EZDrummer v Superior Drummer

Now that I have decided EZDrummer is awesome, the next question is how many of you think Superior Drummer is worth the additional prices (as opposed to using EZDrummer and adding a few kits)?
 
I see the specs and features on Toontrack.com, so really wouldn't ask you to take your time to describe the differences between the two.  I am more interested in what Superior Drummer features are important to you and make it worth the extra price.
 
Nothing on the Superior Drummer feature list really jumped out at me as something I couldn't live without, but maybe I am overlooking something important.
 
On a sort of related note, after listening to the drum kits that came with EZDrummer and the add-on kits online, I think if I added Nashville and Vintage, I could cover 95% of what I do.  The rock kits sounded good, too, but I think I have them covered with Session Drummer 3 (to which I have added an acoustic set and Andy Johns).
 
Thanks, guys.
 
Your friend, The Mighy Konrad

The MIDI loops that come with the Avatar kit in SD are some of the best and most human sounding loops I've ever heard.  They're very easy to build a song with.

When I want the full studio drummer setup, and have the time to make good use of it... I use SD. When I want a quick drum track that sounds really good I use EZD ... the drum sounds are tight and all midi files work well with both. The user defined settings on SD are very comprehensive and allow a pretty good environment for the capable engineer to manage a thoroughly believable drum set. IMHO!

One more quick comment. The Classic Kit actually gives you two different mic setups. One is the traditional every drum is miced. There is another optional four mic setup. Showing my age here but I can't tell you how many times I used that mic config, much less watched other producers use it in the old days. 1 mic on the kick, 1 mic on the snare, and two overheads aimed at picking up the entire kit. Great classic rock sound! I have not seen that feature in anyone else's librarys. Definitely worth the price!

While a first class pain in the butt to work with, SD is terrific and sonically puts EZ to shame.

You could just keep adding expansions for awhile, they can all be used in SD2 later. That's what I'm doing. I have Nashville, Vintage, Jazz and Classic so far. I want Latin Perc and Funk Masters next.

I have both EZDrummer and Superior Drummer...

At the risk of sounding silly and obvious, I summarize them this way:
- the former is very easy to setup and use
- the latter is less easy but far superior in capabilities and sound

If I'm in a hurry to get a quick demo going, I might opt more for EZDrummer.  But if I want to do a more serious demo then I use Superior Drummer, knowing that I'll spend more time on it.

But when I released my album I went with a real drummer, which had the benefit of sounding the most superior-ist, as well as being easiest to get what I wanted.  As much as I fiddled (and enjoyed fiddling with) the Toontrack stuff, nothing beats the real thing for me.  But they can sound great and if you spend enough time you can get some pretty exciting sounding drums from Superior Drummer.

Just a reminder, Sweetwater still has cossgrade from EZ to SD2, for $99.00!!!!!!!!!

konradh


Hmmm....if I could keep EZDrummer installed and add Superior Drummer for $99, and add-ons to EZ work with both, that might be hard to pass up.

I think you'll be glad you did.  It is a bit more of a learning curve, but there's a real payoff in going through it.  The "transition" price is great when you consider that your existing investment in drum sounds and libraries from EZD will work in SD.

CRAP.... I've already spent just under 300 bucks mostly on TT stuff over Thanksgiving weekend. I picked up EXKeys, EZMix. and several packs for both EZDrummer (which I already have) and something for EZKeys. I have not had a chance to even look at Keys or Mix yet but I think I am going to like them. I did ccidentally buy an SD2 pack because I was paying more attention ti getting to 99 bucks so I could get an additional 15% discount than I was to what I was actually buying.... I mean I was checking out what it was and if I thought I could I could use it but I overlooked that it only worked with SD2. Now, I have to figure out if another 99 bucks for a crossgrade to SD2 will push my wife over the cliff... I guess it can all be my Christmas gift... roight? 
I could opt to not tell her yet but that does not work around here... she usually knows what I do as soon as I do it, she is a CPA and I have NEVER concerned myself with balances or accounts... really she almost NEVER says a word about anything until I buy a bunch of stuff, then buy more stuff without selling any of the old stuff. I also am a relic hunter and I have 7 or 8 metal detectors, some really expensive... of course I have my eye on a new Minelab that costs over 2K... if I did that, I would hear about it but really not much... "a drunkard's dream if I ever did see one..."
Sorry for the ramble, but that seems to be my style. I bought everything at Audiodeluxe. I'll check an see if they have a Xgrade deal. I usually go to Sweetwater first though. I use Tim Harrington at SW.
Thanks Konrad,
 
Julien

A couple more differences between EZD and SD2 that haven't been mentioned yet:

Superior samples are larger and take up more RAM (more velocity layers, more round-robin alternates, multiple mic positions, plus bleed and ambiance samples). Consequently, SD2 provides a couple of memory-conservation options: the choice of 16- or 24-bit samples, and the ability to purge unused samples.

Superior eats more CPU, too. The effects are pretty hungry, especially if you use any of the Toontrack presets, which are over the top with effects (I recommend you only use the presets to get ideas). But they're good effects, especially the compressor on overheads and/or room and the transient shaper on kick, snare or toms. 

It is a good thing that money is not the issue, I remember those days. They are available from elsewhere (Audiodeluxe) for $35.

If you have a use for those kits, then they are a great deal at $39, and not a bad deal if you'd like to have them "just in case".

19.99 special on the Groove 3 Superior Drummer video. They also have one on EZKeys. I am sure they have an EZMix vid in the works.
You know if you've bought anything from Sweetwater that Groove3 has a video for, you can ask SWater and get a free 30 day G3 pass to view any of their videos.

http://www.groove3.com/str/superior-drummer-explained.html

J

I'll use a Line 6 JTV-69 Variax/ Hd500

 
Awesome... I want one of those too!
 
J