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Posted By: BlueAttitude Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/24/18 09:21 AM
Morning folks, I bought EZDrummer2 back before Christmas and have been using it on a few songs, including my latest. For those songs where you need more control of what the drums are doing than realdrums provide it is a great tool to help kick thing up a notch.

For the last little while I've been getting emails from toontrack with a special crossgrade offer to upgrade from EZDrummer2 to Superior Drummer 3. But, it's not cheap! $319 for the crossgrade.

What does Superior Drummer 3 provide that EZDrummer2 does not? Website is not that clear on the differences as far as I can tell.
Posted By: sslechta Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/24/18 06:31 PM
I've got it. I picked it up starting with SD2.

The reason I chose it over EZD is it had much better control over each piece of the kit with the mixer.

You can export each piece of the kit to a separate track in your DAW (big one for me).

Overall, worth every penny to me.

Sweetwater product details and video review:
Toontrack Superior Drummer 3

This song was done with them:
The Paradox of You - VERSION X
Posted By: funkycornwall Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/24/18 09:35 PM
Yes I agree it is worth every penny. It is a fantastic product and all your EZDrummer kits are compatible. It takes all the great features of EZDrummer, simplicity of operation and so on but also much better drum sounds. You can also easily edit the MIDI within SD3. Toontrack have made a really sophisticated product which lets you control just about every area but also made it very user-friendly. It is a huge download but you don't necessarily have to install everything. There are features for surround sound etc which I didn't require. I just installed the basic sound library and the room mikes. I didn't bother with the surround set up, height surround or additional bleed. My install therefore was a mere 80 GB!

I have not used EZDrummer 2 since having Superior 3
Posted By: sslechta Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/24/18 09:45 PM
I did the same on the downloads. Skipped on the surround packs.
Posted By: rockstar_not Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 01:35 AM
Fuuny you should ask...I just used EZDrummer 2 for the first time today and I'm really impressed with the workflow as a songwriter.

I am not to the point where I need to tweak each drum. Just to have it suggest some midi files after I tapped in a simple kick, tom and snare pattern, I was really impressed how it picked out similar MIDI from an actual drummer.

Really, really happy I made this purchase. It will be a LOOOONNNNGGG time until I tap this thing to it's limits.

Here's a link to the song I did today.
https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/catching-up
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 09:35 AM
Thanks, guys smile
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 10:36 AM
I keep trying to pull the trigger on that package but just can’t seem to get there. I’m not as put off by the price as the learning curve (old dog new tricks grin) and my lingering notion that RealDrums can always be tweaked to fit my needs. Not trying to highjack the thread - just a morning coffee ramble....

Bud
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 10:48 AM
Good morning, Bud! Feel free to hijack one of my threads any time you like! wink

Most of the time I would agree with you and our songs are always initially developed using realdrums.

In the case of my latest song, which you have heard, I needed some big, aggressive drum fills to lead into the guitar solo. I initially tried to do it with realdrums but it wasn't cutting it so I switched over to EZDrummer2.


Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 11:10 AM
And, man, did they ever work.
Posted By: MarioD Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 12:04 PM
What this boils down to is use the tool that works best for you. On occasion I use RDs but most of the time I use Steven Slates drums:

http://stevenslatedrums.com/ssd4/

This costs around $150 USD.

Drums is one of the instruments that MIDI does extremely well and in most cases regardless of the MFG. I like that fact that MIDI is more tweak-able than RDs. YMMV
Posted By: Jim Fogle Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 03:46 PM
That is a nice groove you've got going there. I especially like your use of effects like panning. Regarding the drummer, sounds real to me!
Posted By: rockstar_not Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/25/18 09:15 PM
Dang I'm loving EZ Drummer. This whole song came together in a matter of about 2 hours.

Think of the Smiths with some funk bass.

https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/heading-back
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/26/18 01:39 PM
Yeah, I'm loving it too. Maybe it doesn't have the same amount of individual drum control as SD3 has, but it has enough for me.

