Some guitarists hit notes thirty, or even forty, years ago that seem to resonate just as vividly now as back then. We’re talking about the icons – the flag bearers of the big guitar tones that changed the fabric of rock and whose legacy to this day keep trickling down to new generations of players across the globe.
This is where the Big Rock Guitars EZmix Pack is rooted – deep in the midst of the bursting ‘70s classic rock scene. But even if this collection blatantly nods at times gone by, it still aims to paint a picture of rock guitar as a whole, vintage or not. This is a tribute on a broader scale – to the amps, the players, the riffs and the past 40 years of guitar-driven music.
Expect all the tones you need for your deafening, tube-sizzling rhythms, your flange-infused twang and, of course, all your soaring leads. Regardless of whether you’re a writer of classic or modern rock – this collection’s got you covered.
Get your guitar out, school’s in session.
Songwriter or producer in need of great-sounding mixes fast? Rikk lays down his top three reasons as to why you should check out EZmix 2.
We teamed up with our friends over at Jam Track Central to give you a unique track composed by the amazing Pete Thorn, recorded using EZdrummer 2, EZmix 2 and the Big Rock Guitars EZmix Pack. Want to learn Pete’s licks or jam over this track yourself, get the free download!
We checked in with Ulf Edlund, Toontrack sound designer by trade – but guitar, amp, cab and stomp box geek at heart!
What did you try to capture with this collection of guitar tones?
– Basically i tried to capture as broad of a spectrum as I could within guitar based rock music. From basic rock’n’roll guitar tones to more complex and effect saturated.
Tell us briefly how an EZmix 2 guitar tone is made, from start to finish.
– A guitar amp simulation preset in EZmix 2 is an emulation of a complete signal chain that resembles a guitar rig that has been miced up in the studio – from guitar to cabinet via stomp boxes and various chains of effects. For inspiration, I either go for a specific sound from a song, album or a certain player. I can also find something that inspires me in the selection of amp models I have available to choose from. When I have put together the “rig” that I’m going for, I play it and make sure it reacts to my playing the way i expect it to. A guitar tone is not only what you hear when you listen to it, it’s also to a great extent what you feel when you are playing. At my disposal, I have models of dozens of the most used amplifiers and effects as well as a huge selection of emulated speakers. I can also create my own impulse responses of speakers, so our library of speaker emulations is constantly growing.
Once I am happy with the response and overall tone, I need to determine what parameters I want to be able to control with the two knobs in EZmix 2. I define the maximum and minimum values for all of them, which in the end allows the user to dial in the amount of saturation for all involved parameters of this specific tone. For example, a knob labelled “Punch” or “Edge” can control ten or more different parameters. It’s a time-consuming process, but well worth it!
You are a guitarist yourself with a big collection of amps. Rank the top-five amps of all time!
– Tough question, there are so many builders right now who put out fantastic amps. One classic that stands out and may rank as my personal favorite is the Fender Tweed Deluxe. That has to be the most versatile one-trick pony ever made – and probably one of the most recorded amps as well. The list of players is almost endless. Neil Young, Larry Carlton, Billy Gibbons, The Black Crowes, Mike Campbell, Steve Cropper, Eagles, Beatles, Scotty More…
Even with these numerous amps, you are still an avid EZmix 2 user. In your mind, what is the upside of recording, writing and producing using modulated guitar tones.
– To me it’s convenience. It’s fast and I can get a good tone in an instant, without being in a studio environment. In addition, I could never afford or store all the gear that comes in just one EZmix Pack. 50 perfectly dialed amp tones just a mouse-click away is pretty powerful.
It seems like the notes some guitarists hit several decades ago still resonate to this day. What is it with the Jimmy Pages, Jimi Hendrix’s and the Blackmores of the world – is there magic in their tone or is their iconic status a product of popular culture?
– They were pioneers and inventors, I think. All of them did things that no one had done before them and that made them a part of the musical evolution.
In closing – flash forward 30 years, what guitarist today will have achieved “icon” status and be revered as highly as those that emerged in the ‘60s and ‘70s?
– Like in the past, I think it will be the inventors. Players that inspire other players. It takes more than coming up with something new and original. It needs to be genuine too. So my answer is that anyone reading this still has a shot at becoming immortal!
Here’s a Spotify playlist of a few both classic and modern songs that feature some truly epic guitar tones!
Here’s a YouTube playlist of some epic moments in guitar history. Tones, songs and players that shaped and changed the course of history!
With EZdrummer 2, you’re done looking! In this video, our very own Rikk Currence lays down the the three main reasons why you need the number one drum production tool on the planet.
A quick video that explains how to best work with EZmix 2 and DI guitars.
| Name | Instrument | Type |
| 5051 Chorused | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| 5152 Dry | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Bass Boost | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Bottom and Top | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Caliber 410 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Chopped | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Classic Chorused | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Classic Distorted | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Clean Octave | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Cleanish Delay | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Cleanish Reverb | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Creamy and Bright | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Crunch Octave | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Crunchy Drive | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Crushed and Delayed | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Cutting Edge | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Dimension Delay | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Distorted Echo | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Double Distortion | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Dry 30 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Dry 800 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Dry Lead | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Eighths Delay Dimension | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Eleven | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Full Blast Tweed | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Fuzz 45 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Fuzz and Flange | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Fuzzeration | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Fuzzlord | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Gain | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Glam Punk | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Grain Gain | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Kind of Clean | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Mildly Distorted | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Mod Vibes | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Nasty Room | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Octave Blender | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Old Gold | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Power Flange | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Rhythm Flange | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Rhythm Rig | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Solid Rock | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Stereo Double Delays 1 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Stereo Double Delays 2 | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Stereo Lead Delay | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Stonah | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Throaty | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Throaty Sync 16th | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Vintage Mids | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
| Zep Too | Guitar Electric | Amplifier |
Assemble your dream-team of expansions right away – get the core software bundled with six EZmix Packs. Get more, pay less!
BUNDLE UPThis is an expansion product that requires a working copy of EZmix 2 to operate.
