Incidentally, if you take a snare drum from a different kit, the overhead mic component reflects this, so you don't end up in a compromise situation where the close-mic sound changes but the overhead sound stays the same - a common problem when doing conventional drum replacement. This limitation, thankfully, no longer exists in version 2. Additional EZX expander drum kits have been introduced at regular intervals since EZdrummer's launch in 2006 and can be purchased as add-ons, but although kits might include a choice of several different drum, cymbal and beater types, there was no way to assemble your own kit by combining elements from different expansion kits.

In other words, they present grey text over a background of another shade of grey, which makes it harder to read in less-than-optimal lighting conditions. The original EZdrummer will remain on sale only as long as boxed copies last in the stores, and of course these can be upgraded free of charge.ĮZdrummer 2 retains the orginal's core framework and expands upon it, though some parts of the GUI have succumbed to what I call Apple-itis. Also, anyone who bought EZdrummer after March 13th, 2014 gets a free upgrade (download only) added to their account. Fortunately, despite the added functionality, EZdrummer still remains 'easy' - and if you simply want to carry on using it much as before, you can jump right in and then explore the new elements at your leisure.ĮZdrummer 2 costs £99 $149, with an upgrade price for existing EZdrummer users of £57 $89. When we heard that Toontrack were going to rebuild the program and add new features, we were a little nervous that the changes might compromise the 'easy' aspect of the software. The 'EZ' (in the American sense) part comes from the simplified user interface, the learning curve of which is so flat you could climb it in carpet slippers. and the aforementioned library of MIDI loops. Its GUI is based around a graphical representation of the drum kit, a mixer The new main kit view, with arranger track along the bottom and percussion elements to the right. For those not familiar with EZdrummer, it is a comprehensive drum instrument plug-in supporting all the common Mac and Windows formats (and also enjoying a stand-alone mode) employing meticulously recorded drum multisamples that can be played from a keyboard, MIDI drum kit or from the included library of MIDI loops and fills. Several of the Sound On Sound staff, myself included, are regular users of Toontrack's EZdrummer, mainly because it does just about everything you might need without the complexity of Toontrack's flagship Superior Drummer. Have Toontrack improved their popular EZdrummer software without compromising its fundamental 'easy' approach?

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