The song I'm working on now has a real heavy groove happening on the toms, it was just a couple of minutes work with EZDrummer to dial in what I needed.

I'll probably get SD3 at some point, but for now I think the $300+ dollars they want for the crossgrade will be better spent buying new midi packs for EZDrummer2, which I can use with SD3 anyway when/if the time comes.

P.S. BTW I had a listen to your song, sounds good!
Posted By: Janice & Bud Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/26/18 05:39 PM
So my entire use (ever) for midi has been to move generate and then move BiaB piano SuperMidiTracks to my DAW, apply a Logic Pro sound and mix away. To use EZ Drummer would I need to learn a significant amount of midi chops?

Thanks,

Bud
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/26/18 05:46 PM
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
So my entire use (ever) for midi has been to move generate and then move BiaB piano SuperMidiTracks to my DAW, apply a Logic Pro sound and mix away. To use EZ Drummer would I need to learn a significant amount of midi chops?

Thanks,

Bud



Only if you want to edit what they already provide which so far I have never found the need to do.

I know diddly-squat about midi wink

Download the demo and give it a try, it’s fully functional. You will pick it up in no time, it’s very easy to use.
Posted By: MarioD Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/26/18 08:12 PM
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
So my entire use (ever) for midi has been to move generate and then move BiaB piano SuperMidiTracks to my DAW, apply a Logic Pro sound and mix away. To use EZ Drummer would I need to learn a significant amount of midi chops?

Thanks,

Bud



Not really. BiaB MIDI drum tracks are very good but if you want more groove monkee ( https://groovemonkee.com/ ) has some excellent ones as do some other MIDI loop companies. Adding notes, deleting notes, changing notes and changing volume via velocity is just about all that I do in MIDI with my drums.
Posted By: Pipeline Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/26/18 11:50 PM
SD3 +1 it can convert the RealDrums to midi then use any kit you like.

Also check out UJAM Virtual Drummers https://www.ujam.com/instruments/
they are like RealDrums (actual playing) yet you can add any type of drum riff anywhere, adjust the individual levels and they work on GM midi as well.
Posted By: rockstar_not Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/27/18 12:20 AM
Originally Posted By: Janice & Bud
So my entire use (ever) for midi has been to move generate and then move BiaB piano SuperMidiTracks to my DAW, apply a Logic Pro sound and mix away. To use EZ Drummer would I need to learn a significant amount of midi chops?

Thanks,

Bud



Bud, did you listen to either of my song links that I did with EZ Drummer? Absolutely no midi was input into EZDrummer. I clicked two different simple patterns onto the on-screen kit, and EZ Drummer selected midi patterns similar to the stressed beats I had. Then I hit 'generate song' by dragging one of those MIDI clips into it's song generator and picked a form and boom, the 2nd drum track was complete. Zero midi input.
Posted By: rockstar_not Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/27/18 03:23 AM
Here's tonight's output from using EZ Drummer. I think I might have ripped off the lead guitar from some classic rock song - thought it was While My Guitar Gently Weeps at first, but I don't think that's it.
Chord progression is roughly based on Radiohead's Exit Music.

https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/while-my-guitar-exits-gently

Did I mention I love EZ Drummer?
Posted By: Jim Fogle Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 12:11 AM
Originally Posted By: rockstar_not
Here's tonight's output from using EZ Drummer. I think I might have ripped off the lead guitar from some classic rock song - thought it was While My Guitar Gently Weeps at first, but I don't think that's it.
Chord progression is roughly based on Radiohead's Exit Music.

https://soundcloud.com/rockstar_not/while-my-guitar-exits-gently

Did I mention I love EZ Drummer?
The melody sort of reminds me of Angie by the Rolling Stones. The ride cymbal sure has a nice sustain to it.
Posted By: Jim Fogle Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 12:31 AM
I'm looking at multiple drum programs and +++ RealiDrums +++ is one of the more interesting programs I've run across.

