Toontrack have returned to the same combination to generate new samples specifically for the EZdrummer 3 core library, recording seven full kits alongside some percussion and a number of additional snares, kicks and cymbals. My personal favourite SDX is The Rooms Of Hansa (see the June 2020 review), recorded in the various acoustic spaces of Berlin’s legendary Hansa Tonstudio with recording/mixing engineer Michael Ilbert in charge. In terms of the first of the fundamental elements outlined above, I think it’s safe to say EZdrummer 3 was placed into some very safe (read ‘exceptional’) hands. In addition, EZdrummer 2 and EZdrummer 3 can coexist quite happily, so older projects need not be disturbed by a change of drummer unless you choose to do so. However, existing users should feel reassured this is still very much EZdrummer, with a familiar workflow and full compatibility with all your existing EZdrummer 2 sample and MIDI groove content. This visual consistency will be welcomed from a workflow perspective, and the new UI is also fully resizable.

Third, it provides tools that let you quickly finesse those preset grooves by changing their dynamics, intensity and timing to suit both your song’s structure and to dial the exact degree of ‘human’ required in the performance.Īs we will see in a minute, Toontrack have brought enhancements in all three of these key areas but, on first sight, the most obvious change is the visual refresh to bring the EZdrummer UI into line with that introduced by EZbass in 2020.

Second, while you can obviously create your own drum patterns using your host sequencer, it provides the user with an excellent (and expandable) collection of genre‑based MIDI grooves that can easily be arranged into a song format. First, it offers high‑quality, sample‑based drum sounds (mostly various flavours of acoustic drums but there are electronic sounds available as expansion packs). So, how does EZdrummer 3 improve on EZdrummer 2? And, importantly, is it still EZ to use? EZ StyleĮZdrummer’s success has been built upon three fundamental elements. However, seven years is a long time, so it’s perhaps not surprising that Toontrack felt EZdrummer was due some R&D TLC. If I had to hazard a guess at the world’s most popular virtual drummer, I’d go with Toontrack‘s EZdrummer, and while its second incarnation was released back in 2014, it has remained a firm favourite ever since. Toontrack’s EZdrummer just gets better and better.

Easy drummer 3