A massive collection of drums that zooms in on the two centerpieces in any mix: kicks and snares.
| ADD TO CART
A massive collection of drums that zooms in on the two centerpieces in any mix: kicks and snares.
| ADD TO CARTRegardless of genre or style, arguably any engineer would agree: the kick and the snare are irrevocably the two biggest focal points of not only the rhythm section but also the entire mix. The Kicks & Snares EZX zooms in on delivering exactly that: kicks and snares. An overwhelming amount of them, we might add – in total 74 multi-sampled and never-before-released instruments produced by engineer Peter Henderson and drummer Chris Whitten in eight different top studios. Factoring in the wide range of alternative tunings and recorded configurations, you’ll have around 130 unique kick and snare voices at your disposal. What differentiates this EZX even more from earlier ones is that each kick and snare position has four extra channels featuring individually processed versions: ‘Sub,’ ‘Skin Lo,’ ‘Skin Hi’ and ‘Club/Stick.’ This will enable you to infinitely tweak and find your personal blends for each instrument.
In addition, the Kicks & Snares EZX comes with close to 100 unique kit presets covering anything from traditional/organic mixes to those involving elaborate sound design. Also, one set of toms, two crashes, one ride and one set of hi-hats are included for easy kit construction.
Combined, this all makes this EZX a veritable monster of sound for broad use in anything from custom kit creation and sound replacement to acoustic/organic, modern pop, hip-hop, ambient and electronic. EZdrummer 3 owner? Welcome to a mind-blowing toolbox of mix-ready kits and instruments. Superior Drummer 3 user? Revel in a near infinite palette of options that opens up for limitless sound design.
24” Yamaha* Recording Custom
24” Yamaha* Recording Custom (alt. voice)
24” Yamaha* Recording Custom (no padding)
22” Pork Pie*
22” Pork Pie* (w/ DW extension)
22” DW* Collectors
22” Ludwig* 1967
22” Ludwig* 1967 (low tuned)
22” Ludwig* 1967 (low tuned, alt. voice)
24” DW* Collectors
24” DW* Collectors (alt. voice)
20” Sonor* Delite
20” Sonor* Delite (alt. voice)
20” Sonor* Delite (no front head)
26” Ludwig* 1970s
24” Ludwig* 1970s (damped)
Giant Multi Kick
22” Premier* 1970s
22” Noble & Cooley* Horizon
22” Noble & Cooley* Horizon (tile room)
22” Noble & Cooley* Horizon (toweled)
22” Noble & Cooley* Horizon (silo)
26” Premier* 1970s
22” Sonor* Phonic
22” Ludwig* 1967
22” Ludwig* 1967 (no front head)
20” Gretsch* Round Badge
22” Gretsch* Drop G Badge (no front head)
22” Yamaha* Recording Custom
22” Ludwig* Vistalite (wood beater)
22” Ludwig* Vistalite (felt beater)
24” Camco* Oaklawn (felt beater)
24” Camco* Oaklawn (plastic beater, no front head)
22” Noble & Cooley* (felt beater)
22” Noble & Cooley* (w/ Premier 26” resonance head)
26” Premier* 1970s (plastic beater)
18” Gretsch* 1960s Round Badge (felt beater)
18” Gretsch* 1960s Round Badge (alt. voice)
22” Noble & Cooley*
22” Noble & Cooley* (alt. pitch 1)
22” Noble & Cooley* (alt. pitch 2)
22” Noble & Cooley* (alt. pitch 3)
22” Noble & Cooley* (alt. pitch 4)
22” Noble & Cooley* (alt. pitch 5)
26” Antique Marching Bass Drum
26” Antique Marching Bass Drum (alt. voice)
26” Antique Marching Bass Drum (no snares)
24” DW* Collectors
24” DW* Collectors (alt. pitch)
24” DW* Collectors (no snares)
24” DW* Collectors (no snares, alt. voice)
22” Premier* XPK
22” Premier* XPK (alt. pitch 1)
22” Premier* XPK (alt. pitch 2)
22” Premier* XPK (alt. pitch 3)
22” Noble & Cooley* Horizon
24” Pansini Acrylic
22” Brady* Jarrah Ply
22” Tama* Superstar
24” Camco* Oaklawn
22” Sleishman Maple
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
6.5×14” Ludwig* LM402 Supraphonic 1976
6.5×14” Ludwig* LM402 Supraphonic 1976 (alt. version)
