Toontrack EZdrummer 2 (Boxed)

EZdrummer 2 takes drum production to a whole new level. It was designed to erase any technical barrier between you and your creativity and introduces several groundbreaking features for quick and easy songwriting.

EZdrummer’s unparalleled success revolves around one central fact – that it is easy to use. In a creative songwriting moment, you want to keep momentum. You don’t want to get stuck programming drums. Tweaking sounds. Be presented with endless options. You want to write music. So when presented with the daunting task of making the market’s most easy-to-use drum software better without over-complicating it, what do you do? Well, Toontrack did something pretty hard. They made it even easier. 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
4 GB of free hard disk space.
Windows 7 or newer, Pentium 4 or Athlon processor with 2 GB RAM.
Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, Intel-based Mac with 2 GB RAM.
Audio Unit, VST, AAX or RTAS host application and professional sound card recommended. Stand-alone version included.

FIND & GET YOUR GROOVE DOWN
EZdrummer 2 introduces several features when working with MIDI drum grooves. All new functionality is applicable on the new content as well as any previously installed Toontrack MIDI. Get the groove you are looking for – quick, easy and to the tee.

GROOVE LIBRARY: The EZdrummer 2 groove library is conveniently organized in a ballad, halftime, mid-tempo and up-tempo structure and covers swing and/or straight variations in a number of styles and time signatures.

TAP2FIND: Tap your desired rhythm directly in the interface or use a MIDI controller. EZdrummer 2 will auto-quantize your beat and list the all grooves in order of closest match.

FILTERS: Find your grooves manually but let EZdrummer 2 narrow your search down to a specific library, genre or play style – just to name a few options.

BROWSER: The traditional EZdrummer view, displaying all your previously installed Toontrack MIDI.

RECORD: Use an e-kit or any controller to record MIDI straight into EZdrummer 2. From there you’ll have endless options to customize or refine your performance.
 

 

TURN IT INTO A SONG
When you have your basic idea down or found the groove you want to base your song around, EZdrummer 2 introduces several features that lets you finish your entire track without leaving the program. No more dragging and dropping to your DAW – it all happens in EZdrummer 2.

SONG CREATOR: Drop your groove into the MIDI drop zone and EZdrummer 2 will conveniently list all grooves and fills with a similar feel and style. From there, simply drag and drop to build your track or let EZdrummer 2 lay out a complete song from one of its templates.

SONG TRACK: Drag and drop any MIDI in the browser directly to the timeline to build your song. Cut blocks, copy and paste other MIDI, add fills, auto-quantize – just to name a few options.

EXPORT: Drag your entire song to your desktop or DAW. EZdrummer 2 also allows you to render any MIDI directly to audio.

TALK TO YOUR DRUMMER
EZdrummer 2 comes with a host of new, groundbreaking features centered on getting a personalized drum track quicker than ever before. In fact, for the first time ever in a drum software setting, the user can now “communicate” with the drummer – in real-time.

POWER HAND: Drag to any drum or cymbal to instantaneously change the leading instrument – while your groove is playing.

AMOUNT: Control the amount of hits on a single drum or the whole kit – live, in real-time. This feature is based on an algorithm that calculates the probabilities of where a real drummer would add or remove hits from the groove. This means that changing the amount knob does not arbitrarily add or subtract hits from the groove block, it uses information garnered from several thousand real drum performances. You can even add in instruments that aren’t playing in your particular groove by highlighting them and turning the knob.

VELOCITY: Alter the velocity of a single drum or the entire kit. Also based on the same smart algorithm, meaning EZdrummer 2 doesn’t just lower overall velocity on random.

PERCUSSION: Add a suitable percussion pattern to any groove on the fly – choose between instant rhythms custom-made for cowbell, snaps, claps, maracas and tambourine. Adjusting the amount knob will change the playing variation instantaneously.

EMBELLISH YOUR SOUND
Done with your drum track? With the sounds, features and much improved audio handling in EZdrummer 2, you’ll have the creative freedom to customize your final output and have it sounding better than ever before.

NEW AUDIO ENGINE: EZdrummer 2 has a completely remodeled engine under the hood – faster, leaner and producing enhanced end-results in terms of realism and quality.

• Real-time sample rate conversion
• More individual hits per sample layer
• Improved hi-hat transmute
• Multiple Hits Emulation (MHE) for smoother sequenced hits

NEW SOUNDS: An all-new sound library featuring a modern and a vintage setup as well as a selection of percussion. In total, five new kits and an array of alternatives for snares, bass drums and cymbals. Recorded by Grammy® award-winning engineer Chuck Ainlay (Dire Straits, Dixie Chicks) at Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios in London, England. (See more information about the kit set-ups below).

MIX & MATCH: EZdrummer 2 doesn’t restrict you to only the sounds available in its core content – it allows for seamless auditioning of any instrument in your previously installed EZdrummer expansion libraries (EZXs). This also of course means you can mix, match and build your own custom kits, directly in EZdrummer 2. All previously released EZX libraries will be optimized for EZdrummer 2 with new graphics and preset content, giving the user a fresh, new creative spin on already installed sounds.

NEW MIXER & EFFECTS: EZdrummer 2 has a completely new mixer and collection of presets, both for the modern and the vintage setup. The preset engine is based around the numerous quality effects in Toontrack’s widely acclaimed EZmix 2. Each setting includes a back-end of various signal chains such as compressors, reverbs, delays and EQs. With settings covering anything from classic rock to disco and modern metal, you can instantly call up a starting point for your song and, if you so choose, continue to customise it into something completely new with each preset’s unique set of parameters.

