Is SPARK a viable option over EZ Drummer for a hard rock user?

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

My drummer has a Simmons SD9K set for providing midi input of his performances.   Wondering since we're a hardrock/prog band, if SPARK is even a viable option since we're hoping to use samples of real drums for our genre, and not just electronic sounds.

SPARK or EZ Drummer?

Thoughts?

[oopsi]

if you are just looking to trigger samples you could add a few hundred software apps to that list. If you want live performance control/ automation over fx, mutes,solo,and drum parameters whether Synth or sample spark can give you this. Ezdrummer is best at providing loops of recorded drums and control of parameters within that loop performance.although it does offer a way of building a song.  Ezdrummer library is more focused on traditional live band samples so it is probably the better option. Try the demos.

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

if you are just looking to trigger samples you could add a few hundred software apps to that list. If you want live performance control/ automation over fx, mutes,solo,and drum parameters whether Synth or sample spark can give you this. Ezdrummer is best at providing loops of recorded drums and control of parameters within that loop performance.although it does offer a way of building a song.  Ezdrummer library is more focused on traditional live band samples so it is probably the better option. Try the demos.

Thanks, that's very helpful.  Using only for recording via midi triggering as I don't have a live room at home.

[matjones]

If you're after realism then BFD3 is by far your best choice..... it's seriously DEEP though, which is fantastic once you start to ascend the learning curve... sonically its sounds are much more raw and less processed than EZD....
I trialled them both side by side before i purchased BFD2 about 5 years ago, BFD2 won then and after checking out the latest EZD BFD3 EASILY won again.

One potential issue you might run into depending on whether or not you also live sequence is that Spark currently has no song position pointer onboard whereas EZD and BFD3 both do.
Hope that's of some help to you.

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If you're after realism then BFD3 is by far your best choice..... it's seriously DEEP though, which is fantastic once you start to ascend the learning curve... sonically its sounds are much more raw and less processed than EZD....
I trialled them both side by side before i purchased BFD2 about 5 years ago, BFD2 won then and after checking out the latest EZD BFD3 EASILY won again.

One potential issue you might run into depending on whether or not you also live sequence is that Spark currently has no song position pointer onboard whereas EZD and BFD3 both do.
Hope that's of some help to you.

No Live Use, at all.  Only for recording via a triggered midi kit ala the Simmons that I mentioned above.  I don't have a live room, nor an interface with enough inputs to track a full kit, so playing a midi kit triggering sounds in the box is the other viable option, short of renting a larger studio & tracking them there, but that's some major coin.

Thanks for the tips, gonna pull them up in my Sweetwater cart & prepare.

[matjones]

No worries.. glad to help!

It does sound like BFD3 is your best bet then.... if you don't have a live room then you can pretty much have as many ambient mics as you need..... it really is an incredible tool!

Also, their support really is the best in the business..... i've only needed their help on one occasion which was over the xmas holiday period and they really did pull out all the stops to help me with BFD2 which is a three years out of date plugin now...... THAT'S how to deliver customer service!

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

No worries.. glad to help!

It does sound like BFD3 is your best bet then.... if you don't have a live room then you can pretty much have as many ambient mics as you need..... it really is an incredible tool!

Also, their support really is the best in the business..... i've only needed their help on one occasion which was over the xmas holiday period and they really did pull out all the stops to help me with BFD2 which is a three years out of date plugin now...... THAT'S how to deliver customer service!

Well, with Andy Scheps as the engineer, the credibility just went up for me, liking what I see so far.  I've done basic tracks on a Neve & it was really great sounding.  Looks like I've got some $aving to do.

[matjones]

You won't be disappointed...... BFD2 was so good i only updated a few weeks ago, and even then only because i got a stupid price on the update.... glad i did though!

It CAN be a steep learning curve for some though with BFD, it's taken me a week or so to get fully up to speed with the update but again it's been well worth it.... if you do decide to pull the trigger on it please send them a link to this thread...... i might get a discount of the next expansion i buy hehehe

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Care to compare to Steven Slate Platinum?

[matjones]

I have trigger platinum which is superb for what it does.... i do prefer using it to trigger BFD though as BFD's sounds are so much more realistic, dynamic and have all those articulations, ambience mic options, onboard FX etc..... it's a seriously complete package.........  can't comment on SSD though as i've not used it.