EZ Drummer 3 Main has 20 channels but only 16 MIDI out

[Burke Ingraffia]

When using EZD3 Main drummer, there are 20 channels in the mix but you only have the option to have 16 sends as MIDI out.  What are some good configurations to combine drums to the same send?

 

I’m thinking toms could probably all be grouped together. Any other ideas?

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Topic

[Brad]

Burke Ingraffia wrote:

When using EZD3 Main drummer, there are 20 channels in the mix but you only have the option to have 16 sends as MIDI out.  What are some good configurations to combine drums to the same send?

 

I’m thinking toms could probably all be grouped together. Any other ideas?

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

What device, hardware or software, are you sending MIDI out to?

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Burke Ingraffia]

Im sending the midis to tracks within Logic Pro 11.2. I find the drums sounds to be mostly great on their own but it gives me a little more control over the sound and the overall mix. Thank you.

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

[Shootie]

Assuming we’re talking about sending (routing) audio from EZDrummer 3’s Mixer tab to your DAW.

You could set up two different instances of EZD on their own track and route both of those instances. You would need to have the same midi in both or send the midi from one instance to the other. Now you have 32 tracks.

EZD3 Tutorials | EZBass Tutorials | Toontrack themed FB Group | Toontrack themed Discord Group

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia and Brad

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Basically what Shootie said: you’re not routing MIDI into Logic. You’re routing audio.

You don’t need to control every aspect of the drums on a granular level. Many of the channels will be set and forget. You would only be automating a couple of channels as far as drums go. Racktoms and Floortoms can be grouped into their own respective channels.

Another thing to consider is that when using multi-outs, you are responsible for supplying your own bus processing.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia, Brad and Shootie

[Burke Ingraffia]

Thanks Jordan

Yes, I understand it is the audio out, not the MIDI out.  I’m not sure you are correct about being responsible for the bus processing.  I think you could use multi-out and not add any buses, and it would sound exactly the same – please clarify if you perhaps know something I don’t here. As you mentioned, you’re getting the audio after it is processed – you can use the dry drums with most EZX sets if you want complete control.

What I like about adding my own buses though is to make it gel with the reverbs and the transients used on other instruments.  I suppose I could do that without multi-out just on the full kit.

[Brad]

Burke Ingraffia wrote:

Thanks Jordan

Yes, I understand it is the audio out, not the MIDI out.  I’m not sure you are correct about being responsible for the bus processing.  I think you could use multi-out and not add any buses, and it would sound exactly the same – please clarify if you perhaps know something I don’t here. As you mentioned, you’re getting the audio after it is processed – you can use the dry drums with most EZX sets if you want complete control.

What I like about adding my own buses though is to make it gel with the reverbs and the transients used on other instruments.  I suppose I could do that without multi-out just on the full kit.

I don’t want to get too much into the weeds here, but with EZDrummer the presets are processed, unlike Superior Drummer (for the most part) we don’t know what’s being used on the 2 bus (1/2 Out) or any of the other channels for that matter. So when you “multi-out” you change the relationship between the channels and instruments that are routed into 1/2 Out and whatever plug-ins are inserted (in the background). So like Jord says, that makes you responsible for making everything work the you want it to. So the statement that it would “sound exactly like the same”, I would say (IMHO of course) is probably incorrect, for the reason I summarized. And there’s a number of threads that discuss this in detail on this board, I say that, with the caveat of using the “Drum Kit” or “Kit Piece” presets, which have no plug-ins or channel processing where, as you mentioned, you could have full control. The main thing is, do whatever works for you, whatever gets the sound and mix you want, is the right way. Also MHO.

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

• The post has been modified 4 times, last modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Brad.

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia and Bear-Faced Cow

[Bear-Faced Cow]

Pretty much as Brad said. Using multi-out, you lose whatever bus processing EZ Drummer gave you in the preset. You need to add your own in Logic. This is mixing 101.

The presets will not sound the same without it.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

• This post was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by Bear-Faced Cow.

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[cyril blanc]

if you have idea on how to use the “Environnement” in Logic, you can test the note value of an element of your drum and route it where you want to send it.

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Musically
Cyril Blanc

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Bear-Faced Cow]

The Environment routes MIDI, not audio. It is a very convoluted way to set up multiple instances of EZ Drummer when one could simply program what they want within those instances or with a track stack in the Arrange Window.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

1

Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Burke Ingraffia]

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this. Maybe I just don’t have the ear for this,  but I hear exactly the same processing when I use the standard stereo out as when I use multi-out.  I’ll keep learning and listening for this.

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

[Shootie]

Only the Presets that have effects on the EZD’s Master Output (bus) will you hear the difference. For example, when using the Original Mix preset, you definitely will not hear a difference since there are no effects.

If you see a channel effect, that is not bypassed if you route that channel out.

Usually the effects that are bypassed are compression or saturation, but not limited to.

EZD3 Tutorials | EZBass Tutorials | Toontrack themed FB Group | Toontrack themed Discord Group

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Burke Ingraffia]

If you leave every channel on the out to 1/2 should it sound different? In other words, is the master bus still on 1/2 even when multi out is turned on?

[Bear-Faced Cow]

As Shootie said, it depends on the preset.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

1

Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Brad]

Burke Ingraffia wrote:

If you leave every channel on the out to 1/2 should it sound different? In other words, is the master bus still on 1/2 even when multi out is turned on?

As Shootie and Jord said, it really depends on which preset (and why I mentioned getting into the weeds in my earlier response, once we determined you weren’t talking about MIDI but audio).

For example: within the EZDrummer Bright Room: Preset: Classic there is a “MultiFX” on the Out 1/2 channel, being used as the 2 bus (or some say master bus) in the stereo mixer configuration.

Switching to a multi out configuration, that MultiFX is still on the Out 1/2, but only being applied to the: Kick In, Kick Out and Kick Sub channels, I am guessing, as we don’t have access to the MultiFX plug-in, but it seems as though it’s compressing output because I had to attenuate all 11 faders to get it within the headroom of the actual master channel on my DAW(s) either Pro Tools or Studio One. That alone is a difference, but I do hear subtle differences in the way the OH channel and particularly the ride cymbal sound. It may not be obvious, but it may become so when mixing an entire session. Now I could have fiddled with the separate channels within the DAW to get it right, but this is not my issue. Again whatever sounds right to you, is right.

 

EZdrummer version: 3.1.0
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)

1

Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

[Bear-Faced Cow]

In addition to Brad’s post, use of the Original Mix preset does not have any type of processing on it, so going multi-out would produce the same results and stereo out. Thus, you can apply your own processing within Logic and shape your sound however you wish.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

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Thanked by: Burke Ingraffia

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