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[Mark Styles]

I am finding that with Google AI,   I can ask specific questions about a piece of software (EZ Keys) and how it interacts with Logic Pro 11.   I sometimes get great answers, other times not so much, but it’s a lot quicker and scrolling through tons of pages… Yes i am a firm believer that manuals have a well-constructed index.  I have bought too many possibly great pieces of software, if only it had a thorough way to find an answer quickly.  I was looking at another midi processing efx, which has a poor manual, and many unanswered questions on their forum.

Most of these third-party companies are small, but customers are probably not psychic.  I’m not 20 anymore and cannot afford to waste valuable time trying to find a solution.

[Mark Styles]

I’m NOT having a black GUI when I open any Toontrack products.  Major problems with a WAProoductions plugin.  From what I have AI googled and listening to Logic Tech Support, deleting PLIST should be used as a ‘last resort’.

Yes, a ‘Reset & Rescan is at the top of the list.  That cleared up some other problems for me.  (Logic shortcuts – like using the spacebar for start/stop play. Mac is getting ‘wonky’.

Another thing is to start up the Mac in ‘SAFE MODE’. It will prevent any processes that reach deep into OSX.   I’m going to try this on Mac’s next ‘anxiety attack’  (which gives me an anxiety attack).

Another issue I need to focus on is getting back to the EXACT state the EZ line VI’s were in..  It seems to me, I save my project, EZ keys might have 4-6 ‘tracks’ in it. Alternate versions of chords and rhythms.  But when I open Logic Project the next day. Some of those tracks are missing, and/or they are not the same as when I saved the project.  I AM NOT POSITIVE BY THIS.  I’ve been ‘AI Googling’  EZ keys questions and coming up with more and varied answers.

My current saving process is to export any/all  EZ Keys, Drums, and Bass tracks.   into Logic, take a lot of desktop pictures, and keep text notes.  That way I have the best chance of getting the project back in the exact state when I saved at the end of the last session.   This is quite tedious, and I’m not feeling that this is a process I want to continue.  I get upset enough to abandon the Logic Project.  Part of the issue is that until I have a great bass part and melody, I want the liberty to change the chord progression.

In simpler words, as exciting as EZ modules are, all this ‘house cleaning’ work is taking the fun out of making music.   But the EZ line modules also allow one to easily come up with some great and inspiring parts, to keep me wanting to keep exploring.   It takes me to a place I could otherwise ot reach.  Not to feel bad, Toontrack people. Logic’s system, with its abortion of a chord track creating process, makes me not want to deal with it at all.

This wave of intelligent new music creation (the ability to manipulate creation by the machine being aware of the project key, and individual chords at any moment) is a HUGE step forward. There needs to be a discussion/forum on how musicians are using it. And the developers of this new NEXT STEP need to draw up a set of standards that other companies will follow.

[Mark Styles]

I was using macOS 15.7.2. Each macOS update would fix the operation of some third-party plug-ins and break others.  Finally jumpingto OSX26.2.   Nof ons oc fhs 4 tech guys I spoke to recommended deleting caches and plists, and plistss – which I believe often does solve problems.  The real problem is  each manufacturer doesn’t really care how the other 3rd party VIs work or don’t work.  Over the last few years, I have bought a fair amount of 3rd party plu-iing that don’t play nice with Logic..

Once you download and install software, you will not be able to get a refund.  Yes, I believe a safe reboot, then a regular one doe give you a better chance with fewer problems.  The longer you use EZ line products, with Logic the greater chance it will go buggy.  That has been the result I see.   It feels like Logic holds some specific memory for variable changes for it’ fucctions.  EZ Line also uses the same memory.  So if you’re tryinv variable procedure, you don’t know how long Logic will get corrupted.

I’m too old to spend unending hours chasing bugs. I’ve been using Logic since the Emagic days.  I don’t have the time or patience to learn a new  DAW.  I see a fair amount of complaints about Toontrack not dealing with certain issues.  This is getting very frustrating.

