OPERATION MANUAL
Mac, Mac OS and Audio Units are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technology AG. RTAS and AAX are trademarks of Avid Corp. Overloud is a trademark of Almateq srl. All other trademarks held by their respective owners. This manual is copyright Toontrack Music AB. No duplication or copying permitted without written permission. Effects powered by Overloud
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION
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2. INSTALLATION 2.1 System requirements
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2.2 Installing EZdrummer 2 on your PC
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2.3 Installing EZdrummer 2 on your Mac
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2.4 Authorizing EZdrummer 2 online
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2.5 Authorizing EZdrummer 2 offline
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3. EZDRUMMER 2 IN OPERATION 3.1 Sound libraries and mixer presets
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3.2 Constructing a drum kit
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3.3 Finding the right groove
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3.4 Making a song
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3.5 Recording a performance
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3.6 Edit play style
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3.7 Adding Percussion
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3.8 Adding grooves to the Browser
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3.9 Advanced routing
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3.10 Using other Sound sources
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1. INTRODUCTION EZdrummer 2 is the second generation of the world’s number one drum production tool. With ground breaking songwriting features and intuitive sound shaping options, it will let you finish an entire drum track without ever leaving the program. With two separate drum libraries containing 5 individual drum kits and a host of extra kicks and snares, EZdrummer 2 is much more than a sound generating virtual instrument however, it’s an indispensable songwriting tool! EZdrummer 2 introduces several new features that make finding and working with your MIDI grooves fast, easy, and more intuitive than ever! EZdrummer 2 utilizes the latest and most advanced sound engine technology under the hood coupled with a vast and fully featured content. This means, significantly faster loading times, more Individual hits per sample layer, real time sample rate conversion and multiple hits emulation for smoother sequenced hits. In short, great sound. The EZdrummer 2 Modern library was recorded using a state of the art Neve 88 R console and the classic EMI TG to deliver the thick and robust sound necessary for modern drum production. The EZdrummer 2 Vintage library however is a completely separate recording that was made using the extremely rare EMI RED 51 console which is infamous for its characteristic saturated sound.
THE STUDIO
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The Modern and Vintage core libraries were recorded at the legendary British Grove studios in London by Grammy award winning engineer Chuck Ainlay. The combination of these 2 consoles, drum recordings and percussion provide the user with a drum production arsenal ready to take on any musical genre or recording style! And together with the included effect chain presets, we have taken out the complicated part of mixing drums. The presets included cover anything from classic rock to disco and modern metal, so you can instantly call up a starting point for your song and continue to customize it into something completely new with each setting’s unique set of parameters. Finally EZdrummer 2 breathes new life into the existing Toontrack EZdrummer line. All previously released EZdrummer expansion libraries can take advantage of the new features via updates available at toontrack.com. These updates include all new graphics, optimized performance, and a selection of all new custom designed EZdrummer 2 presets that make use of the wide range of effects in the EZdrummer 2 mixer. We hope you enjoy using EZdrummer 2 and find it an indispensable songwriting tool. Thank you for your support and purchase!
THE ENGINEER
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2. INSTALLATION 2.1 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • Windows 7 or newer, Pentium 4 or Athlon processor with 2 GB RAM. (32 and 64-bit versions of Windows are supported as per host application) • Mac OS 10.6 or higher, Intel-based Mac with 2 GB RAM. (32 and 64-bit hosts are supported on the Mac Intel platform) • AU, VST, AAX or RTAS host application and professional sound card recommended.
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2.2 INSTALLING EZDRUMMER 2 ON YOUR PC Run the Installer included with the DVD or electronic download and follow the instructions. Please make sure to read the additional instructions included in the ‘read me’ file as it may contain important information not available at the time this manual was assembled. Please ensure you are logged in as an administrator before proceeding. The installer will attempt to install the EZdrummer plug-in in the appropriate location for the currently installed host program. You should however verify that this is the case and perform a custom install to change the destination target if this is not adequate for your host program (see your host manual for details). If this is your first EZdrummer product it is important that you decide where you would like the sound library to be stored. This decision will apply to all expansion libraries you may wish to install in the future so please take a moment to decide the most appropriate location for the long term storage of your sounds.
