EZ Drummer users: Best expansion pack?

As the title says, a question for all you (c'mon, admit it) EZ Drummer users: which expansion pack do you find most useful and/or big and real sounding? I bought the Twisted Kit, and it's kind of fun, but not all that useful.

A couple of times, I've sprung for the $39 specials ... got the Nashville kit first, useful for a whole lot beyond country (very versatile.) ... Mrs. Santa Claus gave me the Americana kit for Christmas — I've only used it for one project, but I like that rustic sound for some things. (Only drawback: not as many patterns and fills to slice 'n' dice, and only two toms instead of three). ... Got the Latin Percussion pak a couple of weeks ago when they ran a special. ... The stock Rock kit is not to be underestimated, either — it, well, rocks.

So that's a pretty good selection for the kind of music I do. Of the lot, I'm seeing the Nashville kit as my workhorse unless I can develop some sort of signature sound with the Americana kit. The rock kit will pop up sometimes, too. I've got more ideas than I've got time right now, but if I can only live 'til age 90, I can squeeze 'em all in.

As far as the Latin kit, haven't had time to work with it ... maybe an hour. I heard lots of patterns I'd like to overlay (i.e. congas with maracas etc.), but haven't yet figured out how to MIDI merge one EZD pattern on top of another. If that's possible, it'll be golden in the right tunes.

Thanks Woodman. The Nashville samples do sound pretty good. Do you do much post-processing with them when mixing?

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Oh, and merging patterns: couldn't you just use two tracks?

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Thanks Woodman. The Nashville samples do sound pretty good. Do you do much post-processing with them when mixing?


They're pretty well EQ'd and generally well-behaved ... a lot of times I'll put a comp on the kick and/or snare, but the raw samples are certainly up to snuff. ... maybe give the snare a little taste of reverb if the tune calls for it. IIRC, in the Nashville kit, there are two "room" mikes — useful if you play around with them and see what kind of ambience you can get without 'verb.

Oh, and merging patterns: couldn't you just use two tracks?

It all depends on your machine — how many MIDI tracks can it support before your system and HD start bogging down. I could see using as many as 5 or 6 instuments in the LP pak for a certain song. As I understand it, MIDI flogs your processor pretty hard. Getting them all on one track, editable on the piano roll, would be my first choice.

..but haven't yet figured out how to MIDI merge one EZD pattern on top of another. If that's possible, it'll be golden in the right tunes.

Go to settings-->Recording and set MIDI Overlapping Recordings to: Merge with selected regions.

Drag a MIDI loop into a track, make sure it's highlighted, and drag another on top. Data from both will be in the piano roll editor.

I recently purchased 3 Groove Monkey packs which run under EZ drummer....they load into the EZ drummer USERS group. Every bit as good as EZ drummer stock groups. They have a free download sample pack which you can grab then load into EZ drummer to check them out...The 3 packs I got were Jazz, Blues and another stock Country set...

It all depends on your machine — how many MIDI tracks can it support before your system and HD start bogging down. I could see using as many as 5 or 6 instuments in the LP pak for a certain song. As I understand it, MIDI flogs your processor pretty hard. Getting them all on one track, editable on the piano roll, would be my first choice.

Good point. I tend to have all drums on separate tracks so I can pan and process, then export them and bring them back in as wave files. This is done when I'm sure I won't be changing the patterns and before I start mixing and using a lot of CPU on plug ins etc. I can then delete the midi files and this way I am not "playing" the midi tracks each time. Sometimes I might even save the file with the midi on it separately so I can still change it and bring it into my project if I need to.

Go to settings-->Recording and set MIDI overlapping regions to: Merge with selected regions.

Drag a MIDI loop into a track, make sure it's highlighted, and drag another on top. Data from both will be in the piano roll editor.

Scat, you always thinkin'! :mrgreen: Thanx fer that.

The 3 packs I got were Jazz, Blues and another stock Country set...
How was the Jazz stuff? Anything that swings? Good swing patterns are HARD to find.

Good point. I tend to have all drums on separate tracks so I can pan and process, then export them and bring them back in as wave files. This is done when I'm sure I won't be changing the patterns and before I start mixing and using a lot of CPU on plug ins etc. I can then delete the midi files and this way I am not "playing" the midi tracks each time. Sometimes I might even save the file with the midi on it separately so I can still change it and bring it into my project if I need to.

Petey, I've followed that same path. Always have the MIDI files stashed somewhere! I've gotten to where I save the song file as a new version after any major change is made, especially when committing MIDI to audio. Song files are basically databases, no heavy lifting required (they share the same audio files with previous versions if they're in the same song folder).

I'd vote for Nashville and Americana. Seem to use those a lot. It really depends on the type of music you work with.

I'd vote for Nashville and Americana. Seem to use those a lot. It really depends on the type of music you work with.

What are your observations on the Americana kit? I'm new to it and wondered what a more experienced hand might have to say about the strengths and weaknesses and potential.

[QUOTE=woodman;4015254]Anything that swings? Good swing patterns are HARD to find.



YES :!: that's why I bought it !

It was especially good to learn that they work under EZ Drummer in the exact same format...I actually bought this pattern set specifically for a swing kinda thing I am working on...I must have listened to a dozen different drum sample programs before I found this one. I think it's good stuff ! And you are right, swing samples are very hard to find...


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It was especially good to learn that they work under EZ Drummer in the exact same format...I actually bought this pattern set specifically for a swing kinda thing I am working on...I must have listened to a dozen different drum sample programs before I found this one. I think it's good stuff ! And you are right, swing samples are very hard to find...


Can you buy the jazz set separately?

(Apologies to the OP if this is getting OT, but everybody who's gotten this far down the thread must have some interest in EZD lore.)

What are your observations on the Americana kit? I'm new to it and wondered what a more experienced hand might have to say about the strengths and weaknesses and potential.

It's a basic lo vibe type of kit. Think "The Band". I wouldn't take the overheads and smash them with an 1176 for a John Bonham approach but for simple ballads they are just the thing. I would say the range of use might be limited for different types of music because it has a very narrow band of tonality. For more modern country the Nashville kit has a much larger range of use. Hope that helps.

(Apologies to the OP if this is getting OT, but everybody who's gotten this far down the thread must have some interest in EZD lore.)

Not a problem, Wood. Everything I hear helps me.

Me too!

Can you buy the jazz set separately?




Hey Woody, yes

when I bought mine the only reason I got 3 was they were having a buy 2 get 1 free and then take another 10% of sale kinda thing...


http://www.groovemonkee.com/en/products

They have a free sample pack which you can download , you should check it out...plus you can listen before you buy... and as fate would have it...they are even cheaper now then when I bought them , go figure...now $20 bucks a set..that's a great deal !

Yeah, Tony, 20 bucks is a ridiculously good deal if their promo is for real — plus a real person (you) is vouching for it. I downloaded the Jazz samples and also the WorldBeat to see how it works with my new (and untried) EZD Latin Percussion pak.

I also d'loaded the GrooveMonkey trial pack and used one of the patterns the other day. For some reason though it only came across into my DAW as a stereo track even though I had everything set up for separate tracks. Must just be the demos.