Toontrack has released the Drumology EZX, a new expansion for EZdrummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 built around four vintage kits drawn from renowned session drummer Jeremy Stacey’s personal collection. The pack targets producers and songwriters working in vintage and modern pop, fusion, rock and grunge who need sonically authentic drum sounds spanning four decades.
Each kit is a genuine artefact of its era. The 1960s kit is a Ludwig Super Classic in Blue Oyster, built from three-ply mahogany/poplar/maple shells, with a 22×14″ kick, 14×5″ snare, 13×9″ rack tom and 16×16″ floor tom. Cymbals are period-appropriate Zildjians — 14″ K hi-hats, a 21″ A ride, an 18″ A crash — plus a 20″ Super Zyn crash for a touch of the era’s lo-fi character.
The 1970s kit is a Pearl Phenolic in Silver Silk finish, featuring a notably expanded tom setup: three rack toms (8″, 10″, 12″) and two floor toms (14″ and 16″). The snare is a Joe Montineri Custom. Cymbals shift to Istanbul, with a 14″ A Zildjian hi-hat, a 20″ Istanbul Sultan Ride, two Istanbul Traditional crashes (17″ Dark and 18″ Thin), and an 8″ Istanbul Traditional splash.
For the 1980s, Stacey chose a Yamaha Recording Custom in Hot Red — six-ply birch shells with a 22×16″ kick, five toms ranging from 8×8″ to 16×14″, and a 14×5.5″ Recording Custom snare. The cymbal setup leans heavily on Paiste 2002s: 14″ hi-hats, a 20″ ride, two 20″ crashes (standard and medium), with an 8″ Istanbul Traditional splash adding some colour.
The 1990s kit is a Tama Starclassic in nine-ply Bubinga with a White Pearl Diamond finish. It’s the biggest setup in the pack: a 24×14″ kick, two rack toms (12″ and 13″), two large floor toms (18×16″ and 18×18″), and a 14×7″ Tama Starphonic Bronze snare. Cymbals again feature Paiste 2002s, matching the 1980s set-up.
Beyond the four main kits, the pack includes a substantial selection of additional instruments: two extra kicks (a 20×14″ Sonor Teardrop and a 26×14″ Tama Starclassic Bubinga), eight alternative snares spanning Ludwig, Rogers, Camco, Tama and Yamaha models, and an 8″ Zildjian A splash.
The recording took place at Livingston Studios in London, a converted church prized for its warm natural acoustics, featuring an SSL SL 4072 G+ console alongside an extensive selection of vintage and modern outboard gear. Engineer Paul Stacey, Jeremy’s brother, and a producer with credits including Oasis and The Black Crowes, deployed era-specific mic placements for each kit, drawing on an impressive chain of vintage microphones, including Telefunken ELA M 251s, Neumann U67s, Coles 4038 ribbons and Neve 1073 preamps throughout.
The pack includes mix-ready presets engineered by Paul Stacey, a collection of MIDI grooves performed by Jeremy Stacey, and is compatible with EZdrummer 3 (v3.1.2 or above) and Superior Drummer 3 (v3.4.1 or above). It is available now at US$89.