2.3 INSTALLING EZDRUMMER 2 ON YOUR MAC Run the Installer included with the DVD or electronic download and follow the instructions. Please ensure you are logged in as an administrator before proceeding. The EZdrummer plug-in will be installed in the default location for your operating system and should not be moved to remain available to all users and programs. If this is your first EZdrummer product it is important that you decide where you would like the sound library to be stored. This decision will apply to all expansion libraries you may wish to install in the future so please take a moment to decide the most appropriate location for the long term storage of your sounds.
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2.4 AUTHORIZING EZDRUMMER 2 ONLINE On first launching EZdrummer from within your host application (or the standalone EZdrummer application), you will be presented with an authorization screen. If your computer is connected to the Internet, simply follow the instructions presented to you: 1) Type in the serial number found on the DVD packaging or paper/electronic receipt for your purchase. The serial number starts with ‘EZxx’ followed by 4 groups of 4 digits. 2) Add a description for your computer. This is only used for your convenience managing your authorization through the Toontrack website so this can be anything you like. 3) Type your Toontrack login and password. If you do not yet have a Toontrack account, click ‘Create Account’ and follow the instructions. 4) Click ‘Authorize’. You should receive a message telling you that your EZdrummer product has been authorized successfully. Should the authorization process fail for whatever reason, please review the Authorization FAQ located at http://www.toontrack.com/faq If you are still unable to authorize your Toontrack product, please use the support contact link embedded into the FAQ, making sure to specify your serial number and the Computer ID found on the ‘offline’ screen (see the directions on opposite page).
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2.5 AUTHORIZING EZDRUMMER 2 OFFLINE On first launching EZdrummer from within your host application (or the standalone EZdrummer application), you will be presented with an authorization screen. If your computer is not connected to the Internet, click the ‘Offline’ button and follow the instructions presented to you: 1) Type in the serial number found on the DVD packaging or paper/electronic receipt for your purchase. The serial number starts with ‘EZxx’ followed by 4 groups of 4 digits. 2) Copy the Computer ID exactly as shown in the interface onto a piece of paper. 3) Using a different computer or a smart phone, go to http://www.toontrack.com/register (you will need to create a user account if this is your first Toontrack product) and, after registering your product, type your Computer ID and a short description for your computer for easy identification at a later date (this can be anything you like, for example ‘Studio B computer’). 4) After generating the Authorization Code at the Toontrack site, as per step-by-step instructions outlined on the website, you will need to download a file containing the authorization code. 5) In EZdrummer, choose the option to load this file on the ‘Offline’ authorization screen. You should receive a message telling you that your EZdrummer product has been authorized successfully. Should the authorization process fail for whatever reason, please review the Authorization FAQ located at http://www.toontrack.com/faq If you are still unable to authorize your Toontrack product, please use the support contact link embedded into the FAQ, making sure to specify your serial number and your Computer ID.
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3. EZDRUMMER 2 IN OPERATION EZdrummer 2 can be used as a standalone instrument or loaded in your host program as a virtual instrument. The exact procedure on how to add EZdrummer to your projects will depend on your host, so please refer to your host application operation manual for details. Before you start, you should ensure that your system is configured for basic audio and MIDI playback (see ‘Standalone operation’ later in this manual, or your host application operation manual for details).
3.1 SOUND LIBRARIES AND MIXER PRESETS
EZdrummer 2’s all-new sound library features both a modern and a vintage setup as well as a selection of percussion.
