The Classic EZX - Music Tech - May 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The ever-prolific Toontrack has released a number of expansion packs for its EZdrummer software, most of which focus on a particular style of music or sound, such as the recent Metalheads EZX or Funkmasters and Jazz packs. However, the company’s latest, The Classic, aims to offer a broader palette of both contemporary and classic drum timbres.
You’ll need 2GB of free hard disk space and a working version of EZdrummer 1.2 to run the library; alternatively, you can load the pack into Superior Drummer 2.1. The main thing that sets The Classic apart from some of the other EZX packs is the degree of flexibility on offer. You get three drum kits, each recorded with two different mic setups, a contemporary multi-mic arrangement and a traditional four-mic setup responsible for shaping the sound of many of the big albums of the 70s. Te instrument selection in particular is excellent, as each snare, tom, kick and cymbal sounds very different from each other, a feature further emphasised by the inclusion of several beater and tuning options.
On top of this you can shape the sound further by tweaking the mixer section, with the full mic setup offering 12 channels of spot mics and ambience and the four-mic setup giving you stripped-down control of the kick, snare, left and right drum channels, plus an ambient mic. In practice the four mic sound is a little more lo-fi and ra, with less stereo spread and detail, but it’s great if you want a bit more grit in your productions. All of the drums have been recorded through a classic Helios recording console and we can easily hear these rounded sounds filling out any number of rock, pop or indie productions.
Finally, you also get two libraries of MIDI drum grooves spread across 112 songs, played by Peter Fredlander and Chris Whitten. We found plenty of variation here and many instantly usable grooves suitable for a wide variety of musical styles.
This is a fantastic all-rounder for EZdrummer that contains a flexible array of drums, mic sounds and excellent MIDI grooves.
Verdict: A flexible collection of modern and vintage drum sounds and MIDI grooves. This is a highly recommended expansion for EZdrummer owners.
Rating: 9/10 plus the Music Tech Choice award
The Classic EZX is available as a DVD or download. Click here for details
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