1. Best Mac For Programming
2. Best Drum Programming Software Free
3. Best Drum Programming Software Mac 2019 Free

The No.1 website for drummers! Let us help you choose the best drum gear with our in-depth buyer's guides and reviews. Keep up to date on the latest news in the drumming world and find the best places to learn drums online. Minispillage – Drum synth module. There are fewer freebies on the Mac platform than Windows, but they tend to be pretty good. Minispillage comes from developer Audiospillage, and is a free, pro-quality drum synth plug-in with 64-bit DSP processing.

EZ Drummer 2.0

• Don Makoviney
• Last Updated: February 9, 2016

The best drum software for getting hyper-realistic drums, played by humans, without all the complexity of miking and recording an actual drum kit is EZ Drummer 2.0 by ToonTrack. Every sound in EZ Drummer was played by an actual person - often a drumming legend - and are easily customizable through an intuitive interface. For simple and effective tools to help you get the right groove, EZ Drummer 2.0 is the one to get.

The Best Drum Software

EZ Drummer 2.0

Important Specs

Synopsis:

Best Mac For Programming

If you want realistic drums quickly, without all the miking and sound treatment that goes into recording actual drums go with EZ Drummer. I use it all the time. Every sound in EZ Drummer was played by an actual person - often a drum legend - and are easily customizable through an intuitive interface. For simple and effective tools to help you get the right groove, EZ Drummer 2.0 is the one to get.

Who Should Buy This?

Anyone that wants realistic drums with minimal effort should buy this drum software. The beauty of EZ Drummer is you can begin with a great sounding drum kit right off the bat, EQ’d and everything. Then, you can easily massage the sound through an intuitive interface that lets you adjust everything from reverb, compression, EQ and delay, to mic placement on the drum kits, and even what you want your power hand to be playing (more on this in a moment).

Who Shouldn’t Buy This?

If you are working in a high end production studio, you probably already know quite well what you want. In that case, EZ Drummer may or may not be for you.

Our Pick

EZ Drummer 2

… by Toontrack is my hands-down favorite.

I have tried every kind of virtual drum software out there, and when I started rebuilding a home studio a couple of years ago, money was an issue. So I would go to a handy site like Bedroom Producers Blog, download a bunch of drum kit samples, and then manually make a beat, like in this Ultimate Guitar Reaper Drums Tutorial.

That takes a long time.

If you’ve tried making your own beats and you haven’t developed a “system”, it’s quite time consuming. In fact, if I had a creative bug to quickly sketch out a song, I’d often lose all my mojo just putting the beat together. EZ Drummer fixes that.

What I wanted was a way to quickly get the drums pretty close, be able to dial them in easily, and be able to choose from a wide variety of loops and kits.

When I gave EZ Drummer a shot last year it was a game changer. Virtual drum software is really tough to get right, but even most of the biggest skeptics are in agreement – as a songwriting and music production tool, EZ Drummer is super cool.

We’ll get to some of the other nuts and bolts in a second. But first I wanted to talk about one of the coolest things I use on a weekly basis – the Song Creator.

Song Creator

Recording Magazine’s review described it well:

If you’re in a real hurry to sketch out a full song, use Song Creator — a pop-up window that accepts one MidiBlock of your choice and offers you a full selection of intros, verses, choruses, etc., that are complementary to it. You can drag and drop from the list of offerings, or drag/drop a full-on song arrangement (called a Structure) and then mix and match its parts. You can even create your own Structures, name them, and save them, so if (for example) you do a lot of songs in ABACAB format, you can start from scratch with one click.

Yeah, so what I often do is sit down with a guitar part, or keyboard riff, or bass line, or whatever little nugget I think will make a good song, and then I’ll throw on some headphones and get to work. Typically I’ll start with a simple beat, and get the tempo right using their handy tap tempo feature. Once I get that I’ll start searching through the available list of MIDI loops. Usually I’ll find something pretty damn close, but if I don’t I can always use the Tap 2 Find feature (more on that in a bit) to dial it in even closer.

