Billy 86EZ Drummer expansions are about half the cost of SD3 expansions, and their pages say they work in SD3. Curious to know what are the functional differences in SD3 of using EZ Drummer Expansions vs. SD3 Expansions. Given the cost difference, one would assume there are some notable differences in functionality, sound quality, etc. Yes/no? Thanks.
SD3 3.4, EZK2.1.3, EZ Bass 1.3.1, Win11, i9/9900, all SSDs, 64g RAM, Cakewalk, Studio One
Tom ConnerThere is a comparison near the bottom of this page that covers some of it. No picture of the drumset, no instrument bleed, less microphones, less samples, less articulations, etc… https://www.toontrack.com/product/superior-drummer-3/
My 2 cents would be drink a few less $8 starbucks coffees per month and stick with SDXs. Also, they are discounted on various sites like Thomann.de and Reverb (my fav place to buy them).
DWe six piece kit, Roland BT-1s/eDRUMin, RME Fireface interface, JH Audio IEMs w/Fiio Amp, Porter & Davies transducer, Razer 16 laptop, SD3 (State of the Art, Stockholm, Hitmaker, Legacy of Rock, Decades, Death & Darkness, Fields of Rock, Stories)
Bear-Faced CowThere are plenty of differences between EZXs and SDXs. EZXs consist of mainly the key common articulations. They have only a few bleed channels. And if I’m not mistaken, they are 16 Bit Audio, Which will account for a reduced dynamic and velocity range.
That being said, I have a few go to EZX packs that I use because they sound amazing in a mix. They are great for when you need something quick in a mix as what they do contain make them pretty workable in many songs.
jord
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Thanked by: Brad and drumjack52
BradThere are plenty of differences between EZXs and SDXs. EZXs consist of mainly the key common articulations. They have only a few bleed channels. And if I’m not mistaken, they are 16 Bit Audio, Which will account for a reduced dynamic and velocity range.
That being said, I have a few go to EZX packs that I use because they sound amazing in a mix. They are great for when you need something quick in a mix as what they do contain make them pretty workable in many songs.
jord
I started writing this and then got called away, but the other 2 insightful answers pretty much cover it.
The difference in sound is subjective at the best of times. EZDrummer EZXs are 16bit as opposed to SDXs that are 24bit. So is there quality difference in sound? In a mix, with other instruments? Maybe, maybe not. If the session is a jazz trio where there’s a lot sonic space for all the instruments, you might notice it. In contemporary music, tracks/intruments are being tweaked to fit in a mix, sometimes within a very narrow band. Will you notice it? I dunno. Functionality, well you have more access to some of the components that make up presets. (EQ Compression, etc). They don’t have the nice EZDrummer graphics when opened within SD3, my customers don’t care about it, and although, as a graphic designer as well, I appreciate the care that goes into rendering the UI it’s the end product that matters. Jord nailed it with what he said. Sometimes the heavy lifting is done ahead of time by Toontrack and with minimal fuss you can get something that works great, 2 channels in, no fuss, no muss.
My own workflow, unless I am looking for something super specific (like the “In The Air Tonight” type drum machine: Hit Maker Machines SDX)…. I usually start composing with EZDrummer and then if I need bigger, deeper, higher, wider…. whatever…. can’t quite dial in the right sound, I’ll take the same track from EZDrummer, drag into SD3 and go from there.
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Thanked by: Bear-Faced CowTom ConnerMaybe an unpopular take: 16 bit audio has 96dB of dynamic range and is plenty for any song or instrument. Each 10dB represents a doubling in volume. 24 bit audio is 144dB of range and likely unnecessary. And for sample rate, humans with the best ears can’t hear above 20kHz, which a 44.1kHz sampling rate captures with room to spare. And that 20KHz maximum audible frequency gets lower with age and frequent exposure to loud things like drums and live music.
So IMO we are overdoing it with digital audio above 16 bit and 44.1kHz. DW SoundWorks for example is 24 bit and 92KHz. It is good marketing since most consumers tend to think larger numbers are always better. Unfortunately we are paying with massive file sizes and longer load times for no audible difference.
There are various online digital audio quality tests you can try to see what you think.
DWe six piece kit, Roland BT-1s/eDRUMin, RME Fireface interface, JH Audio IEMs w/Fiio Amp, Porter & Davies transducer, Razer 16 laptop, SD3 (State of the Art, Stockholm, Hitmaker, Legacy of Rock, Decades, Death & Darkness, Fields of Rock, Stories)
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