What differentiates this program from the rest is the way it handles breaks. A drum break can be 1, 2, 3 or 4 beats and implemented anytime.
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 09:14 AM
I can do that with EZDrummer as well, unless I'm not understanding you? I can place a drum fill wherever I want and can trim it to be as long as I want.
Posted By: Takamine Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 05:57 PM
Back in my MIDI days, I was able to create some pretty decent drum tracks, but the sounds I used were not comparable to RealDrums. I'm assuming EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer come with a pretty good sound library?
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 06:17 PM
Yes, it comes with a great sound library and you can purchase additional sound libraries too.
The sound is just as good as realdrums IMHO, but more versatile when you need more control.
Have a listen to my latest song to hear it in action, link is in my signature.
Posted By: Pipeline Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 02/28/18 06:25 PM
You can purchase SD3 sound library on an SSD 230GIG 24bit wav.
Posted By: dcuny Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/07/18 03:38 PM
Originally Posted By: Jim Fogle
I'm looking at multiple drum programs and +++ RealiDrums +++ is one of the more interesting programs I've run across.

It seems that RealiDrums are meant to be triggered from the keyboard in real time, while a lot of the other drum VSTIs expect the non-drummer to build parts from a supplied MIDI library.

This means you can fiddle with the parameters in real time to get what you're after, which is quite nice. It looks pretty cool.
Posted By: Jim Fogle Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/07/18 11:26 PM
RealiDrums accepts input in realtime but can also accept input from a midi track.

Something else I like is the program has both brushes and stick instrument sounds. I get the feeling (at least from the advertising and manuals) with some programs that either both drum sounds are not available or that you choose one of the other.

When I mentioned RealiDrums can do 1, 2, 3 and 4 beat fills BlueAttitude responded his program can do that with some cut and paste moves. The reason I mentioned that is RealiDrums does the fills without having to cut and paste. I feel that is an important distinction for someone like me or Bud that do not have much experience with MIDI. Who wants to cut and paste if you don't have to?
Posted By: Pipeline Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/07/18 11:41 PM
Here's a way to create them on the fly with whatever drum vst you are using:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzZDEzQunc&feature=youtu.be
Posted By: BlueAttitude Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/08/18 07:51 AM
Originally Posted By: Jim Fogle


When I mentioned RealiDrums can do 1, 2, 3 and 4 beat fills BlueAttitude responded his program can do that with some cut and paste moves. The reason I mentioned that is RealiDrums does the fills without having to cut and paste. I feel that is an important distinction for someone like me or Bud that do not have much experience with MIDI. Who wants to cut and paste if you don't have to?


I probably didn't explain it very well. Using EZD2 requires no knowledge of midi whatsoever (I know very little about midi)
Posted By: Teunis Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/08/18 08:58 AM
Sonar had Session Drummer but you needed to work at it. Then along came Addictive Drums 2 in Sonar Producer. Addictive Drums came with a heap of drum patterns for different parts of a song and a mirad of fills, intros and outros. It is quite easy to make little changes to patterns. One soon found himself buying more kits and parts of kits (eg another snare or kick or bongos etc) and more patterns. The really great thing was it is easy to set things up so the drummer sounded more realistic by not hitting the middle of a snare every hit or whatever. All that was required was to pull the pattern or fill into the track. Whilst you did not really need to understand midi nor drumming you could get a lot more out of the packages with a little understanding of both. For example, lifting a note by a semitone might result in a rim shot or hitting a cymbal on the bell and the like. Addictive Drums had a totally different drum map to most midi drums or Session Drummer but it did not take long at all to work with the differences and pulling patterns into a track is a lot easier than writing your own. Alas it is not cheap.

Tony.
Posted By: sslechta Re: Anyone using Superior Drummer 3 ? - 03/08/18 12:49 PM
FYI..... Superior Drummer 3 has patch updates. If you own it, open the Product Manager and update.
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