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Topic: EZDrummer $99 |
Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2008 8:59 pm |
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My friend Rich played drums on 12 songs in one session for me for just $75. He sounds better than the computer, too. 
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 2:47 am
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I jammed with a startup band last night.
they should have had EZ DRUMMER !  |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 12:07 pm
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| Quote: |
| My friend Rich played drums on 12 songs in one session for me for just $75. He sounds better than the computer, too. |
Well, my Rich friend played drums for me one time for free.
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Gary Shepherd
Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000
www.16tracks.com |
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Bob Martin
From:
Madison Tn
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Posted 5 Sep 2008 4:52 pm
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| Gary Shepherd wrote: |
| Quote: |
| My friend Rich played drums on 12 songs in one session for me for just $75. He sounds better than the computer, too. |
Well, my Rich friend played drums for me one time for free. |
LOL great Gary.......
_________________
***Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow*** |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 6 Sep 2008 3:19 pm
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| b0b wrote: |
| My friend Rich played drums on 12 songs in one session for me for just $75. He sounds better than the computer, too. |
Man you worked him like a rented mule!!  |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 8 Sep 2008 3:48 am
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| I prefer the real drummer for FREE , but $75 is good deal. Send that guy to NC would ya ? |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 8 Sep 2008 9:37 am
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I don't think I could set up a drum machine to do 12 songs with verse/chorus transitions, intros and outros in 3 hours. And $75 was fine with him, considering that we recorded at his house.
Plus, real drums always sound better.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Robby Springfield
From:
Viola, AR, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 4:03 am
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I prefer reals drums in a real studio with real players going down at the same time also. But, when the time arises that you don't want to use favors or if your pocket book is a little short, EZDrummer is at the top of the pile for sample sounds. EZDrummer has some drag and drop features that most editors can use and there are a lot of samples that are useful to a lot of people that are looking for basic beats and fills to compile a song. However, if you are working on material that has specific or unique arrangements, don't expect EZDrummer to be so easy. You can ,(out of the box), manipulate file lenghts into useful patterns or segments with a little knowledge and editing skills.
I just completed a full CD project for my wife using EZDrummer. I only know of a handful of guys that are really proficient at programming drums for serious music like a really good drummer would play. I'm not really one of them in terms of speed. I used an Alesis drum machine to actually program the songs, then imput that song file into my editor as a midi file, then used the sound sources from EZDrummer. It took a long time to program 10 songs for what I consider class A music.
With all that said, EZDrummer was tailored for writers and composers to be a quick groove maker by using the supplied midi files and it is very good for that. The drum kits were recorded by top engineers with top players playing the real drums, in the very beat studios in the world...so you can see that this is not a little cheezee drum program. Don't let the price fool you. One of the most consistant compliments I have recieved about my wife's project is the sound of the drums. This little program is one of the very best for their sound sources. I have personally witnessed some of the top session drummers have their drum sounds replaced by some of these samples...it's a fairly common practice.
EZDrummer...great for grabbing grooves and playing along. Great for those that can't or don't want to program drums. Great for a sound source.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com |
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Robby Springfield
From:
Viola, AR, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 4:21 am
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Forgot one thing...if your a country music lover, be prepared to add another $79.00 to your budgit for the Nashville Kit expansion pack. It contains the grooves and sounds us country folks like.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 4:33 am
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Respectfully, real drums most certainly don't always sound better. In fact, it's very hard to get real drums to sound good in a recording. A nice set of multi-layered sampled drums, on the other hand, always sounds good. No crossbleeding, no need for EQ or compression unless you want to add it. The drums are always in tune and you can return them if you like. With a machine the timing is always as good as you like. Timing is no certainty with a real drummer, as we all know. Then again, neither is it a certainty in my playing. And with the new drum stuff that's come out in the last 2 or 3 years, you can put together a full drum track (with drag and drop) in about 5 minutes. And if you don't like a measure or two, you can always edit those measures. If the track is good but you don't like the drum sounds, you can change kits by loading up a new set of samples. Maybe go from a Sonar kit with sticks to a maple Yamaha set with brushes.
PS I have nothing against a real human drummer that knows what he's doing. But I do think there's plenty of room for drum software in this world.
