#1325697 - 08/26/14 11:07 AM
EZ Drummer 2
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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One word: WOW! I don't, and have never had the first version. I wanted something that was intuitive, easy to use, and didn't ensure you spent all your time stuck in manuals......this is what was promised by Toontracks.....and it delivers.
How do the drums sound? Excellent. How easy is it to use? Very. Well worth the $170-0dd bucks. Download only, but it's an easy process. Expect to spend an hour or so downloading and then authorising.
The Tap to Find feature is a winner. You just tap in your imagined beat bit by bit; maybe kick first, or hats or whatever, put in your snare etc and then you drop that pattern into the drop box (it's all in the easily-digestible Help menu/manual). The Search gives up patterns that fit by closest %. Take and audition your choices. or, you can do a search using various filters. EZ Drummer 1 owners will be familiar with this latter aspect.
Song Creator uses that suggested pattern you pick and makes up an entire song out of it in the sequencer section; all neatly labelled/coloured and followable.....just like Discrete Drums, not (yeah, I know, DD is getting on and was good for its time)
The new inbuilt sequencer makes it easy to use standalone; no need to get bogged down with other programmes. With no disrespect to those that love computer recording, this is a blessing. Take WAV files straight to my 2480. If you take separately panned drums to separate WAV files and import them into the Roland you can have each on a separate track. Sick of saying 'easy'. For you computer guys you can use it in with your recording programme of choice.
EZ Drummer 1 folks will know how you can manipulate parameters of each drum in each pattern. I'm told the mixer section has had a few tweaks for the better; that word again....easy.
Comes installed with 2 kits; 'vintage' and 'modern', with good kit choices for each. You can mix and match each drum from each of the kits. There is percussion in there too; tambourine, shaker and handclaps. Each has its own ambient miking tracks.
This absolutely craps on Roland's Discrete Drums, in both sound and ease of manipulation. They sound real, are highly tweakable and natural. The Perfect Drummer.
highly recommended.
hope that might help someone. Winner/killer software.
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#1325720 - 08/26/14 01:52 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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uptildawn
Planeteer
Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 9073
Loc: on land
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That's a great review!
Makes me want to start mucking around with creating drum parts on my own again. Maybe I should try these.
_________________________
uptildawn
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#1325721 - 08/26/14 01:53 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: uptildawn]
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DEMONMASTER62
Planeteer
Registered: 09/30/11
Posts: 3637
Loc: Central Florida
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it sold me, great write-up. Now if I only had the money.
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#1325827 - 08/26/14 11:23 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: DEMONMASTER62]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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Thanks lads. No affiliation with Toontracks/EZ Drummer.....just a genuinely satisfied customer. Not often one can say with all the corporate hype, aphorisms and promises; it does what they say it will do - 'easy'.
And it turns up on time, doesn't grumble, talk gibberish or expect to be paid thinking it's a musician either. Meet your new drummer!
I wonder if Toontracks could come up with EZ Singer, where they actually help load the gear?
Lovin' it.
cheers, Graeme
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#1326113 - 08/28/14 11:36 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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LarryG
Planeteer
Registered: 02/04/00
Posts: 3097
Loc: FL
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Thanks, G.
Any demos available? Will check.
/L
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/LarryG
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#1340758 - 11/01/14 12:07 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Stuart]
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flatcat
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 07/11/01
Posts: 29762
Loc: Westborough, MA, USA
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I like the sounds on it. I've been a little frustrated because V2 doesn't seem to work as a plug-in in Reaper, but I'm going to explore that some more and see if there isn't another solution available (such as running Reaper in 64 bit mode, which I haven't been doing).
I do like it though. For me, it's great.
_________________________
The internet, and the whole technology sector on which it floats, feels like a giant organ for bullshittery—for upscaling human access to speech and for amplifying lies. - Ian Bogost
Professor Truth T. Sweetness says,"Mind your manners!"
