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[Whitten]

OK, now you’ve hurt Joe’s feelings!

[Whitten]

You should contact Toontrack BEFORE running out, and explain your case.
I believe they are pretty understanding, although I think the multiple authorizations are there to cater for technical problems, upgrades and changes to your set-up, and not so you can use EZdrummer on 4 or 5 different computers.
For example, I’m still on my first authorization, which has been running for at least three years.
5 per year you say!!!

[Whitten]

Certainly in C&V the morphing between centre hit and rimshot is very variable, depending on the way I played it on the day.
The WFL snare drum is all centre hits, no rimshots.
CW

[Whitten]

You’re right Juicy.
A rimshot is generally a fullsome backbeat incorporating both rim and centre head in the one strike.
TT libraries all include snare FX, which is often an offbeat rimshot, like an accident.

[Whitten]

It’s worth it, and the discount price is silly.

[Whitten]

Neither EZplayer or Solo have sound, they are performance enablers – EZplayer for midi files, Solo for live playing.

One thing I can say about your proposed work method is you would be sidestepping one of EZdrummer’s main draw cards – the included midi.

EZdrummer expansion packs include a large library of midi grooves performed by well known drummers, usually the drummer being sampled for the sounds.
These grooves are much more human than a drum machine, include many variations and the detail in slight note shift and velocity would be incredibly time consuming to recreate on a machine.
The goal is for a live drummer feeling. So if you prefer the feel of a drum machine, perhaps it isn’t for you.

[Whitten]

No, to be honest I actually just plucked dates out of the air as I couldn’t be bothered to check where and when the current line up of SDX’s were recorded.
The truth!

[Whitten]

I prefer not to create midi on a small tap interface. I like the pre-made midi, or midi created on a drum kit style unit (v-drum).
And in case you haven’t looked on the Apple App store, there are numerous beat creation apps, some with kit graphics, others with pads. They have realistic sounds and metronomes etc….. So to me, that’s a crowded market place.

But that’s two votes for midi creation so far.

[Whitten]

There are other apps that do that by the way.
Still, it’s a decent idea for a Toon App.

[Whitten]

Yeah, I’m not totally disagreeing with your request, just pointing out a kit made up entirely of separate drum purchases would be a sonic nightmare.
A few x-drums here and there….. no real problem.

[Whitten]

I’m only guessing.
A lot of people used 192’s initially because Digidesign made it so difficult to use 3rd party interfaces.
I know Apogee and Prism interfaces are now popular, although you see a lot of 192’s in studios.
192, Apogee or Prism would be my favourite guesses, not the M-Audio or Forsell.

[Whitten]

ORIGINAL: jscomposer
The work is already done. You can even see the individual samples in the kit folders.

You are misunderstanding what I’m trying to explain to you.
When you load individual samples from the kit folder, you still have a whole kit of mics in play right?
How do you download all that when purchasing single instruments.
I’m talking about outcomes for customers like you, not wether it’s possible or too much work for Toontrack.
It simply isn’t good from an audio point of view to mix multiple drums from multiple recording dates and locations. It’s also hard to download individual snare drums for example, when a big part of that snares sound is contained in the tom mics, the ambient mics etc….
It’s only possible if you also download the toms and ambience too….. but then that defeats the individual download idea.

[Whitten]

ORIGINAL: jscomposer
That actually supports my idea.

Err, I was pointing out it would be very difficult because of the amount of mics that go into one instrument sample, AND a sonic nightmare.
The one or two other companies that offer small downloadable extras are using the same room, same drummer, same mics and many fewer mics in the recording process.
You don’t think the EZX’s are cheap enough?

[Whitten]

ORIGINAL: jscomposer
I understand if they’d be wary of posting individual instrument sounds, because people could just sample them. But my idea is a great alternative that 1) allows users to build their own kits without spending loads of money on preassembled kits just to get a few instruments, and 2) protects Toontrack from people just sampling individual instrument sound clips.

The problem is that the Toontrack philosophy is to sample complete kits holistically.
How do you make a single snare drum available to customers, when the snare sound is completely dependent on the bleed from tom mics, and ambient mics etc….
Some other drum programs sample drums in an isolated fashion, but Toontrack sample a complete kit, in a room, with all mics active.

Another issue is that Toontrack work in different rooms, with numerous drummers, recording engineers, different mic set ups.
X Drums are a compromise that seems to work for most people, but can you imagine a record made with a bass drum sampled in 2005 at Avatar, with a snare sampled in 2007 in Sweden, room mics from 2008 in Nashville and toms from 2010 in London.
Talk about dog’s breakfast.

[Whitten]

Could have been standard PT Digi 192’s.

The biggest factors in a great drum sound are the room, then the drums and their tunings.
Big contributions are made by the drummer and the recording engineer.
Then the mic/pre’s and eq’s.
I think both Avatar and NY Legacy are all vintage Neve consoles, plus amazing mics of course.

It’s hard to get an Avatar sound in a bad sounding room, even with fantastic recording equipment and a great drummer and engineer.
However, if you have a great sounding room, you can achieve pretty amazing results with fairly basic, cheap gear, even cheap mics.

[Author]

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