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At the top of the EZdrummer interface, a library/preset selector allows you to load any EZdrummer library you have installed on your system, as well as any of the available mixer preset. Click the preset selector to reveal a drop down menu and make the desired selection:
Note that selecting a preset makes changes to the individual drums that are selected, but it also changes available channels in the mixer and adds the unique and fully adjustable effect controls that make up the preset. Presets are much more than a few simple effects slapped onto the master output - they are built from a complex network of sends, busses, channels and sound processors that are expertly merged into a few simple to use controls. When click-holding over a control knob the channels affected will be highlighted in the mixer, as per the following example:
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3.2 CONSTRUCTING A DRUM KIT EZdrummer 2 features an all new instrument properties window accessible directly from the Drums tab: Here you can change the selected instrument and audition it at any velocity by clicking horizontally in the preview pad at the bottom of the window. The overall volume and pitch for the selected instrument can also be adjusted independently from the mixer. Further, EZdrummer 2 does not restrict you to only the sounds available in its core library – it allows for seamless auditioning of any instrument in your previously installed expansion sound libraries. This means you can freely build your own custom kits, directly in EZdrummer 2. On the left is an example where a snare from the Vintage library is brought into the Modern default kit but you may mix and match instruments from any of your installed sound libraries.
Once you have assembled a custom kit you can set it to be recalled on future sessions, or save it as a Project to be loaded when required:
Note that a Project is a full setup of the EZdrummer 2 instrument, including mixer settings, drum selection and (if used) a song arrangement. It’s a good idea to save a Project with a name that will bring to mind the circumstances you created the Project in.
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3.3 FINDING THE RIGHT GROOVE EZdrummer 2 ships with a generous selection of grooves covering a wide range of musical styles and time signatures for both drums and the percussion pieces included with it. When inspiration strikes however, you need to be able to find the perfect groove fast and efficiently. EZdrummer 2 allows you to do just this with its all new Search tab. The Search tab is designed to give you the ability to communicate with the software, and let EZdrummer present you with the perfect selection of grooves as fast as possible. The first thing that you’ll notice on the Search tab is the Tap-2-Find feature. Here, you can tap in your desired rhythm directly into the interface, or by using a connected MIDI controller:
EZdrummer 2 will then automatically quantize your performance and display all the similar grooves in the MIDI library, taking a loose idea to a concrete selection of professionally played grooves in a matter of seconds. It will even tell how close a match the grooves from the library are to the beat that you just played:
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And as an extra convenience, EZdrummer 2 will also let you search and preview matches among the entire groove library of packs commercially available from the Toontrack web shop! To do this, simply engage the ‘Show Web Shop MIDI’ button above the Tap-2-Find and filtering area:
Last if you can’t think of a groove to play into EZdrummer, the Search tab also allows you to find grooves manually by selecting the various filter options that best fit your song. Here you can select the library, musical genre, or time signature just to name a few:
For example, if you know that your song is in the Pop/Rock genre and you’re looking for a closed hi-hat groove in straight 4/4 time, selecting these filters in the search tab will compile all the available results from your MIDI library below. You can also click the arrow to the right of a filter’s name to exclude this option from the search results. To clear any filter, click on its name again, or to clear a column’s filters / all the filers click on the X that appears when you hover over one of the filter orange status box:
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3.4 MAKING A SONG Once you’ve found the perfect groove that you want to base your song around, EZdrummer 2 includes several features that allow you to finish your track without ever leaving the program. These include the all new Song Creator and Song Track. Click the ‘Song Creator’ button at the bottom of the interface and drag your groove into the MIDI drop zone of the Song Creator and EZdrummer 2 will conveniently list a selection of grooves and fills with a similar feel and style:
