I’m sorry, but what is going on here?

[Tim Zurowski]

I have been involved with many companies and discussion forums...

I have been involved with many companies and discussion forums in my 30+ years of recording, but this one takes the prize as the worst setup and managed site. I posted a topic saying that I cannot add percussion to my grooves in EZD2 and it did not show up. Then I see that it says “A topic of yours was moved to Can’t add percussion”. So I click on the link to see where it was moved to and see if there are any answers, and it says “Access Denied – you do not have permission to view this forum”. You gotta be kidding – they move my post for help to a forum that I cannot see and get help from. So then I try to use the contact link to email support and there is no email contact. All I can find on that page is FAQ’s. The make it sound like you can contact them, but there is no way. So after my first two days experience with Toontrack, my product is disappointing, there is no support, the forums do not work well. Is there anything positive or nice that anyone can say about the Toontrack company?

I have been involved with many companies and discussion forums in my 30+ years of recording, but this one takes the prize as the worst setup and managed site. I posted a topic saying that I cannot add percussion to my grooves in EZD2 and it did not show up. Then I see that it says “A topic of yours was moved to Can’t add percussion”. So I click on the link to see where it was moved to and see if there are any answers, and it says “Access Denied – you do not have permission to view this forum”. You gotta be kidding – they move my post for help to a forum that I cannot see and get help from. So then I try to use the contact link to email support and there is no email contact. All I can find on that page is FAQ’s. The make it sound like you can contact them, but there is no way. So after my first two days experience with Toontrack, my product is disappointing, there is no support, the forums do not work well. Is there anything positive or nice that anyone can say about the Toontrack company?

Topic

[Damian Blunt]

I would strongly recommend that you don’t manually delete anything as it is likely to cause problems

You have serial numbers for

http://www.toontrack.com/product/pop-ezx/

http://www.toontrack.com/product/rock-ezx/

and

http://www.toontrack.com/product/poprock-ezx/

It doesn’t look like you have ever authorized the top two (the ones with the EXPO and EXRO serials) so you probably haven’t installed them

Damian Blunt - Toontrack
Quality Assurance
Betatesting

[Department of Recording Industry]

Damian, I’ve been reluctant to install and/or authorize any of the products in the links posted above because I’m still trying to understand the relationship of these similarly-named libraries as well as attempting to retain (i.e., not overwrite or disable) my EZD1 Pop/Rock library.

I logged on to one of our older computers to check the EZ Drummer library structure, and I didn’t find *any* folders named as “Pop” or “Rock” or “Pop/Rock”. The only other relevant folder was named “Sounds” and I copied this folder along with the other previously licensed (and appropriately named) library folders (Americana, Claustrophobic, et. al.) to the library drive of the new computers.

When I first launched EZ Drummer 2 on the new computer after installation, I had to authorize each library as I selected them from the kit selection drop-down menu. “Pop/Rock” was in the list and I hadn’t downloaded or installed the “Pop!”, “Rock!”, or “Pop/Rock” packages from the Toontrack site. Nevertheless, I still see 3 folders in the library named EZX_POP, EZX_Rock, and EZX2_PopRock along with the “Sounds” folder (see attached screenshot). When I selected Pop/Rock from the kit selection drop-down menu, the authorization dialog appeared but the only available serial numbers offered were my previous EZDrummer 1 licenses. As such, I authorized the Pop/Rock kit using an “EZ12” license.

After that, I downloaded the available update specifically for the Pop/Rock (not “Pop!” or “Rock!”) since I was able to select and load the authorized kit, and received a “library damaged” error (see attached screen shot) even though the kit loaded and played fine in EZ Drummer 2. So I returned to the Toontrack site to find the original EZD1 Pop/Rock download which, according to the product description at http://www.toontrack.com/product/poprock-ezx/, is under My Products–>Pop/Rock EZX. However, the “EZ12” serial number I used to authorize the Pop/Rock kit is not available in the serial number drop down menu; instead, there are 2 “EXPR” serial numbers which I have absolutely no record of.

So I decided to do a completely fresh install of EZ Drummer 2 on another new computer with *nothing* loaded on the library hard drive. After successful installation, I launched EZD and saw that only the new Modern and Vintage libraries were available from the kit selection drop-down menu. I viewed the library hard drive and saw that it was structurally the same as the first new computer in terms of folder names *except* for the “Sounds” folder. When I added the “Sounds” folder and re-launched EZD, I was then able to see the Pop/Rock library and was able to authorize (using an “EZ12” serial number) and load it successfully.

I then checked the available serial numbers for Pop/Rock under My Products on the Toontrack site, and I still saw the same 2 EXPR serial numbers. I thought the legacy EZ12 serial number might have generated new EXPR serial numbers for EZ Drummer 2 since I don’t have a clue where they came from. For good measure, I went ahead and registered 2 more EXPO and EXRO serial numbers, but that didn’t generate any new EXPR serial numbers.

So these are my conclusions after this research and testing (In your follow up response, please directly address and answer each statement and question to ensure my clear and complete understanding):

1. The presence of the “Sounds” folder from my EZD1 installation in my sound library hard drive is absolutely necessary to access the legacy Pop/Rock sound library.

2. Do I also need to import the “01 EZD_POP#ROCK” subfolder from the MIDI folder on my sound library hard drive of my EZD1 installation to access the legacy Pop/Rock MIDI packs?