6.5×14” Ludwig* LM402 Supraphonic 1976 (alt. voice 1)
6.5×14” Ludwig* LM402 Supraphonic 1976 (alt. voice 2)
5.5×14” DW* Craviotto
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1976
5.5×14” WFL* 1940s (w/ gut snares)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Mahogany 1959
8×12” Premier* Olympic Tom (w/ ball bearings)
6.5×14” Pearl* Steve Ferrone Signature
6.5×14” Pearl* Steve Ferrone Signature (alt. voice)
Giant Snare
Giant Snare (alt. voice)
8×10” Pearl* Maple Popcorn
5×14” Noble & Cooley* Solid Shell Maple
5.5×13” Pearl* Sensitone Steel (damped)
5.5×13” Pearl* Sensitone Steel (w/ cymbal)
5.5×13” Pearl* Sensitone Steel (w/ cymbal, alt. voice)
8×15” Leedy* Elite Professional NOB 1920s
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1976 (snares off)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1976 (snares off, alt. voice)
6.5×14” Craviotto* Dark Cherry Solid Shell
5.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty
5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1920s
5.5×14” Craviotto* Solid Shell (tile room)
5.5×14” Craviotto* Solid Shell (silo)
6.5×14” Pearl* Steve Ferrone Signature
8×15” Leedy* Elite Professional NOB 1920s
5×14” Gretsch* USA Custom (snares off)
5×14” Gretsch* USA Custom (snares off, alt. voice)
5×14” Ludwig* Acrolite
4×14” Ludwig* Pioneer
5×14” Brady* Jarrah Ply
6.5×14” Craviotto* Dark Cherry
6.5×14” Craviotto* Dark Cherry (alt. voice)
6.5×14 Ludwig* Black Beauty 1970s
5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1920s
5.5×14 Craviotto* Timeless Timber
5×14” Noble & Cooley* Star Wood Hoops
5×14” Noble & Cooley* Star Wood Hoops (alt. voice 1)
5×14” Noble & Cooley* Star Wood Hoops (alt. voice 2)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1970s (damped)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty 1970s (damped, alt. voice)
6.5×14” Premier* Artist Birch (toweled)
6.5×14” Premier* Artist Birch (toweled, alt. voice)
5×14” Drouyn and Drouyn Dandy
5×14” Drouyn and Drouyn Dandy (alt. voice)
3×13” Ludwig* Jazz Combo
3×13” Ludwig* Jazz Combo (alt. voice)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty (low tuned)
6.5×14” Ludwig* Black Beauty (low tuned, alt. voice)
6.5×14” Premier* Artist Birch
6.5×14” Premier* Artist Birch (alt. voice)
5×14” Ludwig* Bronze Supraphonic
5×14” Ludwig* Bronze Supraphonic (alt. voice)
7×14” Slingerland* Radio King
7×14” Slingerland* Radio King (alt. voice)
5×14” Le Soprano
6×14” Camco* Oaklawn
6.5×14” Brady* Jarrah Ply
6.5×14” Brady* Jarrah Ply (alt. voice)
5.5×14” Craviotto* Timeless Timber
5.5×14” Craviotto* Timeless Timber (alt. voice 1)
5.5×14” Craviotto* Timeless Timber (alt. voice 2)
5.5×14” Sleishman Pro Series Brass
5.5×14” Sleishman Pro Series Brass (alt. voice)
10×14” Pansini Custom
5×14” Drouyn and Drouyn Dandy
5×14” Drouyn and Drouyn Dandy (alt. voice)
5×10” Pansini Copper
*All other manufacturers’ product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Toontrack. See full notice here.
The raw content for the Kicks & Snares EZX was recorded over a long period of time in eight different top studios in Australia and the UK.
Undoubtedly one of the world’s most classic studios. The impeccable acoustics in this hall-like room are spot on for drums. For this session, the drums were screened off for even more variation.
This is drummer Chris Whitten’s own studio. The drums picked for this session were captured in three different settings: a wood-paneled room, a stone room and an old grain silo – all through various vintage microphone pre-amps.
The room at this classic London still audio is large, reverberant and a perfect fit for loud drums. The control room features an API desk.
The centerpiece in Studio 1 at The Grove is a 56-channel SSL G Series desk. The room has a very live, loud and rowdy feel to it making it a perfect room for capturing big drum tones.
