Toontrack Metal Machine EZX review

Wazzup Dawfreaks.
I am back again, and to continue following Toontrack´s Metal Month we will look at the Metal Machine EZX.

About Toontrack
Toontrack Music was originally started as a production company for composing game and movie soundtracks.
In 1999 producers Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah and Mattias Eklund of Toontrack Music decided to design a sample library for their own use.
They called Tomas Haake drummer of Heavy Metal band Meshuggah to record the drum samples. The library was called Drumkit From Hell.

Toontrack really made a revolution back then and what they did With the original DFH changed the way drum samples sounded forever.

About Metal Machine EZX
For the Metal Machine Toontrack teamed up with Andy Sneap a producer/engineer who have worked we bands like Testament, Megadeth, Arch Enemy and many more.
The Man behind the drums is John Tempesta (White Zombie, Testament, Helmet), and everything was recorded in the Los Angeles’ Henson Recording Studios.

Specifications

Kicks (Left & Right)
Tama Starclassic Quillted Sapele Bubinga 18×22″
Tama Starclassic Bubinga 18×24″
Ludwig Stainless Steel 14×26″

Snares
14×7″ Tama John Tempesta Signature Series snare drum
6.5×14″ Tama Bell Brass snare drum
6.5×14″ Ludwig Black Beauty
6.5×14″ Ludwig Supraphonic
6.5×14″ Sonor Artist Bronze snare drum
6.5×14″ Dunnett Titanium
6×14″ Masai Bubinga snare

Toms
Tama Starclassic Bubinga Quillted Sapele 9×10″, 10×12″, 14×14″, 16×16″
Tama Starclassic Bubinga 9×10″, 10×12″, 14×16″, 16×18″
Ludwig Stainless 12×15″, 16×16″, 16×18″
Tama Starclassic Bubinga gong bassdrum 14×20″ (Tom 5)

Hats
Zildjian Z Custom Master Sound 14″
Zildjian Avedis Master Sound 14″

Rides
Zildjian Earth Ride 22″
Zildjian A Ping Ride 22″ Brilliant Finish

Crashes
Pos 1
17″ Z3 Zildjian prototype
16″ Medium thin Zildjian prototype crash
Pos 2
18″ Medium Zildjian prototype crash
19″ Medium Zildjian prototype
Pos 3
19″ Medium Zildjian prototype crash
18″ Z3 Medium crash
Pos 4
20″ Z3 Medium Zildjian prototype
19″ Medium Thin Zildjian prototype crash
Pos 5
20″ Medium Zildjian prototype crash
18″ Medium Z3 Zildjian prototype
Pos 6
19″ Z3 Zildjian Thrash Ride
18″ Medium Zildjian prototype crash

Splash
Pos 2
10″ Zildjian prototype splash

Chinas
China 1
Zildjian Z3 19″
Zildjian 19″ Prototype China
China 2
20″ Oriental China Trash
Z3 19″

Spocks
Pos 3
Zildjian Soundlab Prototype 18″ Medium Thin/19″ Z3 China
Zildjian Soundlab Prototype 16″ Medium Thin/19″ Z3 China                            Source

Working with The Metal Machine EZX

The first time i loaded up The Metal Machine EZX my jaw dropped, The kit only uses 308MB RAM and sounds just FANTASTIC.
Toontrack has succeeded with keeping the resources at minimum without sacrificing the sound.

So how does it sound

The Metal Machine EZX brings a truly hi quality metal sound, with nice thick Kick, snappy snare, Toms that has a perfect balance of Punch and bottom, crisp Hi-hat and a great variety of cymbals a Chinas and Rides and Spocks.

The drums included in The Metal Machine EZX are very nicely pre processed so you dont have to do much if anything to get a nice sounding mix. However, should you feel that you want to tweak the sound then there is headroom to do so.

If you are a Superior drummer 2.0 Then you can load any EZX inside Superior drummer 2.0, There is even Presets that you get to use with the Metal Machine EZX in Superior.
This image shows the Nolly presets for the Metal Machine EZX.

Here is a Sound sample of Metal Machine EZX

Conclusion
What can i say??
WOW i am impressed!

Toontrack has delivered a great sounding expansion for EZdrummer, and the Metal Machine EZX brings allot to the table. Once again Toontrack and EZdrummer proves that simplicity can go a long way, the fact that EZdrummer with Metal Machine EZX only uses 308MB is on its own most impressive. Every EZX and SDX has its own MIDI Library, this is a bonus as well.
The Metal Machine EZX can be found on the market for about $79.99, that is a very good price for what you get.

The verdict

“Once again Toontrack and EZdrummer proves that simplicity can go a long way”

I want to thank Toontrack for letting me do this review.

And to my readers…. THANK YOU!!