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[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

[Department of Recording Industry]

OK, Damian, I’ll keep the separate Pop and Rock EZXs licensed with our EZD1 serial numbers. If so, is there still a need to maintain the EZX2_PopRock folder on my library drive? That is the heart of my true question: do the EZX1 & EZX2 Pop & Rock folders need to co-exist? Do the EZX2_PopRock sounds complement or augment the EZX1 Pop & Rock sounds in any way? If not, then is it OK to just delete the EZX2_PopRock folder folder and disregard the EXPO and EXRO serial numbers I received? This all seems practical and reasonable to me, but I simply don’t know the inner workings between these libraries/folders and EZD2. Please advise and thanks for your patience! Darryl

[Department of Recording Industry]

Thanks so much for the swift reply, Olof. Based on your comment:

“But there is a point to doing it anyway, since it loads faster.”

…I’m inclined to delete the EZD1 Pop & Rock folders (i.e., EZX_POP and EZXRock) and download the EZD2 Pop & Rock kits if they in fact “load faster” (I assume you mean that they “process faster” and are more efficient in EZD2 by this comment). Additionally, since the Pop & Rock kits are contained in a single download and comprise a single folder, long-term software management would be easier and library drive storage space would be optimized. This seems more practical to me since I have actual EZD2 serial numbers for Pop & Rock and don’t have to rely on past EZD1 serial numbers that I’d prefer not to keep on record.

If I proceed with this action, though, I am still confused about how I will authorize the single EZD2 Pop/Rock download package using the dual Pop (EXPO) and Rock (EXRO) serial numbers given to us by our Toontrack rep, particularly since the licenses I registered are now reflected in “My Products” as “EXPR” serial numbers. I don’t understand the need to authorize 2 serial numbers for a single library, and it seems that one or the other (EXPO or EXRO) would be sufficient to authorize since it’s being converted to an EXPR serial number anyway.

So please clarify these lingering issues before I wind up doing something stupid and completely losing the Pop/Rock sound library altogether. Also, thanks for confirming the 3 percussion pads associated with the percussion library.

Many thanks,
Darryl

[Department of Recording Industry]

I am specifically seeking clarification to the Pop/Rock library aspect of the OP’s issue which I believe is answered somewhat by Erik’s May 10, 2014, 11:00 pm CEST post (#17) above). We previously had licenses for EZ Drummer 1 which apparently came with the EZX_POP and EZX_Rock libraries. I am now upgrading new iMacs to EZ Drummer 2 but I brought over our existing libraries to preclude unnecessary downloading (which is very slow by the way no matter what time of day you kick them off). We also received licenses for what I assumed were new Pop and Rock libraries which begin with “EXPO” and “EXRO” respectively. I registered 1 license of each library and began both downloads, but I cancelled the downloads when I found an additional EZX2_PopRock folder along with my EZX_Pop and EZX_Rock folders; that is, the presence of the old and new folders indicated that I had all of the necessary Pop/Rock library assets. So I launched EZ Drummer 2 and selected the Pop/Rock kit which launched the authorization dialog box. The available serial numbers which appeared were the EZ Drummer 1 serial numbers (e.g., “EZ12-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)”, not the new “EXPO” and “EXRO” licenses I had just loaded. When I checked “My Products” at the Toontrack site and reviewed the Pop/Rock library, I found 2 completely different serial numbers which begin with “EXPR”.

Based on Erik’s reply, I would assume that I don’t have to worry about managing any EXPO, EXRO, or EXPR serial numbers or downloading the Pop or Rock libraries (same download with combined Pop/Rock sounds?) because the EZ Drummer 1 licenses are sufficient to access the EZX_POP and EZX_Rock sound libraries. If so, then can I just delete the EZX2_PopRock folder? Or should I delete the 2 EZX Pop and Rock folders because the EZX2_PopRock folder is “updated”? Bottom line is that I’d like to keep the library drive streamlined (i.e., remove unnecessary folders and files to optimize storage capacity), but quite honestly I’m not sure which folders EZ Drummer 2 is targeting for the Pop/Rock kits and which licenses/serial numbers/authorizations would be necessary for the folders.

I’m also not sure where EZXP_EZdrummer2_Percussion library is supposed to be found. I’ve attached a screenshot to show that this library is absent from my drop down menu even though the folder is clearly present along with the other folders on my sound library drive. Please advise on both issues at your earliest opportunity.

Thanks,
Darryl

[Author]

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