The results are laid out in song structure format so that you can quickly drag and drop from the Song Creator to arrange your drum track. Or, have EZdrummer build the arrangement for you by selecting one of the predetermined song structures on the left hand side. EZdrummer 2’s song structures can be edited or changed in any way that you see fit once added to the timeline. You can freely add fills, swap out any groove, or completely remove entire sections. Added drum fills will even automatically conform to the available space when dragged in an empty section between blocks! Any groove inside of EZdrummer 2 can be dragged to the Song Track, whether it is from the Browser, Search tab, Tap-2-Find area or Song Creator. The grooves can then be cut to any desired length, copied along the Track, deleted or tagged as a specific song part. You can even paste individual instruments from other grooves by right-clicking a song block to reveal its contextual menu:
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Custom made song structures can then be saved as a template for future compositions:
Once your drum track is complete it can be dragged and dropped to a host, exported as MIDI from the menu, or you can even export the drum track to a stereo wav file. Sharing your drum tracks couldn’t be simpler:
3.5 RECORDING YOUR PERFORMANCE If all you want is to sit down at your e-drum and record your performance, firing up the EZdrummer standalone application is a straightforward and non-intrusive solution. Using the EZdrummer standalone application, you can build simple song ideas using the Song Track, then export them to your desktop (or add them to your Favorites). Of course you may use any supported host application to do this too, but this section covers using EZdrummer in stand-alone mode specifically! At the time of installation, the EZdrummer installer will have placed the standalone application on your hard drive and provided a desktop shortcut (on Mac, you will find the standalone application among your Applications, as is standard for the platform, feel free to add it to the dock if you wish!). Before you can trigger the sounds from your MIDI controller, you will need to adjust the MIDI input and Audio playback devices via the application’s Audio/MIDI Setup Menu. Note that only ASIO (Windows) and Core Audio (Mac OS) Audio interfaces will guarantee optimum performances for low latency real-time triggering.
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Select your preferred sound card by selecting it in the Device Type drop-down menu. Select the proper Device driver from the menu below. On PC, you will also have access to your ASIO Control Panel to select the Buffer size. On Mac, or, if you are not using an ASIO device, you can select the Buffer size in the drop-down menu below the Device selection menu. Select the appropriate Output channels for audio playback if necessary. Under the MIDI Device menu you will see a list of all MIDI devices currently connected to your system. Select the MIDI device you wish to use. Once you’ve made your Audio Sound Card, Output Channels, and MIDI Device selections, click the ‘Apply’ button. EZdrummer standalone also provides various Metronome sounds that you may want to make use of. It can be accessed via the Settings > Metronome Settings menu. In this dialogue you can control the volume of the Metronome as well as choose the ‘click’ sounds. Finally, EZdrummer 2 needs to know what brand of e-drums you are using in order to playback your performance appropriately. Select the manufacturer from the ‘E-Drum’ menu and if necessary one of the available pedal correction curve (by default EZdrummer will not modify the response from your foot controller, which may not produce the best result due to the settings dialed in your drum module, or your own play style):
That’s it, you are ready to record your own custom grooves directly to the Song Track with your electronic drum kit! Record arm the track and, when you are ready, release the Play button. Note that MIDI can be recorded over any groove, including previous takes, merging the performances, or it can be recorded from scratch to the empty Song Track. Recorded MIDI can then be quantized, or even edited and customized in the same way as any Toontrack MIDI groove! Once you are done recording, you can save your performance as a MIDI or Audio files.
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3.6 EDIT PLAY STYLE Besides the powerful features aimed at assembling songs from existing MIDI grooves or your own performances quickly and effortlessly, EZdrummer 2 includes a host of new features for customizing MIDI grooves in its ground breaking Edit play style window. Edit play style is accessed by double clicking on any groove on the timeline, clicking the small arrow in the top left, or by right clicking a groove:
The features found in the Edit play style interface allow you to communicate with EZdrummer in real time and allow you to create a personalized drum track quicker than ever before. One of the most common ways that songwriters communicate with drummers is to ask them to “play the groove on the hi-hat instead of the ride” or “use a closed hat instead of open for this part of the song”. Now, with the Power Hand feature you can communicate with EZdrummer 2 in the exact same way!
