KVR Audio

braj · Post by **braj** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:38 pm

triggerthehorizon wrote:Perhaps Toontrack let it slide for braj but they have since added this disclaimer on their site:

http://www.toontrack.com/black-friday/
"Purchases of EZkeys Retro Electrics will not include the ”free Sound Expansion” promo also available right now. Promotion void where prohibited".

Yep, I and maybe a few others maybe cost them a few licenses.

bharris22 · Post by **bharris22** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:43 pm

braj wrote:
bharris22 wrote:Aargh! This just went from a no-brainer to a brainer for me. Gotta think about it now, but looks like I have a few days.
The Retro Electrics is still well worth it to get the songwriting tools. It is a real bargain, that is the real value in the full priced packages anyhow, the sounds are good enough but they are kind of incidental. I wouldn't pass this one up.

I use EzKeys with Nora to create a chord track, you don't even have to use the fancier midi patterns to get a lot of use with this guy, just planning out songs with very basic chords is helpful, enjoyable even.

Yes - I agree. I already have EZKeys, though, as well as the EP expansion, so without the 2 for 1 on Retro Keys I'm going to have to think about it.

braj · Post by **braj** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:45 pm

lingyai wrote:Yeah, the midi out opens all kinds of doors

Here are some other pretty things ...

--Drag an existing midi file into its timeline. Firstly, the "humanize" option you see when you do so does a great job on a wide range of material.

-- If there is a chord progression in that midi file, EZKeys will do a pretty good job of detecting it, and displaying it in the usual EZKeys format, i.e. with the chord names, which you can then click and change.

-- And of course once its been recognised as a chord progression by EZKeys, you can apply any midi style in the browser to it using the "Use browser midi" feature.

-- Lastly, you are not limited to applying ToonTrack midi styles from the browser. Put any cool midi loop into your User Folder; it will then be visible / usable in the EZKeys browser like any other style in there. Opens Door to the Universe #2.

So it's also like having a lightweight sort-of version of Band in a Box in that, given a chord progression, you can create all manner of performances. Unlike Band in a Box, it's super easy to use.

Again, I know I sound like a fanboi ... it's just one hell of a tool.

You can also just play crazy random stuff in to its sequencer too, well, maybe not that random, but you can take your recording and play with it, I got some really interesting jazzy stuff out of it using a combination of that, quantizing, and slicing and moving it around, then just drag whatever interesting snippets into your DAW. I almost sold EZKeys a little while ago, but there were no buyers, now I'm glad I didn't. I'll use it a lot more with the extra sounds and midi out. Midi out can feed into Nora and then I can really have a dynamic songbuilding system. Really cool stuff. I have to try putting files in the Midi folder

sounds groovy.

braj · Post by **braj** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:46 pm

bharris22 wrote:
braj wrote:
bharris22 wrote:Aargh! This just went from a no-brainer to a brainer for me. Gotta think about it now, but looks like I have a few days.
The Retro Electrics is still well worth it to get the songwriting tools. It is a real bargain, that is the real value in the full priced packages anyhow, the sounds are good enough but they are kind of incidental. I wouldn't pass this one up.

I use EzKeys with Nora to create a chord track, you don't even have to use the fancier midi patterns to get a lot of use with this guy, just planning out songs with very basic chords is helpful, enjoyable even.
Yes - I agree. I already have EZKeys, though, as well as the EP expansion, so without the 2 for 1 on Retro Keys I'm going to have to think about it.

Ah yeah, without the extra expansion, I likely wouldn't have bought the EPs myself, I'm quite happy with LoungeLizard for most EP sounds anyway.

lingyai · Post by **lingyai** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:09 pm

braj wrote:
The Retro Electrics is still well worth it to get the songwriting tools. It is a real bargain, that is the real value in the full priced packages anyhow, the sounds are good enough but they are kind of incidental. I wouldn't pass this one up.

I use EzKeys with Nora to create a chord track, you don't even have to use the fancier midi patterns to get a lot of use with this guy, just planning out songs with very basic chords is helpful, enjoyable even.

This!
+1000

EnGee · Post by **EnGee** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:51 am

For $29 it was a no brainer for me. Of course I bought for its songwriting help not really for its sound

lingyai · Post by **lingyai** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 5:10 am

Hope you EnGoy it

EnGee · Post by **EnGee** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:23 am

lingyai wrote:Hope you EnGoy it

I do thanks.

macmuse · Post by **macmuse** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 3:45 pm

lingyai wrote:And of course once its been recognised as a chord progression by EZKeys, you can apply any midi style in the browser to it using the "Use browser midi" feature.

It's been a while since I've used EZKeys...

What you said would be really great. I thought as soon as you chose another MIDi style in the browser, it wiped out your current chord progression and took on the chords from the new selection? Thus not being able to apply your chords to another MIDI part??

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:21 pm

Want more EZ Keys?

Then Classic Electrics is $28,5 today at Plugin Boutique

http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1 ... -Electrics

braj · Post by **braj** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:24 pm

Numanoid wrote:Want more EZ Keys?

Then Classic Electrics is $28,5 today at Plugin Boutique

http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1 ... -Electrics

Even if someone weren't into the EP, just getting it for the quick chord progression generation would be more than worth that $28.50.

MogwaiBoy · Post by **MogwaiBoy** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:12 pm

Lounge Lizard Session vs EZKeys Classic Electrics?

One of the system requirements on the pluginboutique page is:

"1,2 GB free hard disc space, A working EZdrummer or Superior Drummer 2.0 installation"

Is that true?

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:16 pm

Good spooting MB

What it says on ToonTrack website: http://www.toontrack.com/product/ezkeys ... electrics/

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1 GB of free hard disk space.

Windows 7 or newer, Pentium 4 or Athlon processor with 2 GB RAM.

Mac OS 10.6 or higher, Intel-based Mac with 2 GB RAM.

Audio Unit, VST, AAX or RTAS host application and professional sound card recommended. Stand-alone version included.

I'm not sure why Plugin Boutique would list EZ Drummer as a requirement to load EZ Keys stuff

MogwaiBoy · Post by **MogwaiBoy** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:29 pm

They probably cut-n-pasted the requirements from an EZDrummer expansion by mistake!

So this EZKeys Classic Electrics is not only an expansion but can be run on it's own (without needing the original EZKeys installed)?

braj · Post by **braj** » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:32 pm

I would get something from Korg and get Lounge Lizard Session for free, it is awesome, and I would also buy EZKeys for the midi bit, which you can work with any tracks you like, EZKeys will output midi to your tracks as well as drag and drop progressions. I use the very basic one bar length chords to drive arpeggiators all the time. EZKeys is very handy.

Toontrack EZKeys!