Toontrack – New Orleans EZX

EZX includes two separate libraries, Traditional and Artist, each containing a selection of instruments carefully selected by Terence Higgins. The former is dedicated entirely to history and features a turn-of-the-century drum kit taken straight from the archives of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, complete with a unique set of crash cymbals, as well as a pair of rare sock cymbals—predecessors of the modern hi-hat of the early 20th century. 

Additionally, the kit includes two extra bass drums—one of which was taken straight from the stage of Preservation Hall—two rare snares—one of which is a vintage parade drum—and a carefully selected selection of percussion instruments key to the New Orleans tradition. 

This includes a washboard, two cowbells, a bottle, a pandero, and a handcrafted wood-and-metal “trash” hi-hat for its signature swamp sound.

In contrast, the Artist section of the library features drum kits that feel modern by comparison, inspired by the sounds of the 1950s and beyond. Overall, these are five authentic-sounding drum kits, each representing a defining milestone in the evolution of the distinctive New Orleans sound.