I am in the closing phase of a big migration over to a Mac Studio and BFD3.4 (it’s great to have BFD back again!)
In previous versions of BFD we were able to add our own samples as kit pieces, and I created a few custom sounds back in those days. But I’m having a problem adding them back in to my browser now.
Is there a way to re-introduce these to 3.4? I’ve “scanned content paths” over & over, but BFD skips right over my own sounds (which the license manager naturally would not recognize either).
I’d also LOOOOOOVE to get my BFD2 sounds back up and running (I used that Fibes kit quite a bit). any suggestions for that as well?
I’d love to be able to answer this because I too am planning to upgrade to a Mac Studio after 10 years on my current iMac. The problem for me is that BFD hasn’t released a VST3 version for us Cubase users. Since I intend also to upgrade to Cubase 13 (or at least version 12), it presents a major problem because Steinberg has dropped VST2 support, making BFD unusable in Cubase 13. If I ever want to use BFD3 in a project, I have to use it in older version of Cubase.
I was referring to samples that one specifically creates on their own – these used to be able to be added to BFD2 paths and you could load kit pieces with your own sounds.
I tend to use AU, so the VST problem hasn’t hit me that hard (…yet!)
However with respect to your VST3 question – I found a thread about that topic on this forum which mentions a couple of workarounds – I believe running under Rosetta is one of them, but there might be something useful for you in that conversation.
I know this post is a year old but did you figured out how to use your own samples?(custom samples). If not I know how to with all channels (mono, stereo, direct, over head, room and ambient) no authorization required. I can help you use your sounds.
No, you are correct. The manual says you can import single articulation, multiple velocity layered samples. I’ve never bothered with adding samples in BFD3. I just copy my kick+snare MIDI from my BFD3 track and use SSD 5.5 for reinforcement samples, which are usually just one-shots anyways.
I’m in the process of learning that user samples can be added to BFD – as suggested by deangersmith – via the IMPORT SAMPLES function.
The import procedure isn’t exactly what I’d describe (to my way of thinking) as being “straightforward,” but it is possible and after a few repetitions a feel for the process can be acquired.
A bit of pre-process extra consideration should be given to organizing the folder structure for samples you want to use in a consistant way – especially if there are velocity layers in your scheme.
In my own case I decided to actually duplicate the samples into a folder hierarchy that I established along the guidelines suggested by the indispensably-helpful “Level II Sam” over at tech support.
I elected to duplicate partly because I use these sounds in other ways in other places as well, and wanted to continue to access them in ways I’m familiar with for those occasions.
Also I didn’t want to completely restructure my existing hierarchy just for BFD. So… I “made new.”
Once you start importing the samples, BFD then creates its OWN, new, folder hierarchy for the purposes of its own database.
At first that seemed to me like an undesirable level of duplication, but I soon decided “ok, that’s how it’s going to be,” taking the easy route.
Additionally I suggest that any images you might wish to associate with user kit pieces are also ready to go, properly prepared, named, and located where they need to be.
I haven’t yet been able to associate images after importing the sounds (you select the image file during the import process) – although I’ve been advised that it can be done.
After importing, it’s apparently also possible to group selected User kit piece samples into your own Kits – again, from what I’ve been told, but I haven’t tried that yet.
I’ve been experiencing some hinkey behavior from BFD’s Content Locations system, and my ticket with tech support on the sample import question remains open until I can iron out all the kinks. So in my own process, I’m still not quite “off to the races.”
For my own part, I looked in the manual. Kind of a lot, actually, because I dimly recalled reading something about importing back in the Fxpansion era. This time however, I found nothing after searching on a number of terms-variations.
Which isn’t to say I still couldn’t have missed the boat completely – I just failed to catch it on this trip!
Bfd files are a multi channel format. Starting with a wave file that has direct, oh,room, ambi channel. After creating a hit file you can convert it to bfdlac format using the tool later. the kit piece folders has “hit” and whatever else like rim shot or bell hit based on the kit piece your going to make. In the hit folder the samples will be master01 to master25 etc. The lower the number the softer the hit… It also has tga photo and a xlm file. For an example if you using you own snare for to the bfd3 I put my kit pieces in the bfd3 core library/audio with the folder named for the kit piece. Now most important you have to use a copy of the xlm file per kit piece. snare use a bfd3 core library snare xlm. Youll have to edit the xlm file with you kit piece name and info.Make sure the folder and kit piece names match and the path is in the folder… bfd3
Thans for the detailed explanation, I thought it was pretty much like this as I have inspected the xml files on multiple occassions, it’s a lot of work given the amount of samples I have, but it’s really worth it if building a proper customised kit/kit piece etc. To find the time is the mian issue.
Wow – that’s really comprehensive. Thank you very much!
I have no experience of working with xml, although it seems to require a style of thinking something along the lines one uses when dealing with databases and the like (which I could try to wrap my mind around if I really focus!)
That’s a sound you recorded yourself?
The xml file image you’re sharing looks as if it’s a cymbal from BFD’s own library, rather than a user-imported one, but… I thought that only a single mic source could be accommodated in user samples. Yours appears to have multi-mic’ing!
In any case, your image serves perfectly to illustrate how BFD channelizes the elements of each of its own library sounds “under the hood.” It’s really kind of fascinating!
But am I incorrect that there’s no point in going to the extent of multi-mic’ing a kit piece for user-importation? As I say, I was under the impression that extra mics (such as Ambient, Overhead, etc.) can’t be included in an imported user-sample, that only a single sound-source for each kit piece can be imported.
Allowing of course that a sound can be played and recorded with discreet varieties of increasing force, in order to create velocity layers (which are able to be imported for each sound) and also with various articulations in order to account for the range of timbres a kit piece can produce.
Now that’s interesting too – in my test I did not do this, instead creating a separate folder hierarchy in order to keep the BFD-native sounds “in their own domain.” Maybe I need to re-think that strategy!
Bump! (…And do I ever hear you on that one! )
Again, thank you KD101 for this deep insight into “Life Inside The Machine.”
Its all pretty straight forward. once you get the process down it goes pretty quick. the one thing that takes some time other that recording a editing is converting all the channels to a single multi channel wave file. my pro tools doesnt have this so i have to use a free program called audacity. just make sure that the channels are correct otherwise your kit piece will sound weird
the xlm file is basically just a sample paths and kit info. the xlm file a i use is a custom xlm with bfd2 and 3 lines. you also can use more than just direct, oh, rooms and ambi channels. you can use (crush or even more mono mics) (channels) yes this is my custom cymbal in the bfd3 directory. that why i dont have to authorize my kit pieces because bfd3 thinks my kit piece is part of its own core library all my channels work with about 25 velocity layers from soft to hard stick strikes… if anyone whats my xlm templates i can post the lines here. bfd drums i want a job…lol.
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