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[Scott Eshleman]

for me, parts of it had a spy-thriller, espionage soundtrack feel and the solo had an Alex Lifeson (RUSH) vibe.
In other words, “cool, very cool”

[Scott Eshleman]

I’ve tried to ‘drag and drop’ as well as ‘copy and paste’ back from both Logic Pro X and Pro Tools 11 without success.
However I have successfully dragged(?) MIDI from the Desktop into EZDrummer2.

[Scott Eshleman]

Beautiful.
Nicely & tastefully done.

[Scott Eshleman]

@chris said:

Saw the previous EZKeys is Horrible thread.

Well for me its fantastic. If you are an accomplished pianist you don’t need EZKeys. I’m not. I’m a guitarist. This software has opened up a so far unachievable world for me. I think its stunning. I cannot play a keyboard, yet can now produce piano based songs. Here is an example written totally in EZKeys for an artist called Heather Merryn. Its been played on the BBC here in UK. You may not think its any good or like it, but for me this was just not possible until now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZudJCZf4tc&list=UUso4kb6MxXzrIVdW5ftYLUA

I’m not linked to Toontrack in any way other than a very happy customer.

Just one point minor point Toontrack. It looks like you used admin rights to lock out the ‘EZKeys is Horrible’ thread. No need to do that…. let your customers speak for themselves whatever the alternative views.

Cheers

Chris

Awesome, Chris!!! Friikon awesome!!!

[Scott Eshleman]

@mrdrums said:

@nigel.smith said:

maybe more instructive help or videos would be helpful lets have a building block learning curve based across all genres not just the metal community as championed by the guy with the beard . but then it becomes uneasy . like logic 9 . come on toontrack back it up . if you go down the road of belittling peoples computer skills re cut and paste you are the guys out of time . why throw your reputation away . a recent uk magazine guitarist poll said only 4 %had got into computer composing theres your market educate the masses not the current generation exclusively . i have had nigh on 30 years of looking in on this arena ,1986 midi /smpte . the minute you go computer nerdy you’ve lost and who are we kidding you can’t replace a real drummer so calm down and relax good luck

I have no problems with using computerized parts in recordings, if I can get whats in my head into musical form, im good with that.

I can do that with drums, it will play what i want it to play, when I edit it. Keys will not, granted, it’s harder with musical notes and not just percussion.

but they charge a frikon lot of money for something Not really useable for a pro recording.

Opinions vary. As will results.
Please do not presume to think you know what I do or not understand.
I did my due diligence before laying down my money and got everything that I expected.
Nothing more. Nothing less.

And you know, I might even have agreed to some extent if EZKeys was used solely & only in standalone mode
but you contextualized your usage in terms of ‘editing’ and ‘pro recording’ – presumably in a host/DAW of some sort.

[Scott Eshleman]

@mrdrums said:
Drums is different, because it’s just rhythm, and you can edit fills and beats to precisely fit your song. With Piano, you are stuck with what is programmed. lets say you
have a riff playing on the guitar, and you would like the piano to do the same thing….Sorry Charlie, it wont, it will play a chord.
Cabice?

Oh, I think that I understand. You want EZKeys to play cover songs and to somehow(?) inherently know how to play the song.
It’s a virtual instrument just like EZDrummer. It will play any MIDI that you feed to it…step programmed, recorded or imported.
If you want the piano to play the same riff as the guitar, it can do that. You have only to give it the MIDI to do so.

Your rationale about the use and editing of MIDI drum grooves can just as easily be applied to the piano parts.
You are by no means “stuck with what is programmed“. It won’t play a chord unless programmed to play a chord.
It can and will play single note riffs, double-stops, octaves, sixths, etc. Legato, staccato, etc.
It’s only limitations are those imposed natively by the instrument sampled. (and some of those limitations can be ‘overridden’ by modern technologies)

If you want it to play Andrew Lloyd Webber or The Beatles, program them, step record them or find the MIDI for them.
I think that Toontrack will readily admit that (currently) their EZKeys MIDI pack libraries do not include MIDI for any specific songs
(unlike the EZDrummer MetalHeads expansion with 12 Meshuggah songs in MIDI format, performed by Tomas Haake).

I also think that once you understand the product for the compositional features and gorgeous sounds it offers, you’ll come to appreciate it for what it does.

[Scott Eshleman]

I agree whole-heartedly as well. I love EZKeys and do not understand the OP’s unmet expectations.

I never downloaded the EZKeys demo so I’ve not experienced whatever the OP feels was wrongly misrepresented to him.
I never saw anything in the Toontrack description of the product, the videos or sample audio that would suggest that EZKeys
was anything more than a harmonic songwriting composition tool.
And considering the editing enabled by its interface, it’s an amazingly EZ tool at that.

And of course, it is also an awesome sounding Virtual Instrument!!
So the OP can play/record melodies, harmonies & FULL solo keyboard concertos with it – to the full extent of any virtual instrument.

[Scott Eshleman]

Thank you both. Based on your replies (and the layering described), I’m going to add the ROCK! EZX to my EZD/SD2 palette. In fact, I’m quite anxious to give it a workout!! Please forgive my confusion. It’s just that so many of the EZX & SDX new release announcements always seemed to emphasize “all new recordings” whereas this one kept referencing “selections from the near infinite Toontrack sound vaults, featuring rare and vintage drums recorded over the past decade in renowned studios like New York’s Allaire Studios, Blackbird Studios in Nashville and 2 Khz Studios in London“. Thanks again.

[Scott Eshleman]

yeah!!!!

[Scott Eshleman]

Personally, I’d like to be able to sort & group all of the various MIDI grooves by BPM regardless of style or product line (EZX, SDX).

[Author]

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