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Gary Shepherd
Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000
www.16tracks.com |
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Robby Springfield
From:
Viola, AR, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 4:47 am
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Hey Gary. How are you? It's funny that you mentioned the crossbleeding. I thought that was one of the best features of this package. It makes the drums sound like a real kit in a real recording environment. And you have the ability to control the amount of bleed you prefer. I did find that a little dab would do for my taste.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com |
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Steinar Gregertsen
From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 5:38 am
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| Robby Springfield wrote: |
| It's funny that you mentioned the crossbleeding. I thought that was one of the best features of this package. |
I have used EZ Drummer's 'big brother' DFH-S for some years now, and I agree,- the 'bleed' is amazing and a big factor why these sound so good. They're probably the best alternative for those situations where you can't, or for some reason won't, use a real drummer.
That said, there's all these little quirky things that a good drummer does, and the dynamic details (especially on the hihat and cymbals) that simply can't be recreated when programming. Plus the natural groove that swings outside of the square MIDI quantizing (sp?) of course.
So while my previous CD had DFH-S all over it, I'll be using real drums for my next. I still believe the Toontrack products are great for demos and stuff, plus jobs like commercials, jingles, soundtracks, etc, so I'll definitely keep using it.
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"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 3:08 pm
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ezdrummer doesnt show up 2 hours late to the session and then tell you they stopped at a casino on the way. ezdrummer doesnt chain smoke, doesnt hit on your girlfreind, doesnt keep playing in between songs, wont drink all your beer, wont show up drunk, will never say "lets play one of MY songs!" etc.
would i rather have Levon Helms living in my closet on call 24/7? sure I guess...would i have to feed him? |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 9 Sep 2008 3:15 pm
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Ben,
Please....Don't hold back ....Tell us how you really feel about drummers in general ......  .....Just kidding ....  |
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Bob Martin
From:
Madison Tn
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 1:17 am
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| b0b wrote: |
I don't think I could set up a drum machine to do 12 songs with verse/chorus transitions, intros and outros in 3 hours. And $75 was fine with him, considering that we recorded at his house.
Plus, real drums always sound better. |
B0b, I agree some what with you almost  If the engineer has setup the mics good and the drummer is good then yes I agree with ya 100% but I have been on so many sessions where the engineer didn't mic the drums well and/or the drummer was terrible and in those cases I'd just of soon had a drum machine LOL! You just have to know what I'm talking about huh???? If not then you probably haven't been on a session with those things happening yet Oh yes by the way the same could be said about every other instrument on the session
Bob
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***Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow*** |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 3:46 am
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Bob M,
I have only recorded with the best musicians that anybody has ever heard .......
At least that is what they have all told me !!...... .....Jim |
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Scott Henderson
From:
Camdenton, Missouri, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 7:23 am
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I agree with Robby. I can't record live drums as well as the sounds that are on a drum loop program. I use drums on demand in an Acid program. These drums are recorded by some of the best drummers in some of the best studios in the country. To get that old country sound I use a jazz kit. It's great for the old Brush/stick sound and for all my western swing. It takes a litte more time but I feel it is worth it. I have one of the best drummers in the country living around the corner from me. And he agrees we can't get that kind of sound in my basement. I did a session at a studio last week and the drums sound good but not great. On a side note if Robby's wife has done a CD GET IT! Nobody sings with more emotion than Jimmi. I haven't heard it but I know it's good!
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D-10 JCH Dekley U-12 D-8 Magnatone Mullen RP Evans RE 200 profex 2 BJS bars
Dentyne gum (peppermint) |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 13 Sep 2008 8:03 am
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I thought that miking drums would be a real bear until I actually tried it. Someone here on the forum suggested two overhead condensers and an SM-57 on the kick. It worked really well. I haven't done the final mixes yet but here's a track from that "living room" session:
http://soundhost.net/b0b/RockinAlone.mp3
I challenge anyone to get a sound like that from a drum program!
Real drummers aren't as predictable as computers, but even with a simple 3-mike setup they sound much better, in my opinion. Plus there's the social aspect - interacting with other musicians improves your quality of life. Interacting with a computer does not. Believe me, I know that all too well. 
