Toontrack EZX: Acoustic Songwriter

Authentically Acoustic

Seven kits tailored for anything from singer-songwriter to country, folk, pop and rock.

The ultimate collection of drum sounds tailored for the acoustic songwriter needs a great selection of vintage-to-modern kits that can handle anything from subtle nuance to all-out power.

This EZX has seven of them, it also needs a great studio.

This one was captured in Nashville's, or arguably the world's, number one hotspot for the buzzing songwriting scene.

It, of course, also needs the absolute best in terms of mics, outboard and gear.

With two top-of-the-line 48-channel API consoles, Neve preamps and a mic selection that includes vintage Neumann U67s, AKG D30s and Coles, this EZX gets a resolute check in that box as well.

Finally, and most importantly, it needs a producer at the helm.

That someone, in this case, is Dave O'Donnell, multi-award-winning engineer/producer/mixer who's worked back to back with the absolute top tier of artists for four decades and counting.

Listen to his work with the likes of James Taylor, Sheryl Crow and John Mayer and you'll understand why he's widely considered one of the best in the business.

We could go on to rant about the fact that legendary drum tech Artie Smith oversaw tuning, that brushes and rods were sampled on selected kits, that both of the iconic main rooms at the studio are featured or that the absolute must-haves in terms of percussion instruments also were sampled… but if you're in the market for beautiful acoustic drums that cover the entire range from warm, mellow and earthy to absolutely hard-hitting and powerful, we think you got it by now.

This one goes out to all the storytellers and songsmiths who thoroughly and completely adore authentically acoustic-sounding drums.

Features

• Seven kits tailored for anything from acoustic pop to country, folk, singer-songwriter and rock
• Selected kits sampled with brushes or rods
• Recorded by Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer/mixer Dave O’Donnell at the Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, TN
• Features two rooms configured as separate libraries
• Drum and tuning technician duties by the legendary Artie Smith
• Includes a basic collection of percussion instruments like tambourines, shakers, claves and finger snaps/claps
• Features mix-ready presets for a broad range of sounds
• Includes a library of MIDI unique to the product, showcasing all tools and relevant styles

About The Studio

A cornerstone in the Nashville recording community.

When Dave O'Donnell started mapping out this project, the choice of studio was given from the get-go: Sound Emporium.

Founded by legendary producer Cowboy Jack Clement in 1969, this legendary studio is one of Nashville's most celebrated and longest-running recording spaces.

Known for its creative atmosphere and rooms amazing at capturing acoustic instruments, it's become a landmark and creative hub for up-and-coming as well as iconic artists.

Over the years, it's seen anyone from Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss come through its doors.

Studio A

This space boasts more than 133 square meters of floor space and six-meter-high ceilings, making it the perfect space for drums that sing.

Studio B

This living room-like space measures roughly 40 square meters and has a cathedral ceiling that peaks at five meters.

This is the optimal space for intimate- and mellow-sounding drums.

The Drums

The seven kits in this EZX were handpicked to cover the broadest possible scope of tonal flavors ideal for singer-songwriter, acoustic pop, rock and more.

In addition, legendary drum technician Artie Smith was present throughout the entire session to oversee tuning and treatments.

The imprint Artie has left through his several-decade-long tenure in the world of drums can't be overlooked.

Since the early 1980s and through to now, first-call session drummers and engineers alike have trusted his bottomless drum knowledge during recordings.

When it comes to drums, he is nothing short of a master.

The Mixer & The Presets

In addition to the preset library created by the Toontrack sound design team, a collection of presets engineered by Dave O'Donnell is provided.

Each preset features its unique set of channels and macro controls, allowing you to fine-tune individual instrument levels as well as adjust the effects used behind the scenes, the overall saturation amount and more.

The MIDI

The included MIDI library provides a palette of grooves and fills tailored specifically for the product and the tools included.

The content in each "song" was inspired by the drummers, sounds and eras that correspond to the kits in the EZX, giving you great starting points to venture off from when creating your own material.