When I’m there, then I can seriously sketch out the drums for a song in 20-30 minutes by dragging my selected MIDI patterns into the Song Creator.

Done. Seriously. Now my drums are essentially done, and they sound great. It looks kinda like this:

Now I can import that into my DAW with a couple of clicks and start laying down any other parts for my demo song – bass, keyboards, more percussion, some scratch vocals, etc.

Thing is, even after you’ve imported your drum track into your DAW, you can jump in and tweak the MIDI even more on a note-by-note basis. You can even completely change the drum kit, edit effects, change hi-hats to Open, or Closed. It’s really great!

Sound On Sound also raved about this feature:

Clicking the Song Creator button opens up another section above the song track with a slot into which you can drag any of the library loops so that similar loops can be suggested. These are all displayed below with a matching value: the higher the number, the better the match. Loops may be shortened, copied and moved to leave spaces if needed, but there’s no piano-roll editor, so anything more surgical needs to be done in your DAW. You can, however, select and remove kit pieces from a loop and then copy in selected parts from other loops in the browser to create new ‘hybrid’ loops. Material assembled here can be played back at the host song’s tempo and song position, or at a user-selected tempo. There are also song arrangement templates that can help speed up the songwriting process, so if you need a 12-bar blues backing you’ll find one there.

Tap2Find

The other thing that is awesome, which I mentioned I would talk about later, is the Tap2Find feature:

Tap2Find via Sound On Sound:

Tap2Find allows you to tap out a rhythm against a click using a MIDI keyboard or by clicking on a drum in the Kit window. You can build up your template pattern in layers, including adding an open or closed hi-hat, and everything gets neatly quantised. EZdrummer 2 then lists the library grooves that are similar in some way, in order of how well they match up. This part of the program works extremely well, and even where its choices might not be exactly what you’re looking for, they’re often close enough to edit. User loops or edited library loops may then be stored in the user area for future use.

This video, provided by the manufacturer, provides a great walkthrough of the features which makes this our pick. We want something that is simple, quick, and easy (or EZ!) to put together a song.

Just try out some of the available options to check which one suits your needs better. Comic book software allows you to include any format of the digital picture.

You’ll do well to watch the whole video, but pay special attention at 9:50, where he explains the very very cool Tap-To-Find feature.

Also, pay attention to the Song Creator feature overview at 4:00:

If that seems like a lot to learn (it’s not, and I’m not even a drummer), watch this video where the host takes you from nothing to a completed song in just a few minutes:

Expansion Packs (EZX)

ToonTrack offers a number of expansion packs (EZX), which deep dive into various styles, from Latin, Metal, Pop, Americana, Reggae and lots of others.

Here’s a partial snapshot of what is available. Click on the image for more:

And if you need more convincing this is the one to get, check out these two videos containing a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the amazing expansion packs you will probably use with EZ Drummer:

But How Does It Sound?

Remember, as shown in the above videos, each one of these beats was played by a human.

Sound On Sound magazine weighs in with their hands-on review:

How does it sound in general? On the subject of sound, I have to say that the two new kits sound superb, with lots of snare and cymbal articulations to keep things sounding natural. Having the option to add percussion is useful, and being able to mix and match items from different kits is also a big deal. It’s also good to see kit presets based on both different mixer and processor settings, as this really opens up the range of sounds you can coax from a single kit. Similarly, the work that has gone into categorising all the loops in the loop browser must have kept somebody very busy, but it has paid off in making it much easier to find loops that will work together in the same song. The option to tap in a rhythm and then get the browser to find a match for what you’ve played is also a clever innovation, and one that really works.

So right out of the box you get two amazing drum kits, a bunch of great mixing and sound shaping tools, and great song building tools via Song Creator and Tap2Find.

Can you get up and running quickly?

Yes.

Is it intuitive and easy to use?

Yes.

Can you customize your beats? Mix and match drum kits?

