separate channels in the DAW I can process each to taste and get closer to the big modern rock sound i have been after.

EZ sounds loads better for this with the room mics turned right down, too, IMO!

Jim

[tiger vomitt]

Originally Posted by TeraBrite

Off topic but I have Superior 2.0, Steven Slate Drums, Addictive Drums, Battery 3, and have played with BFD. I prefer Steven Slate Drums over all of the above. Just sayin.

im trying to figure out which robodrummer is gonna work for me, im deciding between superior, bfd and steven slate (didnt like the sound of addictive drums at all)

i really really dug the bonham kit demos on the steven slate site. but on just about every demo theyve got posted on there, every time they do a snare fill it's all machine gun sounding, despite their saying they got (no joke) ANTI-MACHINE GUN TECHNOLOGY lol

do you find that you get that machine gun sound most of the time doing fills (on any drum, not just the snare) when using s slate drums?

cuz at this point, im pretty convinced the superior drums app takes care of that excellently. and i love the sound of the metal pack and the vintage custom pack

but the lite version of SS is $99, and all that's stopping me from jumping on it is the machine gun sound in every one of those demos, it sounds so goofy! so what's up with that?

[Marty Long]

A lot of the demos showing off the Slate Drums are from 3.0 before the new programming and anti machine gun mode was implemented. We've been meaning to redo all the demos with the 3.5 engine but its a lot of work since there are so many of them and the only difference as you said, is on the fills. After seeing your post, I'll make sure we get to it this week.

With 3.5 snare fills sound really good, our programmer Alex did a really nice job with the anti machine gun code.

But Superior is a great drum app too and it might work well for you.

[357mag]

I use Reaper and all I need to do is place the EZ Drummer VSTI plug-in in the the FX/Plug-ins folder in Reaper. Very simple.

I would imagine after you learn which folder your plug-ins are in the installation process is as simple.

[Jose Skertchly]

Is there any way to save the multi output settings in EZ?

[Milliken]

You can buy EZdrummer+1 EZX+usb nanopad controller for $99 right now at musicians friend. That's a fantastic deal for a quality simple beat making setup. EZdrummer, mixed properly can sound 95% as good as superior, when used correctly. Superior has way more features and I find them almost all useful. I have EZdrummer, all the EZX's, and Superior drummer. I think they are awesome.

I've noticed that the midi files in superior put most of the snare hits at max velocitiy which might be why people get some "machine gun effect." The snare velocities should really be varied in a song and not overcompressed. It is worth taking the time to bring the midi note velocities back to about 70-90% and then mixing them. EZ and Superior samples for snare have a very nice velocity variation when used properly. I think most young people listening to modern music think that a snare only makes ONE sound. It is getting very sad, and my number one complaint with the "Loudness War" and most modern production.

I've never tried Steven Slate Drums and I hear a lot of people say that they rule as well.

[chroma]

do you have a link to that nanopad + ezdrummer + ezx deal? only can find ezdrummer by itself for $99....

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Tom Orrow

It is worth taking the time to bring the midi note velocities back to about 70-90% and then mixing them.

Good advice. thumbsup