Has anyone tested EZ Drummer 2 yet?

    I have them Slate, Logic X and EzDrummer2 and EzDrummer 2 is easily the best songwriting tool and most intuitive to use. Logic X drummer is very good also but it just got kicked out the park. It will be interesting where they take it to now.


    Slate sounds better and SD2 prob does too, but EzD2 is a supplement that everyone should look to have considering its cheap and highly effective.

    Quote from AlexanderDoyle

    I have them Slate, Logic X and EzDrummer2 and EzDrummer 2 is easily the best songwriting tool and most intuitive to use. Logic X drummer is very good also but it just got kicked out the park. It will be interesting where they take it to now.


    Slate sounds better and SD2 prob does too, but EzD2 is a supplement that everyone should look to have considering its cheap and highly effective.


    Interesting!!


    Can you tell me why you like EzD2 better than Logic's Drummer?

    Quote from Ingolf

    I'm waiting. No way I'd switch to EZD from SD.
    I'm sure SD3 will have the similar groove composing features.


    I'm not switching, either - I'm going to use EZD2 to put the song together, and then use the MIDI created by it with SD. If I can cut an hour of programming off of each "fast turnaround" project I do, EZD2 will pay for itself in a song or two.


    I hope they update SD. They may retire it, and offer those drumsets as an EZX.

    Quote from paults

    I'm not switching, either - I'm going to use EZD2 to put the song together, and then use the MIDI created by it with SD. If I can cut an hour of programming off of each "fast turnaround" project I do, EZD2 will pay for itself in a song or two.


    I hope they update SD. They may retire it, and offer those drumsets as an EZX.


    Now you got me thinking.... ;(

    Quote from Ingolf

    Now you got me thinking.... ;(


    And me.... I have various Native Instruments 'Abbey Road' drum libraries. They sound amazing and all have the ability to set the midi map to EZ Drummer (which I guess will be the same midi map in EZ2). I haven't a/b'd them but EZ2 sound quality would have to be pretty amazing to beat what they do. However....


    Watching those videos does make it seem very, very easy to do something that I still suck at. Any magic button that makes me not suck is worth considering, especially if I can use the libraries I have :thumbup:


    Soooooo my next question.


    In my Native Instruments kits there are thousands of loops. It's just finding them that's tricky.


    Would I be able to load in the Native Instruments loops into EZ2 and it would then do the 'song creation' thing from a 3rd party midi loop? I guess if the loops it comes with are 'just midi' then yes it would. But how would it find them?


    Sorry if this is a silly question!

    Man, Ingolf needs to get out of my head.


    First I'm thinning "I'll wait for SD3 to implement this" but then I'm thinking "But if this reduces my work flow and takes hours out of drum track creation, plus I get the libraries, well that's not too shabby"


    Patience has never been my strong suit regarding my music hobby...


    I will watch the two video's first with some towels to hold the drool. I've been DREAMING of a way to tap in a beat and find not only among my MIDI what is similar, but what commercially might be available. Stellar idea if implemented well enough.

    This is exactly what it does. It's great. It will show you the loops you have purchased and if you click a button - all of the loops toontrack has and what is similar - and of course a link to purchase them!

    I have NIs komplete but haven't looked through the loops. I'm glad you mentioned this I will check them out. If they map to EZD (I'm not good with this so I'll have to check it out) then they will show up. The only thing here is the non-toontrack loops show up in your browser tab and you can drag them into the search tab and put it in the find similar box and it will find all the similar loops - but it seems to only find similar with toontrack loops, not your other loops. For me- unless I'm doing something wrong or missing it - only toontrack loops show up in the search tab. But again you can find them in the browse tab and put them in the song creator and the song creator will create all the song parts - intro, verse, bridge, chorus, etc from that loop, edit them etc. Basically everything but search similar for them.

    Another big thing - for me with EZD1 I didn't think the kits sounded as good as SSD. I think the new kits sound really good. Good enough for me for sure but I'm not producing pro stuff.

    Quote from db9091

    Man, Ingolf needs to get out of my head.


    I've been DREAMING of a way to tap in a beat and find not only among my MIDI what is similar, but what commercially might be available. Stellar idea if implemented well enough.


    It's me again. :D


    Have you actually looked at Jamstix?


    It does indeed that, but doesn't make use of (rather static) loops but composes a groove on the fly according to probability and specifications you give the software.
    It's like telling a drummer:
    'Play more hihat' or 'be more busy with the snare' or 'do more ghost notes'.


    I will say here that I have a soft spot for Jamstix and do beta testing for them.
    Ralph Zeuner, the creator, is a genius.


    Check it out, man! ;)

    Hm,
    LATEST UPDATE: Version 3.5.0 (11/19/2012)


    Does it run on a MAC? Can't find this info on first look.

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    Quote from Armin

    Hm,
    LATEST UPDATE: Version 3.5.0 (11/19/2012)


    Does it run on a MAC? Can't find this info on first look.


    Ralph has been working hard (for several years) to port Jamstix over to Mac.
    There's now a public beta for Mac so we're finally getting somewhere.
    Jamstix Mac Public Beta


    I'm not sure if this runs if you're not an existing PC user though.

    Quote from paults

    After watching a guy create an entire song's drum part in less than five minutes, I'm sold.


    BTW - Audiodeluxe.com is a great place to get Toontrack licenses - they always have the best deals. AND, they now also sell on eBay - so, you can "make an offer" to buy things for less than their normal best price.


    +1 on audiodeluxe. If you want something quicker go to guitar center and have them match the AD price and throw in the extra 10% on top of that (covers the tax difference for me) - it is kinda hard to watch when they see the AD price they have to match but usually they will.

    I'm about to pull the trigger, Ingolf.


    Question, can you use your SD2 drum packs in EZdrummer? I have some EZdrummer packs I use for SD, but I would be perfect if EZ takes those SD2 packs I already bought.


    I'm watching the video that Paul put up, and can't believe how perfect some of these selection options are. Copy and past just parts of a midi track. I have a large MIDI library and it's a PIA to search for drum grooves I have in my head, takes hours.


    I recently had a 2/4 country groove I needed and count find anywhere but some POLKA MIDI and hoped to search commercial ones to find the right one, and then play with the MIDI to keep what I wanted.


    This look like it solves the problem I just had last month, and put that project on hold.

    I used the Search function:


    I entered an odd kick drum pattern. Even with something really unlikely, it found some 90% matches in my EZX libraries.


    I used the "drag and drop" to put one of the patterns into Song Maker.


    I picked "ABAB long form" for the song format.


    It generated intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, ending.


    It was more than good enough to write a song with that groove.


    it took three minutes, if that.

    Just got to the Song Creator part. I have to go change now before I buy it.


    Wow. I'm still gonna be pissed when they add it to Superior Drummer, ha ha.



    Q: Can you play SD2 packs in EZ Drummer?