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[Whitten]

ORIGINAL: leeandrewedwards
[Please pass this along to the powers that be: customer support that’s very difficult to access feels disrespectful.

I think that’s unfair.
Apart from the actual support portal, people like Scott and I are online, and when we’re not, several of the Toontrack support team in Northern Europe when it’s not the middle of the night.
There are support areas of this forum too.
Did you read the ‘IMPORTANT. Read before posting’ message at the top of the forum?
If not, here it is: http://www.toontrack.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=98697

Finally, don’t expect Apple or Microsoft style 24 hour hotlines etc. Toontrack have one office in Sweden and a few more than a dozen employees. Having said that, Toontrack have set up an easily accessible support system via a third party, Obedia.

[Whitten]

What’s the problem?
You are on a Mac right? Which one?

[Whitten]

Support Portal (‘Support’ heading on Toontrack’s home page, http://www.toontrack.com)
https://www.toontrack.com/support_portal.asp?prod=EZdrummer%20and%20EZX%20expansions&issue=-&os=-&seq=-

[Whitten]

Agreed.
Both guys would have to want to do it though.

[Whitten]

OK.
But just for anyone reading this and wondering……

It has a much bigger room.
Lower tuned snares.
Less tight bass drums, and ringier toms.
More varied articulations, the four mic set up and a new batch of CW midi.

[Whitten]

Yes, as everyone has personal tastes, you really need to give more details when advising everyone not to buy it.
An honest but negative review is of course valid, and partly what the ‘Requests and Feedback’ section is all about.

[Whitten]

[Whitten]

You framed my comment that I saw our task when creating ‘The Classic’ as servicing the EZdrummer community as somehow a slight to the Superior users.
Your rather heavily implying because I was creating something for a larger user base, I was consciously ignoring Superior users. NO!
I was asked to create an EZX and was thrilled to do so. Meanwhile I’m sure other teams are working on SDX’s. It’s not an act of choosing one format over another. It’s about creating content for everyone, based on the availability of studios, recording engineers, and the ideas for potential projects that get the thumbs up from the people who run Toontrack.
The last thing I did was work on a reissue of C&V for SDX. The next thing I’ve done is an EZX. ***It just happens to be that way.***

There is no EZX version of Evil Drums. There currently is no SDX version of ‘The Classic’. It’s swings and roundabouts. No user group gets ignored.
If you think you are ignored take it up with the Toontrack hierarchy, don’t turn a thread about a new EZX into a whinge about Superior.
And in addition, I’d appreciate you not including me in your conspiracy by twisting what I say to suit your agenda.

[Whitten]

You see this is the thing with you guys…..
Despite all the comments about not attacking me, and not criticising anyone etc…. You continue to make extremely aggressive and inflammatory remarks.

Have you not had Evil Drums negotiated for Superior by the Toontrack team? One of the best SDX’s IMHO.
Have you not had Metal Foundry (massive equipment list) and Music City (mainstream, hi-fi sound) in just over a calender year?
In that time EZdrummers have had Metalheads and The Classic?
So when the large EZdrummer customer base gets a new pack, we’re screwing the Superior users?
No, I think we’re responsibly serving both sets of users with fresh sounds.

I think that’s quite honestly a scandalous and rather awful thing to claim that ‘I’ve answered myself’ …… and after several pages of me trying to mediate and explain politely where i thought we were coming from.
Yeah, I think I’m done with this conversation.

[Whitten]

How do numbers of users compare between EZdrummer and BFD2?
I suspect EZdrummer ‘leads the market’ in terms of users. Do you look to create product for your largest customer segment, or let them eat cake as it were, with cast offs from the SDX line?

If you look at the equipment list on an average EZX, then look at an average SDX, I think you can see the recording sessions would most likely be over more days for an SDX and require larger collections of drums and cymbals. That’s all cash investment on the part of the makers.
If they’d spent weeks recording many more drums and cymbals for Claustrophobic, Twisted, Latin percussion and Funkmasters I don’t think those packs would be economical at $39 to $79.99 each.

[Whitten]

Yes.
I could never say a definite no.
Maybe if I was to give it all up and become a trappist monk.
You can say a definite no to more detailed samples in C&V for example because the EMI console was ripped out of the studio we recorded it at.

I honestly feel for the people who buy EZX’s, then an almost identical SDX comes along a few months later.
To be fair, there’s more unique EZX’s (Funkbrothers, Twisted, Electronic etc) than there are ‘lite’ versions of SDX’s.

If I could get good commercial use out of an EZX for several months at least, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it.
How long did it take Nashville to turn into Music City? Where’s that Jazz SDX?

[Whitten]

Ahh well.
It’s all good.
I’m glad you’ve been able to make your opinions known (and the opinions of others who feel similarly).

[Whitten]

Thanks.
The only criticism towards me I’m feeling is this implied accusation I’m promoting something I don’t think is as good as it can be.
That’s guess work, and as it happens bolony.

Other than that, I do accept some Toontrack customers would prefer different products and different standards. That’s absolutely fine.
However some of the criticisms being made about ‘The Classic’ are extremely unfair. I would accept what I perceive to be unfair criticisms if they were coming from people who’d sat down and got to know the product. So far, around several forums, those people who have tried ‘The Classic’ in person are saying it’s one of the most usable EZX’s, one of the best in terms of v-drum playability and one of the best sounding.
I think if you’d given us that on day one of the recording sessions, we would have grabbed it with both hands.

[Author]

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