Toontrack Drums of Destruction EZX Expansion Reviews

I have recsntly purcahaed superior drums 3 to do home studio recording with a the TD-50X Vad Roland drumset. with the capibilities Superior drummer has to use this as a midi device thru my Roland kit, makes things absolutly a blast to play and record. Then throw in there SDX packs and you habe endleas possiblities. A must have!!!!
Talk to Joe Perrone at Sweetwater, he is the guy to talk to amd help you out to get started today. You wpnt be disappointed

This review will hopefully enable you to make some first choices about which ezx to get for HEAVY METAL MUSIC. It is ridiculous to not give Toontrack a 6-star rating. I prefer EZ Drummer over Superior Drummer for one main reason – and that is each ezx represents hundreds or perhaps even thousands of musically brilliant professionals' man-hours of effort (not including their lifetime experiences of unique talent) executing a fantastic and specific musical outcome so that you can just make choices and be spared the tedium of time consuming development work (unless that is how you want to spend your time – and if that is the case – go for Superior Drummer – as it goes beyond any other software as far as creating totally custom presets). Most people looking at the reviews already know Toontrack's drumming software is the not only the best there is but the only real viable attempt to capture the percussion elements of the entire musical universe - and like a conquering army – put it all under the dominion of a single power – that power being you (the user) - and therefore the rating is a moot point – but rather – like going to the greatest ice cream shop in all history that features over 1000 flavors and knowing that chocolate is the favorite flavor – how to make the right choice when confronted by well over two dozen flavors of chocolate?
Because each ezx has so many different settings and tone variations – to make sense of what each ezx can do – I wanted to capture the primary voice of each ezx – so I started with the original mix – listened to all the kit variations – and picked the one that was the most representative of that ezx – so I could easily compare each ezx in rapid succession. I used beats that required jazz drumming detail, Rock drumming power and sonority, and Metal drumming punctuation and authority, while holding as close as possible to the most natural and organic sound each kit was capable of. Here are the results that are tailored towards my preferences of the Metal genre:
DRUM KIT FROM HELL: The most extreme ezx for Metal. If you have a mix overloaded with 9 string guitars, a 5-string bass, and contrabass keyboard pads – this kit will penetrate and clean up the messiest sonic soup. But like all sample sets designed for loud performance – this set requires a higher-than-normal volume setting in the mix to accurately recreate the proper tone of the snare drum – which is strong – and cannot be placed in any low volume acoustic instrument mix any more than you could put a symphonic trombone section at the same volume next to a ukulele. If you use this set improperly the main power feature of the set will be lost. This set is very specialized and will not sound right for most normal mix situations. If your music sounds like hell (because of dense overload in the contrabass and baritone register) – DRUM KIT FROM HELL is the ultimate sound, I have found.
METALHEADS: The most versatile ezx for Metal if you want the flavor of Drum Kit from Hell without any of the limitations. It will work for anything Metal and sound fantastic in its own unique way. But it is definitely Metal and for the amazing sonority achieved there is some sacrifice in the organic and natural drum sounds – but not as extreme as Drum Kit from Hell. I love the detail I hear in this kit.
METAL MACHINE: This kit is probably the most versatile kit for Metal. It achieves amazing detail almost as well as Metalheads – but at the same time moves closer to a more natural sound that does not suffer from any lack of power and definition. I suppose if I was stuck with only one possible choice – though not my favorite ezx – probably the only kit that sounds exotic and can do any job it is given without any significant shortfall.
METAL! I have a difficult time describing this set. It is as fantastic and versatile as Metal Machine – but in a completely different way that does not sound natural or organic – but still extremely musical. It is the only kit that sounds sweet and cold at the same time to my ear. The warmest kit in the Metal line up is MADE OF METAL and the sweetest sounding kit is DRUMS OF DESTRUCTION. This kit seems absolutely defect free when doing any busy high speed drum part – and it seems to do the same job as METAL MACHINE but in a completely different way – so I have a hard time trying to figure out which of these kits is the primary front and center kit for all Heavy Metal genres. For me, the strength of this kit is a sure bet in any mix where the drumming maintains a strong position without interference. I think Metal Machine would sound better in a less busy mix than METAL!
DRUMS OF DESTRUCTION: If the drums were played alone with no other instruments in the mix – this kit is number one for authority, warmth, and definition while maintaining the most organic and natural drum sounds that are extremely pleasing to the ear. The value of this kit will be lost in a dense mix or any that favor 8 string guitars. Best used for power trio and fantastic sound backing lead guitar solo work or a single 6 string guitar metal part.
MADE OF METAL: Made to bring power to any combination of 6 string guitar work mixes to give more depth and heavy tone to the final mix without interfering with vocals or lead guitar work. The warmest sounding kit in the entire metal ezx line up. As warm and thick as you can get without losing definition or getting over the top wild sounds required for slower heavy arena rock (like the ROCK SOLID ezx).
MODERN METAL: My least favorite kit because it has multiple personalities. It seems to cover everything but in a more neutral way than the specialized sounds of the other kits. It is extraordinarily strong and defined – but to my ear – all Metal with little natural organic sound – but all the sounds are fantastically musical and can perform both slow speed power beats and busy high speed metal beats.
PROGRESSIVE: Wow. The thunderous setting lives up to its name. This kit has a big sound – and so big on certain settings that you better slow down the beat or you will have a mess on your hands. A fantastic kit with its own unique place in the Metal drum universe. You just have to compare beats you make with other kits with how it sounds in this one to make the right choice. When on the tamer settings – a very versatile kit that sounds different than all the others.
DARK MATTER: The strangest sounding drum kit I have ever heard. It sounds totally normal and organic – and then when I compare it to the other kits all doing the same part – this kit has a clarity and definition that seems to be unique for how thick it sounds. To my ear, it is the most exotic kit of them all that has incredible versatility. It is a sonic anomaly. It seems to possess the best attributes of a highly processed unnatural sounding drum kit mix and the most natural and organic qualities at the same time. This kit is for gourmet metal. It is superb – but like anything else – if it is your only kit – you will get tired of it.
DEATH METAL: Super Wowie Zowie! My favorite interface where art and science are united in technical matrimony. Toontrack's greatest achievement in creative vision of the Metal genre. This kit is like no other and even though I prefer Dark Matter – this kit is just as unique but completely different from all the other Metal ezx. I often compose starting with this kit – and discover that no other kit – even Dark Matter – can improve the final beat I create using the Death Metal ezx. It has a thick muffled quality without sounding like any high-end detail fidelity is missing – and that is a musical contradiction. It is as "fat" as you can get with maximum "snap". Death Metal and Black Matter are a must have if you are into Metal. I consider this an awfully close second place to Dark Matter as far as how exotic. And definitely first place for what it does best.
Now there are other kits that Toontrack classifies as metal and others that sound fantastic for certain metal parts that are not classified as metal. My favorite kit in the entire ezx line up for power and definition that is the most natural and organic – is NASHVILLE – hands down with nothing even close to what this kit sounds like and my top choice for metal that demands an organic drum sound or any form of hard rock. For processed sounds that are on the opposite side of organic and natural – my favorite for medium speed metal is ROCK SOLID – and wow – this kit has its own super powered over the top personality like no other kit and it definitely suffers from an overdose of drum steroids which is what makes it a magnificent choice for certain parts. Despite that – if I were to have only a few ezx to start out with – my top three choices for versatility are METAL!, MADE OF METAL, and DRUMS OF DESTRUCTION. For exotic and fantastic sound that has no regard for any all-purpose considerations my top three choices are DARK MATTER, DEATH METAL, and METALHEADS. For just the way the drums sound alone – DRUMS OF DESTRUCTION is my favorite that sounds absolutely fantastic without being exotic like DARK MATTER or DEATH METAL.
Understand – I believe it is worth buying them all – and only a matter of which order to buy them.