The second studio at The Grove was the first on the property and originally built by INXS’ bass player Garry Gary Beers. The Studio 2 room is considerably smaller, more dry and much more apt for tight and in-your-face type of tones. The control room features a ‘70s 4032 Harrison desk.
This studio was founded by The Kinks and is operated by one of its original members, Ray Davies. The room, which is medium-sized and has wood panelling on the walls and floors of hardwood, sounds amazing for drums. The crown jewel of the control room is an early ‘70s Neve console.
In this stellar room, the drums were recorded through a classic East German RFZ console.
Having celebrated its 90th birthday as Australia’s longest running professional recording studio, this place is truly a landmark in the audio industry. Studio 1, in which we captured our instruments, houses a Neve 88R console and a perfectly crafted, spacious live room. We placed the drums in a booth to give you the option of a less ambient, more muffled sound as well.
Mattias Eklund, Toontrack Head of Sound Design.
Mattias Eklund, Toontrack Head of Sound Design.
This EZX features four extra channels of alternative processing for each kick and snare. What was the idea behind this approach and how is it useful in a mix or creative scenario?
Mattias Eklund: The acoustic/unprocessed drums are overwhelming on their own both in terms of amount and sound (recorded by the amazing engineer Peter Henderson), so I’d like to think of the additional channels that I added as icing on the cake. However, this idea turned out to really add a new and very interesting dimension to the project that is unique to our line of EZXs so far. What I wanted to accomplish was to give the user more options than the standard kick, snare and hi-hat mics. I started experimenting and came up with the idea of making four layers that combined sounded like a complete kit piece but that singled out had their very own characteristic frequency-wise. The amount and different blends can of course be controlled in the overall mixer and the knobs attached to each preset. Seeing and hearing the final product, the options are literally endless.
How did you go about engineering these extra channels and what gear and/or processing was involved?
Mattias Eklund: I used my modular synth with some different modules to create the nine different sounds that are layered on all the kits.
How do you see yourself and others utilizing this collection of sounds in either EZdrummer 3 and/or Superior Drummer 3?
Mattias Eklund: For someone like myself, who often use sound as opposed to traditional instruments as a catalyst for getting new musical ideas, this is a product that really speaks to me. I love how these sounds add another dimension to the acoustic drums and the infinite number of combinations you can come up with. The good thing is that it’s all non-destructive. As a user, you can dial in what you need without altering the original recording whatsoever.
The Kicks & Snares EZX comes with more than 100 unique and individually engineered presets designed to cover a broad scope of sounds and near infinite range of use.
What was your idea behind this massive collection of presets?
Mattias Eklund: My goal was to make a collection of presets that covered as much sonic ground as possible. It turned out pretty enormous! From a creative aspect, I think it will appeal to users across all genres and styles and that it will trigger new ideas. At the end of the day, I think that is the most important thing.
What was the creative process like? Did you create with an end-sound in mind or did you simply go with the flow for each preset?
Mattias Eklund: When I do these sorts of things, I usually just go with the flow and rely solely on feel and vibe. In terms of effects and processing, we have tons of tools in the backend to work with. I can literally do anything that comes to mind. On a creative level, it’s sometimes a challenge to come up with this much content preset-wise, but I try to always think music when I’m engineering presets. Again, it’s all about sparking ideas and I hope and believe these presets, drums and kits will find their natural way into loads of your songs!
The Kicks & Snares EZX comes with more than 100 unique and individually engineered presets designed to cover a broad scope of sounds and near infinite range of use.
What was your idea behind this massive collection of presets?
Mattias Eklund: My goal was to make a collection of presets that covered as much sonic ground as possible. It turned out pretty enormous! From a creative aspect, I think it will appeal to users across all genres and styles and that it will trigger new ideas. At the end of the day, I think that is the most important thing.
What was the creative process like? Did you create with an end-sound in mind or did you simply go with the flow for each preset?
Mattias Eklund: When I do these sorts of things, I usually just go with the flow and rely solely on feel and vibe. In terms of effects and processing, we have tons of tools in the backend to work with. I can literally do anything that comes to mind. On a creative level, it’s sometimes a challenge to come up with this much content preset-wise, but I try to always think music when I’m engineering presets. Again, it’s all about sparking ideas and I hope and believe these presets, drums and kits will find their natural way into loads of your songs!
4.7 GB free disk space, 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
A working EZdrummer 2.1.8 or Superior Drummer 3.1.6 (or above) installation.
