EZDrummer2 vs Studio Drummer

[UilleannB]

I was wondering if someone here has experiences with both, Toontracks EZDrummer2 and NI's Studio Drummer, and can compare them. I read a bit at the web, most people seem to think that EZDrummer is easier and faster to use, while Studio Drummer has better sounds and more options. I am also wondering, there are a lot additional drumkits for for EZDrummer you'd have to buy seperately (I'm interested in the Indie FOlk and the Jazz Brush sounds), piling up the costs really quick. Are the sounds that come with Studio Drummer comparable?

[aquataur]

I can only talk of EZD2.
Apart from that, you are comparing apples with peaches.
You might compare superior drummer with EZD.

However, EZD2 sounds pristine to me. I cannot imagine how a different package could sound better from the samples view.
The expansion packs are somewhat of a joke to me. Even the kits supplied all sound alike - and indeed, some sound unusable. Too much genre heavy.

I bought a third party jazz pack next to nuthin which works great on the standard drum kit.
This extensive twiddling of parameters lead nowhere for me.
If you have a bigger library of midi files you are better off IMHO.

-helmut

[Rolling Estonian]

I can't speak for Superior but EZD2 is awesome! Yeah, most of the expansions are way more than most will need but all sound great. SD is billed as being much more versatile in terms of customization, which again, is more than a non drummer like myself needs.

EZD2 sounds incredible and it's one of the best things I've ever purchased for recording.

M

[UilleannB]

Apart from that, you are comparing apples with peaches.

Why is that?

You might compare superior drummer with EZD.

I know Superior Drummer is from Toontrack too, and is capable of using the additional drum kits. So a comparison between Superior Drummer and EZD2 would be nice too, but I was also curious for Studio Drummer.

However, EZD2 sounds pristine to me. I cannot imagine how a different package could sound better from the samples view.
The expansion packs are somewhat of a joke to me. Even the kits supplied all sound alike - and indeed, some sound unusable. Too much genre heavy.

I'm not sure, if I understand correctly: You mean the EZD2 basic kits sound great, but the expansion packs bad? I only know the demo songs, the various brushes in the Jazz library sound like something I' want. Just interested in alternatives.

I bought a third party jazz pack next to nuthin which works great on the standard drum kit.

A third party jazz pack touse with EZD2? (Or a stand alone VST?) Which would that be?

Cheers.

[Mark Bliss]

Well first off, I have to admit I have no experience with NI studio drummer. I can tell you it runs on (and requires) the Kontakt engine and for the last four years or so I have invited ANYONE to clearly explain to me how to use that platform without pulling out the last few hairs I have left and declared it is just not possible.

And comparing costs, lets see, NI lists it at $149 and compatible with the free Kontakt player. Encouraging, but the major audio retailers seem to list it as "no longer available" which is ominous. And based on my experience with Kontakt, personally I wouldn't likely touch it even if it sounded great and was free. But that's just one stubborn old farts opinion.

Toontracks stuff I am more familiar with.
Ease of use? EZDrummer hands down. Yeah you might want to invest in a few expansion kits for more sounds. Yes some additional MIDI will probably eventually be of interest. The expansion kits are a bit overpriced in my opinion. It is what it is. MIDI packs are much better, but third party MIDI patterns you create yourself are useable and can be added to the EZD MIDI library if that's your thing.
Being patient and watching for sales makes both the virtual instrument and expansion packs far more attractive IMO. Black Friday and E-Monday seem to be the peak sale times for Toontracks stuff.

Integration with Mixcraft (Or other DAW's) isn't perfect, but there are pretty simple workarounds for most of what are comparatively minor snags.
EZDrummer is for the user who wants to find a sound that is close, do minimal processing to the sounds and quickly create realistic sounding drum tracks. The sounds are pre-processed for the intention of quickly producing ready to use sounds, not really for the advanced producer acquainted with producing his or her own flavor of drum sounds.

Superior drummer is a higher end, highly configurable and tunable virtual drum instrument. If you wish to play drums via a MIDI drum set, you probably want Superior over EZD. Similarly, if you want to produce and spend the time to heavily tweak your own drum sample sounds, you probably want Superior.

[UilleannB]

Thanks. I don't have negative experiences with Kontakt so far, aside from that there is always an octave in notation between Kontakt kezboard and Mixcraft keyboard. The price was a point of consideration, but also the instruments that EZDrummer seems to have (in the additional kits, adding to the price.) The easy handling seems to speak in favor of EZD2. I'll wait for Black Friday and look out for some deals, if I don't find some other option.

[aquataur]

you are comparing apples with peaches.

This is a product from a different company. A comparison with SD would be in place.

You mean the EZD2 basic kits sound great, but the expansion packs bad?

No. I mean, for their price they don´t really mean a dramatic change.

Say, you fancy Beatles-flavoured music. You get a pack with some fills that you have heared - you guess - with the Beatles before. Also a drumkit that is reminiscent of the Beatles. This does not mean that your songs will sound anything alike the Beatles, or any more than a stock drumkit or loops would. Remember this is all business.

You could probably use a sixties kit and play headbanger loops and it would not sound like the Beatles and vice versa.

A third party jazz pack touse with EZD2? (Or a stand alone VST?) Which would that be?

It was a third party MIDI tracks pack that plugs into EZD2 (and others). They use the standard blues kit and it sounds great.
I asked them and they said it was particularly tailored to work with a standard kit.

When you use their loops and all that they seamlessly stitch together for a homogenous sound, but if you want anything outside, real work starts.

-helmut

[UilleannB]

Okay, got it. Thanks.

[CRAZY6STRINGS]

As noted above, Black Fridays are great for Toontrack purchases. I was just emailed that Superior Drummer 2 is 70% off this week for a price of $105.00

[CRAZY6STRINGS]

SD2...is $99.00 at Sweetwwater limited for their Black Friday deals...