Easy Drummer 3 vs Superior Drummer 3: Which One Should You Choose?

Toontrack’s Easy Drummer 3 and Superior Drummer 3 are two of the most popular drum plugin options in the music production world. They're used by professional producers, hobbyists, and home studio musicians alike. However, deciding between the two can be confusing. This article breaks down the differences, price points, features, and intended use cases for each to help you choose the right tool for your workflow.

💵 Price Comparison

• Easy Drummer 3

  • Upgrade: $99 (from Easy Drummer 2)

  • New Purchase: $179

• Superior Drummer 3

  • Upgrade: $319

  • New Purchase: $399

📝 Note: These prices don’t include optional expansion packs (EZX for Easy Drummer, SDX for Superior Drummer).

🥁 Feature Breakdown

Superior Drummer 3

If you're serious about drum production and need deep customization, Superior Drummer 3 (SD3) is the powerhouse option.

• Sound Library: Comes with a large default library; sounds are high-quality out of the box.

• Expansions: Supports extensive SDX expansions and MIDI packs.

• Mixer: Fully featured mixer with EQ, compression, distortion, reverb, and plugin support directly inside the plugin.

• Tracker Feature: Convert raw audio to MIDI and layer custom samples.

• Custom Sampling: Import your own drum samples and control hit variation, tuning, and velocity.

• Drawback: Huge file size. Requires a lot of hard drive space, even for the basic install.

✅ Best for: Professionals, advanced producers, and anyone who wants to spend time dialing in their drum tones.

Easy Drummer 3

On the flip side, Easy Drummer 3 (ED3) is made for ease of use and quick results, perfect for songwriters and home studio users.

• Quick Setup: Loads faster and uses less disk space than SD3.

• Kits: Comes with three core kits (Main Room, Bright Room, Tight Room).

• Groove Library: Extensive MIDI grooves included, plus an intuitive Song Creator and Bandmate tool to match drum parts to your riffs.

• Editing: Allows you to edit grooves, change playing style, and build entire arrangements quickly.

• Mixer: More limited than SD3 but still offers basic control like balance, bleed, compression, and tape drive.

✅ Best for: Beginners, songwriters, or producers who want great drum sounds without diving deep into mixing or sound design.

🎧 Real-World Use

• Superior Drummer 3 is perfect if you:

  • Want total control over your drum sound.

  • Are working on high-end productions.

  • Frequently record live drums and need to mix in samples.

• Easy Drummer 3 is ideal if you:

  • Need a fast, creative tool for songwriting.

  • Don’t want to spend hours tweaking every drum mic.

  • Are on a tighter budget but still want professional-sounding drums.

🧰 Bonus: Free Resources

The creator of the video also offers a free guide called the Home Studio Toolbox, which includes a list of free plugins (drums, amps, etc.) to help you build a solid production toolkit at zero cost. It's a great way to start crafting music in your home studio with minimal investment.

🎤 Final Thoughts

Both plugins are excellent in their own right. Your choice ultimately depends on your budget, your production needs, and how much control you want over your drum sounds.

• For speed and simplicity, go with Easy Drummer 3.

• For depth and professional flexibility, invest in Superior Drummer 3.