Toontrack Music EZdrummer

1/10

EZ Drummer

I have rated this product 1 out of 10 just to get your attention. The reality is that it is much better than that. However, and this is what has left me seething with frustration , is that nowhere...NOWHERE... does it say that the drag and drop function (ie the function that makes this product really useful...and the only reason for buying it) does not work if you are using Cubase LE, SE or SX. If you use those (not particularly ancient) DAWs, you can't really use EZ Drummer. But you can only find this out once you have loaded the £90 product and, through frustration, hunted down the fact in their user forum. And is there any way of getting this complaint back to Toon? No. That's why I am venting my anger here and now. Dolphin, as responsible vendors I am sure you will make this shortcoming known to anyone comtemplating buying EZ Drummer.

Dolphin Says...

EZdrummer supports drag and drop wherever possible. This means all sequencers application with very few exceptions.




Some host programs however do not support dragging to the sequencer or dedicated groove/MIDI list and the only MIDI import possible is via menu items

labeled to that effect.




Important hosts with such limitation are hosts based on the Cubase engine in its first incarnation post 'VST' version ('SX' family'. This includes the following

versions:

• Cubase SX 1 (SX2 and above is supported, SX3 or above recommended)


• Cubase SL 1 (SL2 and above is supported, Studio 4 is recommended)


• Cubase SE 1 (SE3 and above is supported)


• Cubase LE (and other OEM versions)

When hosted with the above, EZdrummer will function as normal as regards to sample player capabilities including multi channel routing and you will therefore be able to program your drum patterns at the 'piano roll' as normal but you will not be able to successfully drag grooves on the timeline.

A cumbersome workaround is to resize the Cubase background to uncover the user desktop and drag there after adjusting the velocity sweep control, then import as per host standard procedure. (this is a PC only workaround).

We strongly advise users to upgrade their software should they wish to access the extensive MIDI library while retaining a convenient workflow.

9/10

EzDrummer

Flipping through my copy of Sound on Sound I noticed an advert I had missed for a new product for drumming. This immideately cought my eye because I am now using multitrack recording for our music group backing trax. I feel one of the most important parts of the non-human musician is the drummer and many of them sould like they learned to play badly on a biscuit tin, and some kept the tin. I tried machines, midi trigger devices although my yamaha DD 55 has not been sacked yet! But I went off to the ezdrummer (EZD) website and watched the flash demo, then I watched it again. Wow! I slept on it and came back then I found a link on the site to some Japanese demos, couldn't understand the site but clicking on the demo played the movi no problem and again Wow! So I took the plunge and having already sought out the best price on the planet (thank you dolphin) sent of for the product. Waited impatently for the weekend to pass and at last my drummer arrived.
As per most modern software there is now manuel except on the cd, however this would be a very thin one anyway you can print it from pdf on about 10 pages. To be honest you will get as much info from the flash movie but it is still worth a read. Instalation was very straitforward for me. I use Windows XP pro sp 2 and am very rigid about security so there are no nasties lurking on my system. My host program is Cubase SL 3, it is worth reminding anyone thinking on this purchase that Ez drummer is NOT a stand alone program it needs a host in Cubase it runs as a Vst instrument. So, popped in the disk and away we go read the license (hmmm) clicked accept and my drummer was moving in. clicked on finish and that was the instal, only the free kit wich was just as simple clicking on the install icon next to the main EZD one and this was installed in no time. I then opened Cubase went to the VST instruments and loaded EZD. The interface was exactly the same as the flash demo and within seconds I had the standard 4/4 rock beat playing on my system. Sound quality was in my opinion fantastic, easily the most realistic acoustic kit sound I have ever had. Changing patterns was a breez moving to fills and back all sounding excellent. Now to drag and drop. Pulled a pattern into Cubase and looked happily at it sitting on its track - or multiple trcks, more on this later. Anyway I wanted to hear it now in my program hit play in great antisipation...Nothing! Sinking feeling, what have I done then I realised it was what I hadn't done, I had forgot to route my track output from my soundcard to ezdrummer one click and my drummer was off sounding incredible. I copied, pasted sped up slowed down everything worked a treat. Then I dragged a second pattern accross, it made a new mide track and this is part of the warnings about drag and drop there are issues, so be aware of your host program and do some homework if you intend to buy EXD