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#1348930 - 11/27/14 10:05 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Stuart]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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Great....you'll like it. The add-on MIDI packs of various genres are pretty good too; give you more diversity.
enjoy, Graeme
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#1367974 - 02/03/15 07:57 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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Boots
Planeteer
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 167
Loc: Ocean City, MD
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Hey Graeme,
I'm also loving EZ2!
But...I want to send the MIDI info from EZ2 via USB and my M-Audio midisport to my JL Cooper PPS2 and then on to a track on my VS-2480 to "stripe the tape", so I can then reverse the signal path and then I play the song on the 2480 it will kick off the drums on EZ2. Problem is, "Enable MIDI Out" is grayed out on the EZ2 menu. Any thoughts on that?
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#1368038 - 02/04/15 12:54 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Boots]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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Sorry, can't help you on that I'm afraid: I use EZ2 purely as stand-alone and then import WAVs to the 2480 precisely so I don't have to get involved in all that computer rigmarole.
cheers, Graeme
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#1368069 - 02/04/15 07:44 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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flatcat
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 07/11/01
Posts: 29762
Loc: Westborough, MA, USA
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Boots: you may need to change your settings to ASIO or to another mode of communication to enable the MidiSport and send MIDI out. Double check the settings and see what it's set to.
Also, you might be able to simply connect the output of your MIDISport to the VS. That I remember (at least on the 1680), "striping the tape" was a little different than recording a track, there was like a special MIDI-only track or something. It's been years since I tried doing that though, so you might need to read the manual on that.
_________________________
The internet, and the whole technology sector on which it floats, feels like a giant organ for bullshittery—for upscaling human access to speech and for amplifying lies. - Ian Bogost
Professor Truth T. Sweetness says,"Mind your manners!"
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#1369172 - 02/09/15 11:51 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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gonzo
purveyor of noise
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 08/16/99
Posts: 31444
Loc: SL.UT
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Sorry, can't help you on that I'm afraid: I use EZ2 purely as stand-alone and then import WAVs to the 2480 precisely so I don't have to get involved in all that computer rigmarole.
cheers, Graeme
one of the GREAT things about using EZD as a plugin, is being able to keep the ability to change the drums/arrangement, whatever, AT WILL in the project.
i often re-write drum parts at the very END of all my tracking.....
using the basic arrangment as a 'go-by' until all of my tracking is complete.
all i have to do, is FREEZE the synth rack, and all of the midi data is temporarily written as individual wav files, which i can output as individual tracks, or more commonly, a simple stereo wav file of my drum mix at that time..
then unfreeze, go back in and rewrite any parts i want, then output those files as 24 bit individual wav files,
and mix the whole thing as if i had recorded each and every piece of kit with it's own mic,
including the room mics.
awesome.
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#1381245 - 03/31/15 02:48 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: gonzo]
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Memphis Monroe
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 05/12/02
Posts: 27453
Loc: Pensacola, FL
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Gonzo, I thought you used Superior Drummer...do you now prefer EZD2 to SD?
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#1381323 - 03/31/15 07:55 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Memphis Monroe]
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gonzo
purveyor of noise
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 08/16/99
Posts: 31444
Loc: SL.UT
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no i didn't switch.
i have ezdrummer, and superior 2.0....
but i use superior,
didn't see the need to upgrade to EZD2.....
but i like the way ezd2 lets you layout your patterns,
that's cool,
hope they upgrade superior with a similar upgraded interface.
i still prefer the raw 24 bit files i can ouput from superior.
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#1382553 - 04/06/15 04:37 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: gonzo]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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FYI EZ Drummer2 wav files are 24 bit also.
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#1405062 - 07/26/15 12:33 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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shanabit
Planeteer
Registered: 09/07/04
Posts: 2270
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EZ 2 is a major upgrade IMO, LOVE it compare to EZ 1, well worth the dough
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#1409686 - 08/13/15 11:35 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: shanabit]
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Slabraton
Planeteer
Registered: 12/16/12
Posts: 16566
Loc: California
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"I wonder if Toontracks could come up with EZ Singer, where they actually help load the gear?"