Yes (and Yes!)

Is it reasonably priced?

Best Drum Programming Software Free

Yes!

Does it work with pretty much any DAW you might use, whether Mac or Windows?

Yes!

Until I get an electronic drum set, EZ Drummer is my jam.

Tell Me If There's A Deal For This

The Best Drum Software

EZ Drummer 2.0

Important Specs

Synopsis:

If you want realistic drums quickly, without all the miking and sound treatment that goes into recording actual drums go with EZ Drummer. I use it all the time. Every sound in EZ Drummer was played by an actual person - often a drum legend - and are easily customizable through an intuitive interface. For simple and effective tools to help you get the right groove, EZ Drummer 2.0 is the one to get.

Sources

Best Drum Programming Software Mac 2019 Free

1. Staff, MusicTech.net, 20140423
   EZdrummer 2 Review – EZ Does It

   “arguably the most useful improvements to EZdrummer relate to the use and selection of the MIDI grooves and, latterly, the means of sequencing these loops into a complete performance. Of course, the majority of virtual drumming software (and the original EZdrummer) offers little more than a means of browsing integrated MIDI content, with the resultant song being created by dropping the MIDI loops over to a track on your DAW. Subsequent edits, therefore, require extensive editing in your DAW, often on a note-by-note basis.”

2. Mike Metlay, Recording Mag, 20140601
   Toontrack EZ Drummer 2

   “If you're in a real hurry to sketch out a full song, use Song Creator -- a pop-up window that accepts one MidiBlock of your choice and offers you a full selection of intros, verses, choruses, etc., that are complementary to it. You can drag and drop from the list of offerings, or drag/drop a full-on song arrangement (called a Structure) and then mix and match its parts. You can even create your own Structures, name them, and save them, so if (for example) you do a lot of songs in ABACAB format, you can start from scratch with one click.”

3. Toby Pitman, Ask Audio Magazine, 20140506
   Review: Toontrack EZdrummer 2

   “This is (I can’t swear)… brilliant! Just tap in a basic Kick/Snare pattern along with the click and EZD2 will return a result of any installed MIDI file that matches that pattern. Tap in some Hi-Hats, same thing! Do a whole groove and you’ll get results! ”

4. Paul White, Sound On Sound, 20140501
   Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Virtual Drum Instrument

   “On the subject of sound, I have to say that the two new kits sound superb, with lots of snare and cymbal articulations to keep things sounding natural. Having the option to add percussion is useful, and being able to mix and match items from different kits is also a big deal. It's also good to see kit presets based on both different mixer and processor settings, as this really opens up the range of sounds you can coax from a single kit. Similarly, the work that has gone into categorising all the loops in the loop browser must have kept somebody very busy, but it has paid off in making it much easier to find loops that will work together in the same song. The option to tap in a rhythm and then get the browser to find a match for what you've played is also a clever innovation, and one that really works. [.] Clicking the Song Creator button opens up another section above the song track with a slot into which you can drag any of the library loops so that similar loops can be suggested. These are all displayed below with a matching value: the higher the number, the better the match. Loops may be shortened, copied and moved to leave spaces if needed, but there's no piano-roll editor, so anything more surgical needs to be done in your DAW. You can, however, select and remove kit pieces from a loop and then copy in selected parts from other loops in the browser to create new 'hybrid' loops. Material assembled here can be played back at the host song's tempo and song position, or at a user-selected tempo. There are also song arrangement templates that can help speed up the songwriting process, so if you need a 12-bar blues backing you'll find one there.”

