Making an EZ Drummer Template for Sonar
Are you tired of setting up EZ Drummer every time you start a new project? Sonar makes it easy to create a project template that will load your EZ Drummer setup when you create a new project file. This tutorial will show you how to configure EZ Drummer with multi-track output and save it as a Sonar template.
First, create a new, empty project. Name it “EZ Drummer Template” or something like that. If there are any audio or MIDI tracks in the project, delete them. Next, insert EZ Drummer into your project as a soft synth. (If you can’t find EZDrummer in your Soft Synths, see the tutorial on How to open EZDrummer in Sonar).

Choose the options indicated above; make sure you pick “Insert Synth Audio Outputs: Stereo.” This will allow EZ Drummer to output into 8 separate channels, so you have individual control over each drum. When you’re finished, you should have a track folder containing a MIDI track and 8 audio tracks.
By default, EZ Drummer outputs to a single stereo track. That may be fine for quick demo projects, but to really work with EZ Drummer it is better to route the drums into separate tracks inside Sonar. This configuration gives you more control over the sound of the kit, and allows you to change the level, pan, and add effects to individual drums.
To accomplish this, you need to assign the individual drums to different outputs in the EZ Drummer mixer window. Open the EZ Drummer window, and click on the mixer in the lower left.
Close the EZ Drummer window and go back to your Sonar track view. Since we want our template to reduce the amount of work we have to do every time we start a new project, there are several “housekeeping chores” I like to do. First, I name each track according to the drum I assigned to it in the EZ Drummer Mixer – kick, snare, hats, etc. Secondly, I create a submix for the drums. (If you don’t know what a submix is, or how to create one, see Sonar Busing Praxis). I assign all 8 tracks to output to this drum bus. Next, I set up a drum map for the MIDI channel. Finally, I create a rough mix of the drums, adjusting level and panning on each drum track.
Finally, it is time to save your project as a template. Choose File > Save As from the menu to open the save dialog. Next to “Save as type” select “Template” and next to “Go to Folder” select “Template Files (.CWT, .TPL)” to ensure that the template is saved to your template folder.
Now, the next time you create a new project file, you will have the option to select your template and EZ Drummer will load with the configuration you’ve just made.

If there are other tracks that you nearly always create immediately after starting a new project, you might want to add them to your template as well. For instance, you could create a “Bass Guitar” track and map the track input to the appropriate channel on your audio interface. Or you could create effects buses that you always use. You can put whatever you want in a template, and they are a powerful way to save time when you start a new project.
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This is a clear and very helpful tutorial. Enabled me rapidly to set up a template.
Thanx for the tutorial! This is the second time I have googled for help and you have came to the rescue.
Very nice work, easy to understand and follow. Thanx again for taking your time.
David.
Very nice work on all of your tutorials, Ive spent the last 5-6 hours reading them as Im new to Sonar and you have really opened my eyes. This is a fantastic website and I find your blogs insightful and funny!
Bookmarked
Happy Shredding!
Thanks for the kind words! Hope your recording goes well.
thank you thank you thank you!!!!!
How do you mix down so that you have a waveform for each part of the kit on a track each?
matt, use the “Bounce to Tracks” feature.
Roger that…done.
Nice helpful site mate
when i save it as a template and open a new project with this template, all the settings in the mixer in EZdrummer reset to default. Any idea why its doing that? Great post btw, i can actually get a NATURAL drum sound it my recordings, thank you and thank EZdrummer!
Ariel, I’m not sure why it’s not saving the EZDrummer mixer settings.. it saves them for me. What version of Sonar are you using?
I am also having this issue of it not saving my mixing settings. Also tried saving the ezdrummer settings as a preset and then loading them when I re-open my project and that doesn’t work either.
I am using Sonar 7 Producer Edition
same as zac, Sonar 7 PE, ive done the same thing he has and still nothing, its not that big a deal honestly, to me anyways, but, im just curious why it does that. also, just out of curiosity, maybe you might know, or know somewhere i can find this out, is there any way to use your own samples in easy drummer?
I’m still using Sonar 6. I don’t know why it doesn’t work in 7. Do other VST plugins remember their settings?
There is no way to use your own samples in EZ Drummer. I think you can do it in Session Drummer 2, which is included in Sonar 7 PE. You’re supposed to be able to “Create custom drum kits by loading individual components.” http://www.cakewalk.com/products/SessionDrummer2/keys.asp
yes, they do, all of them except EZdrummer,
ah alright, thanks much.
Have you patched EZ Drummer? It looks like they just released a 1.1.6 patch.
http://www.toontrack.com/userarea.asp
no i havent, thanks ill look into that, do you know if BFD has the same mixer output capabilities as EZ drummer? ive heard its better? your opinion?
I don’t know anything about BFD, sorry.
oh alright, thanks for all your help though, great site, ill be checking back regularly for updates =] have a good one sir
Cheers for this tutorial I managed to get it kinda up and running. I’m not sure if I am being really stupid but when I load my template I can’t get the Ezdrummer interface to load, but when I go into the drum map the EZdrummer sounds are all loaded there?! Any help please anyone?
Cheers
i made a drum map for addictive drums if anyone is interested or knows anyone thats interested, i tried out AD and it hands down destroys EZ drummer, if you can afford the few extra bucks, of course, anyways, i searched the web for drum maps for AD and the ones i didi find, sucked, so i pulled up AD’s keyboard map and made one out of scratch, idk if your allowed to put email adresses on here but, if you would like it or know anyone that would, just shoot me an email anunez91@msn.com
Hello, very nice and helpfull tutorial, but I have problem when I’m trying to load some of the EZX expansions in Sonar 8 (claustrophobic, DFH and so on) that I have installed-namely they do not want to open.
Can you help whit this?
Thanks.
Have you updated EZ Drummer to the latest version (1.1.6)?
Yes I have updated to 1.1.6 version but I’ve noticed that this problem is only whith claustrophobic and twisted kit. Latin, DFH and jazz works. I don’t know why but when I opening ez drummer in Sonar it is shown in the right corner version 1.0 (not 1.1.6 as it should – in Cubase is 1.1.6). Maybe during the installation something goes wrong I don’t know – what do you think?
It sounds like you have the DLL installed in two places, and Sonar is finding the one that has not been updated. It should say 1.1.6 in Sonar.
Hi, have the same problems of some previous posters about the mixer settings that won’t save. Any tips ? I have Sonar 8 btw
Make sure you’ve updated EZ Drummer to the latest version.
Is there such issues with previous version of ezdrummer or you just suggest to update as a first step to solve the problem ?
There have been many issues relating to host integration along the way. For instance, 1.1.5 added “the ability to recall saved files from Sonar track templates” and 1.1.4 fixed preferences and settings under Vista.
I’ve never had any problems with it since I upgraded to Sonar 6, but I haven’t upgraded since, so I can’t speak for Sonar 8.
One question I have is if you’re using the ezdrummer grooves and you drag the midi track into sonar will it separate out the parts or do I need to do that track by track?
All the MIDI stays in one track. The audio comes in on different tracks.
Got it, that makes sense. Thanks