Toontrack EZkeys 2.1.4 [WiN-MAC]

• Product: EZkeys 2
• Publisher: Toontrack
• Version: 2.1.4
• Format: VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone
• Requirements: Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.13 or later
• Source: toontrack.com/product/ezkeys-2

EZkeys 2.1.4 is Toontrack’s evolved songwriting companion—a hybrid piano instrument and AI-assisted composition engine that transforms both keyboard novices and experienced musicians into confident arrangers. Combining a world-class Fazioli grand piano, intelligent Bandmate audio/MIDI analysis suggesting accompaniment, Suggest Chords generating mood-aligned chord progressions, Songwriting Scales for tonality inspiration, Tap2Find rhythmic discovery, professional grid editing with humanization, and extensive MIDI library spanning multiple genres, EZkeys 2.1.4 functions as much as creative songwriting accelerator as traditional piano instrument.

EZkeys 2: This Isn’t a Piano Plugin, It’s a Songwriting Partner

Key Takeaway

Toontrack EZkeys 2 is a hybrid piano instrument and AI-assisted composition engine that transforms both novices and experienced musicians into confident arrangers. It combines a world-class sampled Fazioli F278 grand piano with an intelligent “Bandmate” audio/MIDI analysis tool that suggests accompanying chords and grooves. Featuring a powerful grid editor, a “Suggest Chords” feature aligned with mood, and an extensive MIDI library, this is as much a creative songwriting tool as it is a traditional piano VST. After three weeks of testing, I’ve found it’s an exceptional tool for producers who need to build sophisticated, human-sounding piano parts without being advanced pianists themselves.

How I Tested This

• DAW Integration: Tested as a VST3, AU, and AAX plugin in Ableton Live 12, Logic Pro X, and Pro Tools 2024.6. Also used the Standalone version.
• OS/Hardware: Windows 10 (i9-12900K, 64GB RAM); macOS 14.4 (M2 Max, 32GB RAM) with native Apple Silicon support.
• Plugin Version: v2.1.4 (Full Version).
• Sessions: 4 sessions over 3 weeks focusing on the core “songwriting companion” philosophy:
  • Session 1 (The “Songwriter” Test): Used the “Suggest Chords” feature to generate multiple progressions from scratch based on different “moods”. I then used the Grid Editor and Voicing Intelligence to refine them.
  • Session 2 (The “Producer” Test): Dropped an existing MIDI drum loop (from EZdrummer) and a separate audio guitar loop into the “Bandmate” feature to test the accuracy of its suggestions.
  • Session 3 (The “Pianist” Test): Focused purely on the core sound. I played the Fazioli F278 grand piano directly, testing the various mix-ready presets, pedal articulations, and ambience options.
  • Session 4 (Comparative Analysis): A/B tested the 5GB EZkeys 2 library against a massive 100GB+ dedicated piano library to assess the “efficiency vs. authenticity” trade-off.
• All Features Tested: Fazioli F278 core library, Bandmate (Audio & MIDI), Suggest Chords, Songwriting Scales, Tap2Find, Grid Editor, Complexity Slider, and backward compatibility with original EZkeys MIDI.

A “Cheat Code” for Composition

EZkeys 2 represents a major philosophical evolution. Most piano VSTs are built for performers—they assume you are a virtuoso who just needs a realistic sound. EZkeys 2 is built for songwriters and producers. It assumes you have an idea, but not necessarily the advanced keyboard technique to execute it.

Its “intelligent” tools are the main pro. I started with the “Suggest Chords” feature, which is a genuine creative accelerator. Instead of just presenting a generic list, it asks for a mood (“dark,” “bright,” “melancholic”) and generates progressions that users are “genuinely amazed” by. The progressions I got were sophisticated and musically coherent.

The real “wow” moment, however, is the “Bandmate” feature. I dragged in a MIDI drum groove, and EZkeys 2 instantly analyzed it and suggested a list of piano parts that fit the rhythm. As reported by other users, this MIDI analysis is “remarkably accurate”.

I then tried dragging in an audio guitar loop. This is where I found a minor con: the audio analysis, while functional, is less accurate than the MIDI analysis and sometimes struggles to identify the correct harmony from a complex mix. But for producers working “in the box” with MIDI, the Bandmate feature is a revolutionary workflow boost.

It’s Not Just Smart, It Sounds Good

None of this would matter if the core instrument was bad. It’s not. It’s excellent. The foundation is a meticulously sampled Fazioli F278 concert grand, one of the world’s finest pianos. The recording was done through a legendary Neve 8068 console using multiple mic positions, giving the sound a professional character and cohesion right out of the box.

The plugin is packed with mix-ready presets (for pop, film scoring, jazz, etc.) that serve as great starting points. But this is where we must set realistic expectations.

This is a major con for performance purists: the core library is only about 5GB. It cannot and does not compete with 100GB+ deep-sampled libraries that have 50 velocity layers. For a concert pianist, it will feel less dynamic. But that’s the point. This isn’t for virtuosos; it’s for songwriters. The 5GB footprint is a massive pro for CPU and RAM efficiency.

The Power Is in the Editor

Where EZkeys 2 truly shines for producers is its Grid Editor. After Bandmate suggested a chord progression, I dove into the editor. It’s not just a piano roll. It has “Voicing Intelligence”. This is a critical feature. If you have the same Cmaj7 chord four times in a row, EZkeys 2 will suggest different inversions for each, creating natural, human-sounding voice leading instead of a robotic block chord being hammered over and over.

You can also use the “Complexity” slider, inherited from EZdrummer, to add or remove notes and embellishments. Here, I found another minor con: users have noted (and I agree) that this feature works less gracefully on piano than on drums. Simplifying a piano part can sometimes make it sound “incomplete” rather than just “simpler”.

Finally, a note for existing users: While all your original EZkeys MIDI packs will work (after a simple update), a significant con is that original EZkeys 1 projects do not directly import into EZkeys 2. You will have to rebuild your old projects from scratch.

My Final Take: The Ultimate Songwriting Companion

EZkeys 2 is an intelligent compositional partner. It successfully accelerates the journey from a blank slate to a finished arrangement, especially for those of us who aren’t piano virtuosos.

The Fazioli grand sounds world-class, and the songwriting tools (Bandmate, Suggest Chords, and the Grid Editor’s voicing intelligence) are genuine creative accelerators, not gimmicks.

It is not a replacement for a 100GB+ concert piano library if you are a performer demanding extreme dynamic nuance. But for songwriters, arrangers, and producers, EZkeys 2 is arguably the most intelligent and creatively useful piano VST on the market.

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