5. Los Teignos, AudioFanzine, 20140318
   Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Review: NextGen Virtual Drums

   “By pressing the Tap 2 Find button on the Search tab, you access a kit view. The metronome of the software is launched to the tempo and the signature defined in the software, only awaiting for you to enter the rhythm that you have in your head, By clicking on the different elements of the drum kit, or using a MIDI keyboard, you can input your famous boom-chuck, element by element, knowing that it records in loop mode and that with every new pass, your hits are quantized to an adjustable value (1/8, 1/16 or 1/32, in triplets or not). As soon as the groove sounds like the one you have in mind, you only need to click on 'Show Results' to find a list of patterns classified by their resemblance to the groove you just input. Obviously, this list includes all infos previously mentioned and you can even refine your search with filters. [.] it's a real game-changer in terms of usability and workflow, because you can start with a vague rhythm or even an external MIDI file that you can drop in the Tap 2 Find Drop Zone and go uber-intuitively to a vast array of ready-to-use patterns played by real drummers, with all those small delays and variations that make a drum part groove and sound more realistic. And you can obviously recall the Tap 2 Find function with a simple right-click on any groove of the software.”

Below is a list of the best free and paid virtual drum software programs available to download right now.

They are available for PC and Mac computers in plugin formats to use with DAWs and most operate as a standalone program as well.

Unless you plan on mastering the technique of recording an acoustic drum kit and finding a drummer to play for you all the time, having a good drum software plugin is one of the most important aspects of music creation.

It’s amazing how realistic virtual drum software has become over the years.

Drum software is also surprisingly versatile. You can create custom kits and sounds with endless variations.

You can use MIDI keyboards and drum pads to trigger drum sounds, and connect e-drum kits like the Alesis DM10 to play virtual drums in real time with an electronic drum set.

There are several good choices when it comes to drum software. Some have more expansion packs than others, some offer larger MIDI libraries (ready-to-use drum loops), and others have more advanced editing and mixing tools.

Best Free Drum Software

Sennheiser DrumMic’a – A surprisingly high-quality free drum kit plugin with variable mics, a mixer, and a number of included MIDI loops. It just requires setting up a free account to register the softwrae. DrumMic’a works with the free version of Kontakt 5 Player.

MT Power Drum Kit 2 – A former paid plugin, MT Power Drum Kit 2 has a number of included features, such as a built-in mixer and a bunch of high-quality MIDI grooves. MT Power Drum Kit 2 is available in VST and AU formats in 32 and 64 bit versions. There are some MIDI mapping presets available to use it with other drum programs as well.

Best Paid Drum Software

Toontrack EZdrummer 2 – Estimated price: $149 – EZdrummer is one of the most popular drum production software programs. It’s very simple to use and yet it offers a number of advanced features. The base version comes with 5 drum kits, two sound libraries, some MIDI grooves, and a mixer with effects. It works as a plugin and standalone program. There are tons of expansion packs for additional drum kits covering a wide range of genres.

FXpansion BFD3 – Estimated price: $349 – Another top choice is BFD3. It comes with 7 drum kits, with dedicated rock, metal, jazz, and brush kits. It has a fully-editable groove engine to make creating custom grooves quick and easy. BFD3 works as a plugin and as standalone software. It comes with an extensive virtual drum library with 55GB of sounds.

Addictive Drums 2 – Estimated price: $149 – If you’re looking for an extensive library of included beats, XLN Audio’s Addictive Drums 2 comes with over 5000 MIDI grooves ready to go. It has three custom drum kits, and features a Transient Shaper and Tone Designer and some included effects to fine-tune your sound. Addictive drums can be used as a plugin as as a standalone program.

Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0 – Estimated price: $179 (on sale) – Superior Drummer is Toontrack’s more advanced version of EZdrummer, and it works with EZdrummer 2 expansion libraries. It offers more ways to adjust sounds and tweak individual parameters, and it comes with more effects and 20 GB of included drum samples.

Steven Slate Drums 4.0 Platinum – Estimated price: $149 – A virtual drum library with 100 included drum kit presets and a drum sampler to create custom grooves. Steven Slate Drums come in VST, AU, and RTAS formats.

Studio Drummer – Estimated price: $149 – Native Instrument’s Studio Drummer comes with three drum kits, a dedicated mixer with effects, and over 3500 included drum patterns. Studio Drummer works with the Kontakt 5 Player.