Reply To: Toontrack opens with no GUI screen controls Logic 11.2.2 version: 2.1.4
Operating system: macOS Tahoe (26)

[Mark Styles]

Kontakt 8 is very slow to open for me.  Sometimes over 3 minutes. Sometimes it seems to do nothing, other times, it opens as an empty black rectangle  I had hoped to have a lot ‘live’ opened instruments.  So I could instantly jump from Virtual instrument to another Virtual Instrument. Sometimes I’ll add a riff or a few notes to the bass, then I want to jump to piano, flute, drums, so they can plan a ‘flourish’ to have a bit of sparkle to a measure.  At one point I had 30 instruments live.  Opening this Logic Project would sometimes take several minutes to come to life.

I resorted to making a channel strip, giving it a short descriptive name, and then naming the midi or audio region with that. so I could quickly get back to that exact same patch. I leave the ‘activity monitor app open’  even though the Logic Pro app turns red; watch the ‘activity%’  if it is changing percentage, it has not really crashed. – it will sometimes come back to lifel.

Apple techs strongly urged me to update to the newest OSX 26.2.  That did help some. A few virtual instruments seem not able to open correctly. But sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  Saving the project and resstarting computer does appear to work.  If my Mac Studio has been on for several hours, a crash or lockup is far more likely. Last Apple tech told me to restart the machine in ‘SAFE MODE’  it resets more things than just a restart.  Then, of course, you have to restart again in your normal mode

2024 Mac Studio/M2 silicon = 64 GB of memory- OSX 26.2 – Logic Pro 11.2.2

[Mark Styles]

Logic will save the current settings of all plug-ins, as one setting (from what I’ve read – best if a MODERATOR CONFIRMS this. I’m not sure, but when I reload a Logic song project, I think an EZ instrument has an issue.  It seems sometimes I might be on Track 5 of EZ bass, but sometimes Track 2 and 3 are missing from inside of EZ bass. But it is emphasized to save each EZ line instrument inside of it’s own environment.  That way, you may use EZ keys from song4, EZ drums from a different song, EZ bass – song5, etc.

But a desired feature for me would be that if you save any one EZ instrument, you have the option to save all three instruments independently.   If you mess up,  each EZ has an independent Auto save feature.  It’s easy to reclaim any changes you made by loading each autosave – great safety feature.

You can also Google/Apple AI.  and you get more information about the inner workings of the EZ line instruments. That has helped clarify some instruments

And finally   All manuals should have a thorough and complete INDEX.  If I’m interested in a complex 3rd plug-in, I check their pdf manual.  If there is no INDEX.. that gives me a negative point toward purchasing that plug-in..

Reply To: Best workflow/save for DAW+EZDrummer+EZKeys+EZBass version: 2.1.4
Operating system: macOS Tahoe (26)

[Mark Styles]

It’s really nice to see a forum where there are moderators, who give timely and concise answers.     The more I play with the EZ line.. The more I like it…  I cannot get suitable results out of Scaler; or Logic’s system of entering chords is ridiculous.  Other systems are just ‘one trick ponies’  not paying attention to individual chords just apply a major, minor, Dorian mode to the whole song.

Please keep enhancing EZ line.  It is the easiest to understand and grasp, and make meaningful music with.

.

[Mark Styles]

SETUP= 2024 Mac Studio M2 chip – OSX 26.2 – Logic Pro 11.2.2.

I have that issue with a few 3rd party AU’s..  EZ line works – comes up blank for 1-2 seconds, then becomes normal GUI.  I find after maybe several hours Logic starts getting ‘wonky’ with plug-ins and Logic itself doing normal functions (like space bar no long er starts/stops. etc..  When I get hold of tech support, the current fix is ‘save your project’, close programs, restart computer.  Then things are well again.  With each OSX update, some things improve, other 3 rd party AU’s get flaky or stop working.

It’s getting frustrating because I spend far more time typing into little ‘chat’ boxes with a ‘dumb’ AI, which has been rather poorly programmed to answer any complex situation.  What used to take a 10 – 20- minute call with a tech support person is dragged out to back/forth messages, often not resolved.

Reply To: Toontrack opens with no GUI screen controls Logic 11.2.2 version: 2.1.4
Operating system: macOS Tahoe (26)

[Mark Styles]

Back in the 80s, six companies worked together to make the MIDI specs. MIDI has survived and prospered. Something like this needs to be done again with music software, DAW’s etc.  There are way too many musicians for this NOT to be done.  I can’t believe Apple put out Logic with this makeshift way to make a chord track.  My composing, producing, and songwriting friends use a handful of programs to do their work now. The current situation is just indicative of how far companies will go to force you to only use their family of programs and plug-ins.

