Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Core Library: A Metal Producer’s Guide

The Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Core Library is one of the most popular drum VSTs on the planet, and for good reason. It’s accessible, sounds great out of the box, and is packed with usable grooves. But for metal producers, there’s always that nagging question: can it deliver the punch, realism, and aggression needed for a dense, high-gain mix?

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that the Core Library is an incredible starting point, but getting a pro-level metal sound from it requires treating it less like a plugin and more like a real drum performance. Forget the idea that samples are the problem. The real issue is how they’re used. Lifeless, robotic drums aren’t the fault of the software; they’re the result of a "set it and forget it" mentality.

Let's dig into how you can take the EZdrummer 2 Core Library and sculpt it into something that rips.

What's in the Box? A Quick Look at the Core Library

Before we start tweaking, it’s good to know what we’re working with. The EZdrummer 2 Core Library isn’t a one-trick pony. It’s split into two main sections: Modern and Vintage. For our purposes, we’re sticking with the Modern setup.

This kit was recorded by legendary engineer Chuck Ainlay at British Grove Studios in London and features drums played by Nir Z (who has played with Genesis and Chris Cornell). It ships with five distinct kits:

• DW Kit: A modern, punchy setup.
• Gretsch USA Custom: A classic with a bit more warmth.
• Yamaha 9000: A studio staple known for its focus and attack.
• Ludwig: Two different Ludwig kits offering different vibes.

These aren't just one-shots. They are multi-layered, round-robin samples, meaning you get different tones and textures depending on how hard a drum is "hit" via MIDI velocity. This is the key to everything we're about to do.

Beyond the Presets: Making the Core Library Work for Metal

Loading up a preset and programming a blast beat will likely get you that dreaded "plastic drums in space" sound. To avoid this, we need to focus on three areas: humanization, dynamics, and processing.

Step 1: Ditch the Perfect Grid (Humanization is Key)

The number one reason programmed drums sound fake is perfect quantization. No human drummer, not even the tightest prog-metal machine, hits every single note perfectly on the grid. Those tiny, micro-timing imperfections are what give a performance its feel and groove. When you hard-quantize everything to 100%, your brain quickly picks up on the unnatural repetition and tunes out.

Actionable Tip: Instead of snapping every MIDI note to the grid, quantize to around 90-95%. This tightens up the performance without making it robotic. Most DAWs like Cubase, Reaper, and Pro Tools have a "Quantize Strength" or similar setting. Better yet, go in and manually nudge a few key snare hits or kick drums slightly ahead of or behind the beat to create a sense of push and pull. This is especially effective on fills and transitions.

Step 2: Velocity is Your Best Friend

Velocity is the most powerful tool for making programmed drums sound real. It’s not just a volume knob. In a multi-sampled library like the EZdrummer 2 Core Library, different velocity values trigger entirely different samples. A snare hit at a velocity of 80 is a physically different recording than one at 127.

When every hit is maxed out at 127, you get the machine-gun effect. It’s loud, but it has no dynamics and sounds completely artificial.

Actionable Tips:

• Vary Your Hi-Hats: Never leave your hi-hats at a static velocity. Program them with variations—maybe accenting the downbeats slightly higher and keeping the off-beats a little lower to create a natural pulse.
• Program Ghost Notes: Real drummers play quiet, subtle snare hits between the main backbeats. Program these in with very low velocities (e.g., 20-50). This adds a massive amount of realism and complexity to the groove.
• Think Like a Drummer: During a fast blast beat, a drummer can’t physically hit the snare as hard as they can on a slow, pounding backbeat. Reflect this in your MIDI. Program the blast beat snares at a slightly lower velocity (say, 110-120) and the big backbeats on a breakdown at a powerful 125-127. This contrast makes the heavy parts hit even harder.

Step 3: Augmenting and Processing for a Modern Sound

The raw sounds in the Core Library are a fantastic foundation, but to make them compete with modern metal records, you’ll need to process them just like you would a real, multi-tracked drum kit. This means routing each drum piece (kick, snare, toms, etc.) to its own track in your DAW.

Reinforcing with a One-Shot Snare

The EZdrummer snare provides the realistic body, bleed, and dynamic range of a performance. For that consistent, cutting crack that defines modern metal, blend in a one-shot snare sample. Use a tool like Slate Trigger 2 or just manually place your favorite snare sample (like one from the Joey Sturgis Tones collection) directly underneath the main EZdrummer snare hits. Blend it in so it adds attack and consistency without overpowering the natural feel of the original sample.

Parallel Compression for a Bigger Kick and Snare

To get your drums to sound massive without clipping, parallel compression is a must. Send your kick and snare tracks to a separate bus, then absolutely crush it with a compressor. An FET-style compressor plugin like the Arturia Comp FET-76 or a stock 1176 emulation works perfectly here. Use a fast attack, fast release, and a high ratio (20:1 or ALL). Then, blend that smashed bus back in underneath your main drum tracks. You’ll get all the body and punch without sacrificing the transient attack of the original hits. If you want to dive deeper into this, check out these advanced metal compression secrets.

Surgical EQ for Cymbals

The cymbals in the EZdrummer 2 Core Library can sometimes have a bit of harshness or "fizz" in the upper-mids, especially when stacked against heavily distorted guitars. Don't just slap a low-pass filter on everything. Instead, use a surgical EQ like the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 to identify and notch out specific annoying frequencies. Sweep around the 3kHz-8kHz range with a narrow Q to find any harsh, ringing tones and pull them down a few dB. This cleans up the top end and makes room for your guitars and vocals. Smart EQ is a game-changer, and it’s a technique used across all instruments, not just drums. You can see how pros apply similar principles by learning more about EQing modern metal guitars.

The NTM Approach: Taking It From Good to Pro

The techniques above will get you 90% of the way to a killer drum sound with the EZdrummer 2 Core Library. That last 10%—the part that makes a mix sound truly professional—comes from experience and learning from the best. It’s one thing to know you should use compression; it’s another to watch a master like Dave Otero or Will Putney dial it in on a real session, explaining every move.

That’s where Nail The Mix comes in. Instead of just reading about techniques, you get the multitracks from bands like Gojira, Lamb of God, and Architects and watch the original producer mix the song from scratch. You see how they blend samples with live drums, automate velocities, and use processing to make every hit slam exactly right.

If you’re ready to see how these concepts are applied in the real world, check out the full catalog of Nail The Mix sessions. It's the ultimate next step in taking your drum productions (and your entire mix) to a world-class level.