For my acoustic drum VSTi needs, I have been a long term use of BFD (version 1.5), but my relationship with BFD has been love / hate.

The sounds are good but usability and reliabiltiy have sometimes been an issue for me.

I decided I wanted a 'simpler' solution. Not a comprimise on sound quality, but something that gave me top notch drum sound quality, 1000's of MIDI patterns, with fills, etc, and something easy to use; I don't need to mess with the drum mic set-up, etc, etc, I just wanted high quality patterns, with variations and fills, that I can drag and drop into a track in Reaper. I wanted to set up a drum track, with variations and fills in, like, 5 minutes!

Initially, I looked at DrumCore, as I got the free version from Computer Music magazine. DrumCore definately gives that easy 'usability' with a good, open browser and drag and drop. The performance of the playing is also top notch. But I was far from impressed with the sound quality of the recording of the drums. Perhaps DrumCore opted for a more 'dry sound' but to my ears, the drum parts sounded a little lifeless, flat and quite boxy.

The following month, CM magazine this time gave away EZ Drummer Lite, a heavily cut down version of EZ Drummer, which is usually bundled with some DAWs.

What a difference! Ridiculously easy and nice to use, a lovely GUI, fantastically arranged and performed parts, and absolutely top notch sound quality. The sounds are 'ready to use' in your track and by that I mean that they sound processed. Not over-processed, just processed; so if you add further processing, they will soon over-cook. The mixer section allows you to adjust bleed levels and mix your sound as you please. You can reduce that 'processed' sound and get a much drier sound. I personally like something in between.

The sounds are BIG; would they prove too big in my tracks, stealing all the thunder ? The answer is no, they just sound convincing and superb.

It was a wise decision of Toontrack to give EZ Drummer Lite away in the CM mag, because in my case at least, after using the lite version, I immediately wanted more, and ordered the upgrade to the full version, later the same day!

On that note; if you are thinking of buying EZ Drummer, the full price is £99. But if you buy this month's CM Magazine to get the free copy of EX Drummer Lite, you get entitlement to buy the upgrade version of EZ Drummer, which Time+Space are selling for £58. (Total cost £63 instead of £99!).

100% "BFD uninstalled and happy with my new high quality, low maintenance drummer"



D.

--------------------
What it says on the tin...

i'm a big fan of EZDrummer but i'm not sure i agree with the statement that it sounds "processed".

the sounds are naturally good (i.e. well recorded) and don't require much tweaking to get them to sit right. if this makes them sound pre-processed for you, then that's what you're gonna hear, but for me it's just further proof that a great recording doesn't need much "polish" to get that "finished" sound.

it is a great product though, and the EZX refills give it so much variety - it really is a self-contained solution.

--------------------
hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

A word of warning though - apparently it doesnt like running within a 64bit environment.
But they are working on the 64 bit version of this and Superior, happily.
I have both but have yet to install Superior until I get my new music machine built.

--------------------
I could have been a poet if I`d had the Latin

I agree easy to use interface and good flexible mixer. But I have several of the kits and the snare drum sounds are a bit too similar to each other, and I found it difficult to get a large snare sound, though I would say for pop mixes they sit well within the mix.

I got the Drumcore ones, and actually I find that using both to make up a kit gives me the right balance of Beef (drumcore) and snappiness (ezdrummer). I found the drumcore to give me that real 70s large hi-hat sound.

I have now found that its only be combining drum kits (ie, 3 layered bass drums, 2 layered snares , 2 layered hihats) that you can get a really massive and wide soundscape to match whats coming out these days in the charts.