How about EZ Groupie(which is redundant)?
Check that. We already have Auto Suck. My ex gave me one to celebrate our divorce.
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#1409710 - 08/14/15 12:57 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Slabraton]
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uptildawn
Planeteer
Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 9073
Loc: on land
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Singer helping unload and set up the stage - "Here's my mic."
Singer helping tear down and load for home - "Here's my mic."
_________________________
uptildawn
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#1410579 - 08/16/15 10:47 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: uptildawn]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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hehehe...excellent Up and Slab!
Perhaps 'EZ Guitar Player'. All it does is slag off what other guitar players have done saying it could have done it better.
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#1410846 - 08/17/15 07:40 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: uptildawn]
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Slabraton
Planeteer
Registered: 12/16/12
Posts: 16566
Loc: California
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Singer helping unload and set up the stage - "Here's my mic."
Singer helping tear down and load for home - "Here's my mic."
For no particular reason, this reminds me of a singer we had who was so stupid she once stopped in the middle of "Respect" because she couldn't remember how to spell the word. The band fell apart laughing.
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#1410868 - 08/17/15 08:40 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Slabraton]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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That's a killer! Once had a singer who thought Spinal Tap was real......anyone else got some stories of band hilarities?
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#1411168 - 08/18/15 11:16 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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Slabraton
Planeteer
Registered: 12/16/12
Posts: 16566
Loc: California
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Perhaps 'EZ Guitar Player'. All it does is slag off what other guitar players have done saying it could have done it better.
Perhaps you've heard the lightbulb joke about how it takes one guitar player to do it and 99 to say "that's not hard. I could do that-if I really wanted to."
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#1411221 - 08/19/15 02:29 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Slabraton]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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Oh yes, that excellent joke was what that was based on. My other favourites are drummer jokes:
Q what's the similarity between a drummer and a computer?
A they both need the information punched in.
Q what the difference between a drummer and a computer?
A the computer only needs the information punched in once.
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#1419014 - 09/19/15 04:40 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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Jack_Nelson
Planeteer
Registered: 09/13/11
Posts: 366
Loc: Derbyshire, UK
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There's the drummer whose timing was so bad that he decided to end it all, throwing himself behind a train....
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#1419328 - 09/21/15 05:25 AM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Jack_Nelson]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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ROFL
Excellent, haven't heard that one
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#1437199 - 12/17/15 10:52 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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Slabraton
Planeteer
Registered: 12/16/12
Posts: 16566
Loc: California
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You know the difference between a dead snake in the road and a dead bagpiper?
There are skid marks in front of the snake.
Do you know the difference between a big band and a bull?
On a bull, the horns are out front and the asshole is in the back!
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#1438780 - 12/27/15 09:43 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: Slabraton]
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graemest
Planeteer
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 806
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Excellent!
What do you have if you have a drummer buried up to his neck in sand?
A: not enough sand.
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#1511390 - 12/29/16 09:36 PM
Re: EZ Drummer 2
[Re: graemest]
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Boots
Planeteer
Registered: 01/17/09
Posts: 167
Loc: Ocean City, MD
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Hi graemest! I have EZ Drummer 2 and love it! I have been writing the drum parts on EZD2 and then exporting the song to a cd and importing the stereo drum tracks to the 2480.
Now, I wanted to try and import the individual tracks and did the process in EZD2 where I solo'd each track and then exported to a file and then burnt the 5 or 6 files to a cd. But when I import the wav files on the 2480 it only allows me to import one track at a time, and it puts the one file (kick for instance) on 2 tracks...I guess assuming it's a stereo file. So, then I have to use Take Manager to delete each duplicated track and then use Track Exchange to get all the tracks all in a row. Hopefully, there is something I am missing here as this is very time consuming. Thanks man and let me know.
Edited by Boots (12/29/16 09:37 PM)
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