un-quantize?

[Steve Ireland]

Hi

I have recorded a load of tracks for a friend and, as he has no drummer, created drum tracks with EZD2. Now, to me they sounded quite good however after listening to advice from another friend, he asked me to quantize everything as that was what the professionals do. As someone who is only in this for fun and was helping someone out, I agreed and did just that. To all the songs, quantized the hell out of them. Stupidly, I didn’t keep the originals and now all the drums sound robotic and frankly horrible. Is there any way I can reverse the process? Or do I bite the bullet and start all over again?

Thank you and please excuse my stupidity.

EZdrummer version: 2.1.8
Operating system: Windows 10

Topic

[Marcel_36]

Hi, I am no expert, but I found this, thought it might help.

https://www.toontrack.com/faq/where-is-the-humanize-button-in-ezdrummer-2/

Also: some DAWs have humanize midi options.

EZdrummer version: 2.1.8
Operating system: Windows 10

• This post was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Marcel_36.
  Reason: adding something

[akabusker]

Hi.

Bite the bullet and redo the parts.  Record to  click.

To quote someone I can’t recall “quantizing is evil!”.

Professionals don’t quantize they use click tracks and keep time.  If the person who uses your drums quantize them afterwards that’s their problem.  Quantizing kills groove and your job is the groove.

Is the person who recommended quantizing a drummer or a mixer or a musician.  If it’s no to the above list then feel free to ignore their advice.

Normally the advice would be highlight all the groove and then clicking humanize.  It’s an algorithm that adjusts your quantized parts.

Just beware of non-musicians giving you “advice” about things like quantizing.  It may seem like they are being helpful but they just made you do a load of work that has killed your vision of the part you were asked to play.  You did twice the work for half the product.

Trust your instincts.  You’re the drummer after all.

EZdrummer version: 2.1.8
Operating system: Windows 10

[akabusker]

Marcel_36 wrote:

Hi, I am no expert, but I found this, thought it might help.

https://www.toontrack.com/faq/where-is-the-humanize-button-in-ezdrummer-2/

Also: some DAWs have humanize midi options.

EZdrummer version: 2.1.8
Operating system: Windows 10

• This post was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Marcel_36.
  Reason: adding something

I was going to recommend the humanize function but I wasn’t sure it was there in EZD.  I use it as a plugin for Studio One pro and track using an electric kit.

But – I am a guitarist first.

[Steve Ireland]

Thanks for the replies folks. Tried the humanise function but it still sounds meh. I think I may re-do them.

[John]

The Humanise function does nothing for timing, it affects how samples are played back to reduce machine-gunning sound.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

1

Thanked by: Steve Ireland

[David]

Toontrack really need to have en un-quantize / restore performance function to SELECTED parts to make the recording-software useful. This way you can quantize parts of a performance and have ghostnotes etc unaffected and do its thing. There is no way quantizing an entire track will ever work which make us record drums outside the toontrack software. However.. I find the rest of the software really useful so I would love to see a Restore Performance function which can undo any quantizing I´v done to a track and restore the original performance on the selected notes. Hope Toontrack can chip in and give a response 🙂

EZdrummer version: 3.0.1
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

Mix and Mastering Engineer
Imac 27" 64GB RAM 3TB SSD
DAW : Pro Tools Studio
Interface : UA Apollo
Web : www.lydspesialisten.com

[Brad]

David wrote:

Toontrack really need to have en un-quantize / restore performance function to SELECTED parts to make the recording-software useful. This way you can quantize parts of a performance and have ghostnotes etc unaffected and do its thing. There is no way quantizing an entire track will ever work which make us record drums outside the toontrack software. However.. I find the rest of the software really useful so I would love to see a Restore Performance function which can undo any quantizing I´v done to a track and restore the original performance on the selected notes. Hope Toontrack can chip in and give a response 🙂

EZdrummer version: 3.0.1
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

What I do and of course YMMV, after I have recorded/tracked in EZD or SD3, I go through the track with the scissor tool and create sections. Then highlight the sections I want to quantize and leave the ones I don’t, as is.

EZdrummer version: 3.0.1
Operating system: macOS Monterey (12)

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)

• This post was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Brad.

[Scott Eshleman]

Brad wrote:

David wrote:

Toontrack really need to have en un-quantize / restore performance function to SELECTED parts to make the recording-software useful. This way you can quantize parts of a performance and have ghostnotes etc unaffected and do its thing. There is no way quantizing an entire track will ever work which make us record drums outside the toontrack software. However.. I find the rest of the software really useful so I would love to see a Restore Performance function which can undo any quantizing I´v done to a track and restore the original performance on the selected notes. Hope Toontrack can chip in and give a response 🙂

EZdrummer version: 3.0.1
Operating system: macOS Mojave (10.14)

What I do and of course YMMV, after I have recorded/tracked in EZD or SD3, I go through the track with the scissor tool and create sections. Then highlight the sections I want to quantize and leave the ones I don’t, as is.

EZdrummer version: 3.0.1
Operating system: macOS Monterey (12)

• This post was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Brad.

Additionally, I try real hard to remember to backup a performance BEFORE doing any editing.

[Anton Nordmark]

Steve Ireland wrote:

Thanks for the replies folks. Tried the humanise function but it still sounds meh. I think I may re-do them.

John wrote:

The Humanise function does nothing for timing, it affects how samples are played back to reduce machine-gunning sound.

BR,
John

I think you guys accidentally talked past each other. To clarify something in EZdrummer 3:

• ‘Humanize’ refers to a feature within Grid Editor that adjusts micro-timing and velocity level. I assume this is what Steve Ireland was talking about given the topic of quantization.
• ‘Hit Variation’ in Settings… > Advanced refers to what EZdrummer 2 previously called ‘Humanize’ in Sound Engine settings. This was renamed to ‘Hit Variation’ to avoid confusion with the new AI-tool ‘Humanize’ in Grid Editor. I assume this is what John thought Steve talked about.

Just wanted to clear this up for future discussion. 👍

Anton Nordmark – Toontrack
UX Designer

• The post has been modified 2 times, last modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Anton Nordmark.

[John]

Anton Nordmark wrote:

‘Hit Variation’ in Settings… > Advanced refers to what EZdrummer 2 previously called ‘Humanize’ in Sound Engine settings. This was renamed to ‘Hit Variation’ to avoid confusion with the new AI-tool ‘Humanize’ in Grid Editor. I assume this is what John thought Steve talked about.

Yes, quite so. My post was made in 2020, no EZdrummer 3 released then.

BR,
John

John Rammelt - Toontrack
Technical Advisor

1

Thanked by: Anton Nordmark

[Author]

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