3. Since (1) I have no record of the EXPR serial numbers, (2) I don’t enough EXPR serial numbers for all 30 of my lab workstations, and (3) the Pop/Rock package update failed, it seems that the Pop/Rock product under My Products is not necessary for the operation of my legacy Pop/Rock sound library. If so, then the EZX2_PopRock folder is completely unnecessary and should be removed for uselessness despite your earlier generic recommendation to not delete it. Accordingly, the 2 EXPR serial numbers for the Pop/Rock product are useless and unexplainable, and might as well be removed from My Products.

4. If 3 is true, are there any sound library (“Sounds” folder) or MIDI pack (MIDI/01 EZD_POP#ROCK) updates for my legacy Pop/Rock sound library? If so, where are they located or how can I obtain them?

5. Based on the product descriptions at http://www.toontrack.com/product/pop-ezx/ and http://www.toontrack.com/product/rock-ezx/ respectively, the Pop! and Rock! sound libraries are completely new and unique sound libraries, and I would simply need to download, install, and authorize (with my EXPO and EXRO serial numbers) them to access them in the kit selection drop-down menu. I of course would also download and install available updates to make each sound library current.

I apologize for the lengthy narrative, but I am trying to demonstrate that I have done my due diligence in trying to reconcile these lingering Pop/Rock library issues. I need straight answers to my conclusions and questions so I can properly finalize this baseline workstation without any problems before imaging it to 29 other workstations. Please advise at your earliest opportunity.

Thanks,
Darryl

[Damian Blunt]

The answers to your questions

1) I would not recommend copying folders between computers. The original EZdrummer 1 Pop/Rock will be present in EZdrummer 2 if you have a previous install of EZdrummer 1 and update to EZdrummer 2 or if you install EZdrummer 2 and the newly released Pop/Rock EZX. The Pop/Rock EZX is the same sound library as EZdrummer 1 and was released to provide EZdrummer 2 users with the legacy sounds. The new EZX library is formatted in a way that produces faster loading times and the MIDI has been updated to better support EZdrummer 2 so that would mean the latter installation method would be preferred. Any other method of installing sounds would not be supported and may cause problems

2) As mentioned in the previous question copying folders between installations is not supported. If you install using the methods in response 1) the MIDI will be correctly installed.

3) As far as I am aware both the EZdrummer 1 serial numbers and the Pop/Rock EZX serial numbers can be used to authorise the Pop/Rock library no matter whether you have upgraded from EZdrummer 1 or have a fresh install of EZdrummer 2 and the Pop/Rock EZX installed. The EZX2_PopRock folder contains the updated graphics and presets for EZdrummer 2 – deleting this folder will ensure that you lose them and have a detrimental affect on functionality. I would guess that you are receiving error messages when you apply the 1.5.2 update as you have not installed in a recommended way

4) I think I have answered this, but installing the Pop/Rock EZX (and any subsequent updates available) will give you the most up to date sounds and MIDI

5) You are absolutely right

I hope this answers your questions

Damian Blunt - Toontrack
Quality Assurance
Betatesting

[Department of Recording Industry]

Damian, thanks again for your replies and continued patience in this matter. I believe one key aspect of this thread has been lost in the discussion: I am installing EZ Drummer 2 on *brand new computers*. My EZ Drummer 1 installation was performed on the “older computers” to which I referred in my previous reply. This is why I’ve been adamant about copying my “Sound” library folder from the old computers’ library drives to the new computers’ library drives, based particularly on your insistence to not discard the legacy Pop/Rock sound library (which is contained within the stated “Sounds” folder).

I tested the claim in your #3 reply above regarding authorization of the new Pop/Rock library with an EZD1 serial number, and it is invalid–see attached screenshot which demonstrates EZ Drummer’s rejection of the “EZ12” serial number. As you recommended, I tested this by performing “a fresh install of EZdrummer 2 and the Pop/Rock EZX” on a completely brand new iMac. Of note, only “EXPR” serial numbers appear in the “Registered to your account” serial drop-down menus even though I have several “EZ12” serial numbers registered.

As previously tested and reported, the only way that I can get the EZD1 serial numbers to be accepted is to copy my “Sounds” folder from an older computer’s sound library drive and authorize the Pop/Rock library *before* installing the new Pop/Rock sound library and its update. However, I am trying to create a library image that I will be copying (actually “restoring”) to 29 other lab iMacs. Given the current situation, I would have to leave the new Pop/Rock sound library uninstalled on the image, and then go through the process of (1) copying the legacy “Sounds” folder containing the legacy Pop/Rock library to the new library hard drive, (2) authorizing the legacy Pop/Rock library with the EZD1 serial number, and (3) installing/updating the new Pop/Rock sound library on all 29 remaining iMacs.

I’ve reconciled the necessity to go through the extensive authorization process for each EZD and Superior Drummer package and sound libraries on these new computers in order for our students to greatly benefit from this massive drum arsenal, but I believe this additional installation and authorization process for the Pop/Rock library is going too far and degrades my ability to have an accurate installation/restoration capability. Is it possible to generate new EXPR serial numbers from my current EZ12 serial numbers? Or can you fix the online authorization app to accept the EZ12 serial numbers for the Pop/Rock library? Either of those approaches seem like reasonable requests and practical resolutions to this scenario. Please advise soonest.

Also, can you please clarify the authorization process for Producer Presets? I registered and installed several of these yesterday and was able to access them in Superior Drummer without authorization. There also doesn’t appear to be a means to authorize them using the My Products page.

Many thanks,
Darryl

[Author]

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