THE STUDIO

The drums for EZdrummer 2 were recorded at one of the most meticulously built recording facilities in the world; Mark Knopfler’s British Grove Studios in London, England. Combining some of the most sought-after and rare vintage consoles, outboard effects and microphones with the best of the best in state of the art recording technology, the studio serves as a perfect combination of how old and new can come together in perfect harmony.

The main recording room at the British Grove Studios is large, ambient and perfectly crafted for drum production. The high ceiling, the dense walls and carefully designed diffusers produce a natural and sonically balanced reverb that allow the drums to be loud and present in your mix without ever taking over.

The sounds were recorded by a true industry great; the multi award-winning Chuck Ainlay. Having engineered in excess of 200 albums, worked with some of the world’s biggest recording artists of all time and been involved in numerous gold or multi-platinum releases, his track record speaks for itself. Some of the most notable collaborations in Chuck’s impressive career include Willie Nelson, Dixie Chicks, Dire Straits and Travis Tritt. To name a few.

THE MODERN SETUP

The modern library includes drum selections from DW, Gretsch, Yamaha, Ludwig, Sonor, Tama and Brady, all recorded through Neve 88R and EMI TG12345 consoles as well as various chains of vintage and modern outboard.

Kits:

DW Collector’s Maple Yamaha 9000 Gretsch USA Custom

Hats:
Sabian HHX Groove Hats 14” Paiste Giant Beat 14”

Rides:
Sabian Vault Artisan 20” Paiste 2002 20”

Crashes:
SETUP 1
Sabian HHX Evolution 16” Pos1
Sabian AAX Xplosion Fast Crash 17” Pos2 Sabian HHX Evolution Ozone Crash 20” Pos3 Sabian HHX Xtreme Crash 17” Pos5

SETUP 2:
Paiste Twenty Thin Crash 16” Pos1 Paiste Giant Beat 17” Pos2
Paiste Full Crash 19” Pos3
Sabian HHX Xtreme Crash 18” Pos5

Toms:
DW Collector Maple 10×8,12×9,13×10,16×16,18×16 (DW Clear Coated Heads)
Yamaha 9000
10×8,12×8,13×9,14×11,15×13 (Emperor Coated) Gretsch
12×9,14×14,16×16 (Coated Emperors)

Snares:
Ludwig 400 14×5 Chrome on Aluminium (Remo Coated Control Sound)
Ludwig 400 14×5 Chrome on Aluminium (Damped) Sonor 14×6.5 Cast Bronze (Remo Emperor X)
Sonor 14×6.5 Cast Bronze (Damped)
Pearl Vinnie Paul Signature14x8 Maple (Evans HD) Brady 14×6.5 Jarrah block snare (Remo Coated Control Sound) Open
Brady 14×6.5 Jarrah block snare (Remo Coated Control Sound) Damped
Brady 14×6.5 Jarrah block snare (Remo Coated Control Sound) UpsideDown
Tama Artist Carbonfibre 14×6.5 (Semi Damped)
Tama Artist Carbonfibre 14×6.5 (Damped) (Ambassador Coated)
DW 13×6 Edge (Ambassador Genero Coated)
Gretsch US Custom Chrome over Brass 14×6 (Coated Ambassador) (Undamped)

Kicks:
DW Collector Maple 22×18 (Plastic & Felt) Remo Powerstroke 3 heads KD01
DW Collector Maple 22×18 Open (Felt) KD02
DW Collector Maple 24×16 (Felt & Plastic Beater) (Remo Powersonic heads) KD03
Yamaha 9000 22×16 (Evans EQ3) Plastic & Felt KD04 Gretsch 26×16 US Custom (Power Stroke 3 Coated) (Plastic & Felt) KD05

THE VINTAGE SETUP

 

The vintage library is based around two classic Ludwig kits and recorded through an extremely rare REDD.51 console. In fact, the example in British Grove Studios’ possession is the only known available in the world.

Kits:

Ludwig 1960s
Ludwig Vistalite

Vintage Setup 2 (60’Ss Ludwig)

Cymbals:
Hi Hat – Sabian HHX Manhattan 14inch
Ride – Sabian Bolt Crossover 21inch
Crash (Position 2) – Paiste Giant Beat 18inch Crash (Position 3) – Sabian Artizan Bolt 18inch

Toms:
Hi Tom – Ludwig 60’s 12×8 (Aquarium Modern Vintage Medium Skins)
Low Tom – Ludwig 60’s 14×14 (Aquarium Modern Vintage Medium Skins)

 

Bass Drum:
Ludwig 60’s 20×14 (Power Stroke 3 Clear)
Gretsch Catalina Club 26×16 (Power Stroke 3 Coated Skin)

Snare:
Ludwig 400 14×5 (Remo Coated Control Sound Skins) Gretsch Crome on Brass 14×6.5 (Coated Ambassador Skin)

 

Vintage Setup 2 (Ludwig Vistalite)

Toms:
Ludwig Vistalite 12×8 (Remo Pinstripe) Ludwig Vistalite 16×16 (Remo Emperor)

Bass Drum:
Ludwig Vistalite 22×14 (Aquarian Super Kick 2 Skin)
 

THE PERCUSSION

The percussion library is grouped in three categories: one shots, shakers and tambourine with selections of cowbell, snaps, claps, maracas and tambourine.

With the intuitive controls in EZdrummer 2, a perfect percussion beat is literally just a mouse-click away. If you activate a percussion pad, it will instantaneously add a fitting pattern to the groove you are currently working on.

To ensure unparalleled realism and dynamics, each instrument was multi-sampled and processed in different tempos, preserving the subtle nuances of the pre-hits essential in making especially shakers and tambourines come to life.