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Robby Springfield
From:
Viola, AR, USA
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Posted 14 Sep 2008 4:27 pm
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Bob...I know what you mean about the social aspect. Some of the most fun times for me is being around some of my crazy musician friends. I have the pleasure of working with Mike Kennedy, from the famous Ace In The Hole Band, on a lot of recordings. The last session we did, I set up right in front of him...I loved it! Had to round up a pair of head phones that were good closed ear type, but I could sure enough feel the beat. As I mentioned in my first post, that is my prefered method of recording. Mike is absolutely one of the best in the biz and a one take drummer.
With that said again and trying to stay on topic, EZDrummer proved to be a valuable tool for me in the process of recording Jimmie Lou's project. Bob, your real lucky to have someone that can cut it and will work for $75.00. That is not the norm by any means. $5-6000.00 is more realistic for one day's worth of a quality studio plus musicians. I didn't have it so I set out to do the best I could on my own. That's where the little program came in so handy. Years ago I did quite a bit of drum programming because of location and time issues. I hated the sound I was getting from my drum machine...never mind trying to learn to think like an experienced drummer. The point is, these drums no longer sound like there is a 300 pound foot on the hi hat pedal, or toms that sound like paper or some acid rock kit. The sounds and loops are recorded by respected people in the industry, and no disrespect intended, with way more than 2 or 3 mics. I don't mean that as any kind of slam. A good engineer will get a good sound just from the overhead mics on a kit...but once again, that is not the norm. EZDrummer is a good tool for certain situations...like a low budget, bad rooms, no playing drummers, and in-experienced engineers!
Scott...thanks for the compliment...I taught her everything she knows. No seriously, thanks and I will pass that along to Jimmie Lou...she will appreciate it.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com |
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Roy Rosetta
From:
Nederland, Texas.. On the Texas Gulf Coast
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Posted 15 Sep 2008 7:27 am
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Robbie and Jimmie Lou are two of the NICEST and most TALENTED people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and working with. Very glad to call them my friends.
...Roy
....P.S. Don't forget to get Jimmie Lou's new CD.
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Music is a "gift" with many wrappings....
....Roy |
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Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2008 12:27 pm
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Despite my earlier comments about drummers, I too would rather work with and listen to a human being than a computer program. That said ezdrummer allows me to record in my bedroom at 3am without waking the wife and neighbors and to work at my own pace and getreasonably good rum sounds that are super easy to program (drag and drop with some minor tweaking nd your are there...maybe 5 minutes to program the track total). Drum machines I cant work with, too hard to program for me.
for ME, ezdrummer is the next best thing to a real person playing the kit. |
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Bob Martin
From:
Madison Tn
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Posted 15 Sep 2008 6:26 pm
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It's been quite a while since a software program of this nature stirred up so much interest. I love to see good spirited discussions of the pros and cons of samples compared to live musicians.
No matter what I say and how many samples I use in my recordings which are many If I had my druthers (that's nashvillian for choices) I would choose live musicians of high caliber and good rooms and equipment to record them in like the big studios I have been in around here a few times but with that being said my studio is only 500 sq ft with 3 small rooms 1 control 1 main and 1 drum/ac gtr/vocal booth so even with the best musicians in Nashville I still am not the best engineer and I can say that I've never achieved the high quality of some of the drum samples that I use. The only time I ever do is when someone comes over with midi pads and them triggering my drums with their playing. Now that's the best I've ever done.
I did a session for a pretty famous steel player here in town (I hate name droppers) and we used samples triggered by a live drummer on Alesis pads and it was the best drum tracks I ever had recorded here. I promise you that if I didn't tell ya you would not notice they were samples due to Eddie Davidson's superb grooves. Those of you that know Eddie understand what I'm saying about his fantastic playing! Thanks Eddie!!!!
Big Bob
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***Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow*** |
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Orville Johnson
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2008 8:28 pm
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| another way to use a program like EZDrummer is to record all the other parts using the software drums essentially as your clic track. you can program a good groove, then spend all the time you want getting great guitar, steel, bass, etc and then hire a good drummer to overdub real drums. your tracks will be in good time and an experienced studio drummer will be able to make excellent sounding real-time tracks easily if the basic tracks aren't wobbly. |
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Robby Springfield
From:
Viola, AR, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2008 2:35 pm
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Just a quick thanks to Roy...it's always a pleasure to work with him. Talk about a player and gentleman! The man that never runs out of steam.
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Robby
www.power3productions.com |
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