Toontrack EZX: Drum & Bass

Unstoppable Chops

A hard-hitting fusion of organic drums and electronic energy, tailored for drum & bass.

To capture the fusion of raw acoustic energy and electronic weight that defines modern drum & bass, this EZX for EZdrummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 brings together two deeply rooted names from the genre and the wider UK dance scene: drummer Andy Gangadeen and producer, mixer, engineer and DJ Peter "Erb N Dub" Chapman.

From performances alongside icons like James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan to work with acts such as Massive Attack, Rudimental, Chase & Status and Fatboy Slim, their combined experience spans decades of music shaped by rhythm, movement and hard-hitting drums.

This EZX includes four acoustic kits alongside a collection of electronic drum machine sounds, percussion and effects - all tailored for modern drum & bass production.

Inspired by iconic breakbeats like the legendary "Amen Break", it aims not only to capture the laser-sharp precision of modern drum & bass, but also the raw character of the recordings that helped shape it.

To bridge the gap between modern and vintage production, the sessions combined an SSL desk with a vintage Decca valve console, with many microphones driven through the Decca preamps for warm saturation and natural compression.

To further evoke the feel of classic breakbeat recordings, a dedicated horn mic spill channel was incorporated.

In addition to the sounds, it also comes with a collection of grooves curated by Gangadeen and Chapman, all designed to match the vibe of the kits and make full use of the extras - including the high-pitched side snare, effects and electronic percussion.

Add the wide range of mix-ready presets by Peter Chapman and you'll have the ultimate toolkit for modern and classic drum & bass alike.

Nothing genuine can be built on machines alone.

Even with an electric soul, it still needs a human groove.

This EZX gives you both - if you're looking for unstoppable chops, they start here.

Features

• Organic kits and remixed machines, tailored for the drum & bass sound
• Played by Andy Gangadeen (Massive Attack, Chase & Status, Rudimental, Soul II Soul)
• Recorded by engineer/producer/mixer/DJ Peter "Erb N Dub" Chapman (Fatboy Slim, Killer Hertz, TC)
• Captured at the Rimshot Studio in Kent, UK
• Four complete acoustic drum kits
• A selection of electronic drum machine sounds, percussion and effects
• Comes with a collection of MIDI tailored specifically for the kits
• Includes a wide range of mix-ready presets by Peter Chapman

About The Studio

In the midst of the rolling countryside and winding lanes of Kent - England's famed "Garden of England" just outside Maidstone - Rimshot Studio was a bespoke boutique recording facility founded by producer, engineer and drummer Mike Thorne.

Centered around a striking 66-square-meter live room with soaring seven-meter ceilings and exposed wooden beams diffusing the space overhead, the studio proved the perfect setting for capturing the immense natural energy that drum & bass demands - loud, hard-hitting, but tight and controlled.

At the heart of Rimshot sat a fully restored and exceptionally rare 1960s Decca GENDEC valve console, paired with an SSL AWS900+ for modern flexibility.

The studio's microphone collection features revered classics including a Telefunken U47, an AKG C12 and a matched pair of AEA R44 ribbons, alongside an extensive selection from Neumann, AKG, Shure, Earthworks and Sennheiser.

The Kits

Scope Kit

Natal Originals - Walnut

Amen Kit

Rogers Holiday (Made in England) - 3-ply birch with beech reinforcement rings

Funky Kit

Ludwig Super Classic - 3-ply maple with reinforcements rings

Jungle Kit

Hybrid kit with a Premier kick and Percussion Plus conga floor tom

Microphones

Here’s an overview of the mics used and roughly how they were placed around the kits and in the studio room.

• Kick In: AKG D12 alt. Audix D6
• Kick Out: JZ AMV-MKII
• Snare Top: Sennheiser MD 441
• Snare Bottom: Aston Stealth
• Kick Snare: Shure SM57
• Side Snare: Sennheiser MD 441
• Hi-Hat: Neumann KM 184
• Rack Tom 1: Audio-Technica ATM25
• Rack Tom 2: Audio-Technica ATM25
• Floor Tom 1: Sennheiser MD 421
• Floor Tom 2: Sennheiser MD 421
• Ride: Neumann KM 184
• OH: Neumann U 87
• Mono Kit: Neumann U 47
• Ambience: AEA R44 (Blumlein pair)
• Mono Ambience: ADK Z-Mod Z49
• Trash: AKG C414
• Vox: Sennheiser e906
• Horns: sE Electronics R1

The Mixer & The Presets

For the presets, Peter Chapman used his years of experience making hard-hitting drum & bass records, giving you a set of mixes that crank the standout features of this EZX to the max.

Combining the raw and organic qualities of the acoustic kits with cutting-edge mixing and layering, you’ll have sounds that span everything from punchy and tight to massive, explosive and room-filling.

Several presets feature an overall Tuning section, allowing you to precisely tweak the tuning of key kit components like snares, kicks and toms.

Many presets also include an on/off switch for Envelope control, giving you the option to choose between a tighter decay or the original tails of each drum in the room ambience.

Aside from that, each preset has its own set of controls for adjusting master bus settings, plate reverb and more.

As always, every macro control is MIDI learnable, giving you endless options for creating organic mixes that flow with the vibe of your tracks.