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Simply drag the Power Hand handle to the drum or cymbal that you would like to change the leading instrument to:
Clicking the arrow next to the Power Hand label even allows you to select the specific articulation for the instrument that you would like to use. So, for example, you can change your groove to lead with the hi-hat playing the ‘closed tip’ using a couple of mouse actions! Next to the power hand, you’ll find the Opening Hit control. This adds a single hit to the beginning of any selected groove on the timeline. Just like the Power Hand, the Opening Hit can be moved to any instrument in the drum kit and you can select the specific articulation that is used. It can also be toggled ON or OFF so that it is added only when you want it to be. But the flexibility EZdrummer 2 gives you to customize your grooves does not end here - the Amount and Velocity knobs allow you to control the frequency and intensity of hits on any single drum or the whole kit in real time! Simply select a drum, or choose a group from the menu and then adjust the Amount and Velocity knobs as desired:
Raising or lowering the Amount knob activates a smart algorithm inside of EZdrummer 2 that calculates the probabilities of where a real drummer would add or remove hits from the groove. This means that changing the Amount knob does not arbitrarily add or subtract hits from the groove, it uses information gathered from thousands of real drum performances to change the groove while keeping a natural feel!
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To go even further, you can use the Amount controls for the drums that are not even present in the song block that you have selected. Simply click on one of the dark grey instruments and then raise the Amount knob to add this instrument into the groove. The more the knob is raised the more times this instrument will be hit in the groove! As if this wasn’t enough, you can even copy, paste and remove MIDI from any drum by right clicking on it in the interface! This is especially useful if you would like to take the MIDI from one drum and copy it to another. For example, you could transfer all of the snare hits to a tom.
3.7 ADDING PERCUSSION Percussive arrangements are an integral part of many styles. When your song needs that extra rhythmic touch, simply click the ‘power’ button on any of the percussion pads and the instrument will be added in with expert feel: Of course, changing the Amount knob here chooses between the different playing variations in the EZdrummer 2 percussion groove library, ensuring that the added percussion always sounds natural!
3.8 ADDING GROOVES TO THE BROWSER MIDI purchased directly from Toontrack will be added automatically using the installer included with those additional products. You may however want to extend and customize the library with 3rd party MIDI packs or your own. The process is very straightforward: select the ‘Add Folder to User Libraries’ entry from the Browser’s contextual menu and locate the folder you would like to add on your hard drive. The folder and its content will then appear at the bottom of the Browser, on the left hand side.
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3.9 ADVANCED ROUTING EZdrummer routes into your host on one stereo track by default. You can however route any instrument or microphone to any of the 16 available stereo tracks mapped to EZdrummer’s outputs. This will allow you to benefit from the maximum flexibility that your sequencer has to offer. To perform the above click one of the mixer tracks and select ‘Multichannel’. This will select the most appropriate routing for the kit. Of course your host has to be set up accordingly to capture these outputs (see your application’s manual for details). You are not limited to this configuration however and are free to assign drums to the track of your choice by selecting the appropriate entry in the pull menu for each of the individual channels.
3.10 USING OTHER SOUND SOURCES EZdrummer includes a MIDI Out function whereby it is possible to route the MIDI signal to your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) in order to trigger the sounds of another virtual instrument, for example Superior Drummer. Using this function you can use EZdrummer’s powerful writing tools and try different drum sounds, on-the-fly, without the need to drag the MIDI blocks to your host after each tweak. To direct the MIDI information out of EZdrummer, simply select the ‘Enable MIDI Out’ entry in the menu in the top right hand side corner of the User Interface. Once that is done, you will need to route the signal to a track inside your DAW where Superior Drummer or another 3rd party sampler is instantiated. Please refer to your host application’s operation manual for instructions. Note that the ‘MIDI Out’ function is only available in select hosts and is not available in standalone operation and as a result the ‘Enable MIDI Out’ entry pictured above will be greyed out in those scenarios.
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