I am fed up with it. It seems like I spend 1/3 of my time talking, emailing, and typing in those stupid little ‘chat’ boxes to get a simple process to work.

This is akin to an expensive car manufacturer. just to be special, decides to put a ‘brake button’ on the steering wheel, just so they are unique.  As each company wants to be more special, they make up their own different techniques.

• This post was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Mark Styles.

[Mark Styles]

I’ve been putting EZ presets in the song folder of my DAW for that particular project.

[Mark Styles]

You’ve got the start of a great composing system.  Yet you do not follow through.  You could have the best composing system.

[Mark Styles]

11/24/2025

I am not able to save the EZ Keys project.  I save it with 3 or 4 tracks.  It opens up empty, no chord track, no MIDI patterns, using Mac Studio, OS 15.7, EZ Keys 2, Logic Pro 11.

Auto saves work, but are named by the date and time.  APITA.

• This post was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Mark Styles.

[Mark Styles]

You will notice a lot of questions are dated 2 years ago, NOT a good sign..  I own all EZ keys, drums, and bass, and Superior drums also. Toontracks products are excellent.  Having a fair amount of crashes using EZ keys/bass/drums with Logic Pro 11.  The lack of information is disheartening. It is a complex piece of programming.  I haven’t figured out  everything yet, so maybe the problem is my understanding of it.

I certainly don’t like the idea of locking non-owners out of forums.  That raises a LOT of read flags.  I bought another AI-type system for choosing chords, making parts.  I posted a message about how inadequate the explanation of how to do processes was, and I had to go through 3 companies to purchase, download, register, and find tutorials to learn it, cause the main company just has one guy showing you all the amazing things it does, without showing you how. The message was deleted in one day.

To their credit, they made purchasing, installing, and tutorials available.  Other people are making clearer and detailed instructions.  I have given up on it for now, because their progress in making it understandable is moving too slow.  I think they will catch up in time.

I’m feeling the same way about the EZ line.  It is brilliant, but too many issues.  I’ve spent hours working on the keys, bass, and drums before importing them into Logic. EZ bass will crash, forcing Logic to reload all plug-ins.  Most of my EZ line individual ‘project’ saves are not loadable. “Recent audio saves” are much more helpful, but I still lose changes I made.  Sometimes the bass plays the chords along with its bass part.  Still haven’t figured out what I am doing wrong, or if it is a bug.  The EZ Bass definitely needs to be brought up to the standard with which the EZ keys work.  Although the articulations you can put into EZ bass are tasty.

It could be a fantastic tool, and I read posts that claim that, but I have come across too many online companies now that have fake posts and mislead you to make a sale. I’ll keep plugging at it, in for a penny – in for a pound

[Mark Styles]

I’ve noticed EZ Bass resolves chords with extensions to a  basic triad

Reply To: Import EZKeys 2 project Chords version: 1.3.1
Operating system: macOS Sequoia (15)

[Mark Styles]

It’s 11/2025… After spending several hours creating a great long chord progression.   I find I CANNOT import/drag/drop into EZ bass..  My EZ keys have a lot of 9ths, 13th notes, along with 7ths, 5ths, 3rds, as the bass, also Diminished, suspended chord.  EZ bass just modifies all chords to triads, clashing/destroying the movement of my chord progression.

I can find no mention of how to get around this.  Except wait for an update. which hasn’t happened.

Native Instruments has the beginning of a great system, yet they have dropped the ball.  I haven’t found another suitable system. They are either to esoteric and undefined.  I cannot write a song doing only 4 bars at a time, bounding them. Then, only see a 150 chords displayed in one unending line.

Someone please tell me I’m missing something

[Mark Styles]

Do you have a ‘dry’ drum kit.   a week or two back, I thought I got an email about new Superior drum kits.  It was a ‘dry drumkit’..  The picture had towels on some of the drums.  The audio examples were great, very dry. I went back to your site but couldn’t find it.   Maybe I had a senior moment.

Do you have such a drum kit?   Thanks… Mark Styles

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