Toontrack EZX Kicks & Snares

In purchasing Toontrack's Kicks & Snares EZX, I was hoping for a versatile, dynamic and esoteric collection of instruments as opposed to the light-weight, bizarrely similar and generally lacklustre ones found in a collection designed for arguably the two most important elements of a drum kit.

Whilst I always appreciate the incredible amount of work put into the creation and production of these EZX, and I'm positive this one was no difference in that regard, it fails almost spectacularly by comparison to such top drawer EZX as Americana, Big Band, Classic Rock, Nashville, Custom Shop and The Classic.

What is the single, main difference between these EZX and Kicks & Snares? The comparative lack of articulations. Whereas the aforementioned kits have center, center alternative, rimshots, flams, sidesticks, rim only and ruffs (or, in the case of Big Band, the addition of both stick shots and closed rolls), Kicks & Snares features just four: center, rimshot, sidestick and edge. It must be noted at this point I could not find any literature or reviews online that take the articulations into account ahead of purchasing any EZX, not just Kicks & Snares.

In an EZX that claims to specialise (mostly) in snare drums, this is unacceptable to me. I understand that for an EZX that features an overall more produced sound that four basic articulations would be enough (e.g. Gospel, UK Pop, In The Pocket or, in the case of the fantastic and surprisingly versatile Punk Pop, only three!), but for an EZX that is ultimately supposed to represent a locker full of the most sought-after, rare and exquisite kicks and snare drums, this lack of in depth sampling (and resulting machine-gunning) is instantly audible and beyond disappointing.

Although I am in no doubt that the sampling processes for each individual instrument would have been as rigorous and lovingly handled as any previous EZX, I feel that the end product is a Lars Ulrich in a room full of Steve Ferrones.