Toontrack has updated EZkeys to v2.0.3 and released Metal Mix Buses, a new expansion for EZmix 2.
Changes in EZkeys 2.0.3:
- General:
- "Notifications" are a new type of dialog used to display information and/or suggestions for operations in certain situations. They can be disabled in Settings.
- Attempting to play the song track while there are chords but no MIDI on the track will trigger such a notification, informing that MIDI is needed to actually hear sounds, and it has a button for instantly adding MIDI to the chords on the track.
- Song Track:
- Placing an external MIDI file on the song track will show a new dialog with MIDI import options.
- The song track can now automatically scroll if needed while the Pencil tool is being used to add blocks.
- MIDI block operations, such as Mute and Quantize, are now available also if only song parts or chords are selected, as long as there are some MIDI blocks beneath.
- The "Song Parts," "Chords" and "MIDI" headers, shown in the middle of the track during drags and when the Pencil tool is active, are now hidden whenever they would overlap with a song part, chord or MIDI block.
- Right-clicking in the time signature editor will now show an edit menu.
- Edit Chord View:
- An information popup has been added for the "Keep Melody/Ostinato" option when it is active.
- Changing chords by clicking in the chord wheel now removes the bass note part of the chord if "Keep Melody/Ostinato" is enabled.
- When "Keep Melody/Ostinato" is enabled, "Adjust Notes to Scale" is automatically enabled for chords that are not in the current song key.
- "Adjust Notes to Scale" is automatically enabled for IV chords.
- When inversions are applied and the inverted notes are moved as much as one octave, now the other right-hand notes are moved one octave too. Inversion can now also alter chords that don't have any chord notes in them.
- Grid Editor:
- The pedal block editor now supports rectangular marquee selection.
- Grooves Tab:
- Previewing in Replace MIDI mode, there is no longer a playhead visible in the browser (since it was not always able to show a correct/relevant position) but the playhead on the song track has been made larger.
- Changes in user MIDI folders in the OS will now be immediately detected and a red notification dot will be shown on the folder in the Grooves tab, indicating the need to run a "Sync File Changes" operation (available in the context menu for the folder).
- If an empty folder in a user library is selected, a "Drag MIDI files here" box is shown.
- Bandmate:
- The Edit menu has been expanded with more options.
- A context menu can now be accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the tracks.
- Whenever the current filters/input would yield zero results in the Bandmate browser, there will now always be a very basic groove shown instead of an empty list.
- Settings:
- In the VST 3 format, there is a new info section regarding Program Change and Bank Select on the MIDI Input settings page.
- Plus many bug fixes, detailed in the release notes.
The new Metal Mix Buses EZmix Pack features 50 custom mix-ready signal chain presets designed to optimize and maximize the impact of each instrument group in your production – before they all hit the final mix bus.
Galloping drums, walls of guitars, multi-channel basses, layers of vocals and often oceans worth of orchestral or ambient keys – a modern metal track can feature a daunting amount of channels. When facing one of these massive productions, the only viable way of getting an overview is by grouping and busing. This EZmix pack was designed to facilitate just that.
Featuring a total of 50 meticulously crafted custom signal chain presets for drums, bass, guitars, keys and vocals, this collection of mix-ready settings for EZmix 2 was designed to optimize and maximize the impact of each instrument group in your production before they all hit the final mix bus. But that's not all, each setting serves a concrete purpose – and there are 50 of them. This means that you'll have all the options you need to tailor your mix to perfectly meet your personal criteria. Whether you're looking for a setting that makes your orchestral keys arrangement stand out, one that removes fizz and enhances your guitars, one that makes your drums punch through or one that optimizes the dynamics of your bass channels – with this pack they're all just a mouse click away.
Feature Spotlight:
- 50 individually engineered signal chain presets for EZmix 2.
- By Thomas "Plec" Johansson, one of Sweden's premier mastering and mixing engineers.
- Specifically tailored for hard-hitting metal productions.
- Settings for drums, bass, guitars, keys and vocals.
- Each signal chain designed to solve a problem or attain a goal.
Price: EUR39.00 at toontrack.com/product/metal-mix-buses-ezmix-pack
