Toontrack Underground EZX Expansion Pack

Capturing the raw essence of how drums sound when recorded using a minimal vintage-meets-modern setup in a cramped basement studio, this expansion for EZdrummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 presents arguably the most unpolished, gritty and tangible kits you’ll ever hear. Inspired by punk, hardcore, metal, indie, psychedelic rock, kraut and all peripheral offshoots of the underground scenes of the early ’90s until today, this is an eclectic collection of drums that sounds as far from the beaten path you possibly can imagine. If you’re looking for an EZX that is loud, decadent, angry and all-around fuming of unpretentious, nonchalant in-your-face energy, this one’s for you.

The Underground EZX was recorded by Refused drummer David Sandström and engineer/producer/mixer Martin “Konie” Ehrencrona at the famed Studio Cobra – a small, low-ceiling basement studio in the heart of Stockholm, Sweden. From this dungeon-like place – brimming with tape machines, old tube gear and vintage instruments – Konie has been churning out productions bursting with his signature stripe of analog character for the likes of Refused and Tribulation, to name a few. With a collection of David’s own drums, the studio’s and those of bands and friends on the Stockholm scene, they made sure this EZX had four distinctly unique kits, each bringing its niched sound and vibe to the project. Expect a broad palette of scarred, road worn and tried-and-true kits all put through the paces on anything from big festival stages and underground club stages to a wealth of albums of all styles.

In addition to the kits, a selection of mix-ready presets for each of the four kits is provided. Engineered by Konie, it covers anything from the absolutely bare and raw to the distorted, all-out menacing and wild. To add, a basic collection of grooves and fills performed by David is included, giving you a foundation of his unapologetic and hard-hitting style of drumming to build from.

This is an EZX in which you can almost hear the vintage tube gear radiate, the hiss breathe and every wayward and unrelenting drum hit propel in a way that makes the kits want to climb out of the monitors. Whether you’re looking to write a post-punk track teeming with lo-fi DYI feels or any stripe of savage, distorted and organic-sounding kraut, metal, hardcore or garage rock, this is your new go-to EZX.

Want grit? This is the very definition of it.

• Designed to capture the raw energy of the underground scenes of the early ’90s until today
• Naturally raw and unpolished sounds
• Ideal for punk, post-punk, hardcore, indie, kraut, garage, old-school death/black and more
• Four unique kits and several additional instruments
• Recorded by engineer/mixer/producer Martin “Konie” Ehrencrona (Tribulation, Refused)
• Sampled by drummer David Sandström (Refused)

THE DRUMS.

COBRA KIT

This vintage gem of a kit from 1968 is the resident Studio Cobra kit. Absolutely menacing in terms of attitude and tone, perfect for anything from gritty, old-school metal to hard-hitting punk.

PANTHER KIT

This loud and ringy kit is the perfect choice for any gritty-sounding garage-style rock track.

PRIMAL KIT

David’s personal kit, built specifically to capture the Refused sound and used on 200+ live shows over the past ten years. If you’re looking for a hardcore kit that hits hard, this is it.

RELIC KIT

This 1940s-ish kit is tight, muddy and earthy at the same time as it’s full of life and energy. If you’re working on any track that calls for worn, gnarly and utterly “dead” drum tones – here they are. We mean, listen to those toms!

THE MIXER & THE PRESETS

In addition to the presets created by the Toontrack sound design team, a collection of presets engineered by Konie is provided for each kit. With every preset featuring its unique set of channels and macro controls, you’ll be able to fine-tune individual instrument levels, adjust the effects used behind the scenes, the overall saturation amount and more to make sure the final sound perfectly locks in with the song you’re working on.

THE MIDI

The included MIDI library was performed by David Sandström and largely inspired by some of the pivotal milestones in his recording career. Expect a basic collection of drum grooves and fills featuring his signature unrelenting, energetic and hard-hitting style of drumming.