When I saw the Chris Adler name in a Toontrack product, I instantly became intrigued. After watching the YouTube video on the product page about how this pack was recorded, I wss instantly sold on it.

The metal band I am in its heavily influenced by several groove style metal bands such as Lamb Of God. Ashes Of The Wake bring one of our favorite albums. The drum sounds in this pack are amazing, and the Lamb Of God preset alone replicates the kit recorded in the Ashes Of The Wake album.

The snare has a huge sound with lots of small and presence, and the toms are beefy and thump well with the kit drums. The options in this pack are something heavy metal fan should have as options in their drum library! For $..., this is a STEAL for the sounds you get!

If you're recording metal projects, this is a fantastic expansion top your Superior Drummer 3/EZ Drummer 2 library.

The band I'm currently working with has a big lamb of god influenced sound, so this expansion has worked out great! The kick and snare options are great. Lots of cymbals to choose from as well. This was worth the $...!

Excellent quiet hits by masters.

Yes after many a days needing drum sound like Chris snare and cymbals as well as his technique this is where its at. If you need to expand your library this is a must. I am working on a kind of Battle Metal demo and I kept asking around for Adler drums and then I was referred to these and they did a great job on this I am very excited that they are moving in this direction with technology. I don't know where I would be today without these types of plugs and all the great goodies inside. Thanks Chris and Josh and all of LOG.

The kits sound pretty great. It heavily features meinl cymbals, but a few other manufacturer's cymbals are included as well. The main selling point for me is that they included Chris Adler's kit from lamb of god. It sounds nice but a bit thin compared to lamb of God's album recordings (on the default eq settings at least). One gripe I have is with an edit mistake that made it into the final product. On one of the recordings of the meinl ride bell you can hear someone talking. It's actually a 2 second or longer sentence of a man asking someone else if there's enough decay or if they want more. I am a little dissatisfied with that clear editing mistake, but not the biggest deal in the world.