Toontrack’s latest EZX expansion brings classic and contemporary pop drums to EZdrummer and Superior Drummer.
Alchemy Of Pop is a great demonstration of just how good drum tracks created within Toontrack EZdrummer (or Superior Drummer) can sound. Recorded at Canterbury Music Company studio in Toronto by Hill Kourkoutis and played by stellar drummer Skye Polson, the EZX features four distinct drum kits, some additional snares and a complementary collection of electronic sounds (drum machine kicks and snare, claps, shakers, tambourines, other percussion and various sound effects). Sticks, brushes and mallets were all used, and a couple of the kits were captured with damping applied. The end result is a broad sound palette with a hefty dollop of vintage vibe but that can also easily bring a modern edge.
Four On The Floor
The four kits were chosen specifically to cover different sonic ground. Each was also given a name to reflect the producer’s thoughts on its primary musical application. For example, the AER kit (made by Pearl in the 1960s), intended for alternative, edgy‑indie and pop/rock, provides a big punchy sound. It sounds great dry but you can, of course, dial in more room or artificial ambience within EZdrummer as required. The sticks version sounds great, while the damped variant adds a more restrained option that would suit more subdued musical contexts. In contrast, the Terra kit (a Slingerland Radio King) is more suited to pop, folk, country and roots genres, with sticks, mallets and brushes options to deliver some beautifully subtle sounds. The AQUA kit (a Rogers Big R) is intended for modern or vintage R&B, soul and hip‑hop and is provided both open and damped. Finally, the IGNIS kit (a Ludwig Thermogloss from the 1970s) is more rock and blues orientated. The Valhalla preset — which is my absolute favourite from the whole EZX — is based on this kit. It features plenty of room sound with some interesting delay on the snare and it absolutely shrieks ‘character’.
It’s also a great example of just how well thought out and valuable the collection of additional acoustic/electronic sounds are. These are mapped to the additional nine‑pad trigger represented within the main GUI. The additional percussions sounds are all very usable, but it was the option to layer electronic kicks and snares with the main kit’s acoustic options that I was most impressed by. It really does broaden the palette and allows you to add a modern edge to what are, in essence, classic vintage acoustic drum sounds. The collection of MIDI grooves supplied with the EZX, which are always a valuable part of these libraries, makes really good use of these additional sounds, ably demonstrating the extra dimension they can bring.
The bottom line here is that Alchemy Of Pop EZX sounds wonderful.
Conclusion
The bottom line here is that Alchemy Of Pop EZX sounds wonderful. The acoustic kits sound great on their own and I’m sure the standard of these libraries is constantly improving as the big brains at Toontrack simply get better at what they do (and they are already very good at it) with each release. No, it perhaps would not be my choice for straight‑up rock, heavy rock or metal, but for a broad range of pop, R&B, roots, country, indie and alternative styles — vintage or modern — Alchemy Of Pop is a class act.
Summary
For those working in modern or classic pop, acoustic singer/songwriter or roots‑style Americana, Alchemy Of Pop provides a wonderful array of drum sounds that are full of character.