Hello Everyone!
How can i control each instrument volume?
Sorry for asking stupid questions.
Thank you!
Hi Nacho
Have you tried the mixer?
https://d140ffsmluhjx7.cloudfront.net/Documentation/manuals/pdf/BFD3_Operation_Manual.pdf#page48
@Nacho Aside from the Mixer faders, you can also adjust the volume with the Trim knob on the Tech page for a kit piece.
I use this to balance any kit pieces that may have too weak, or hot a signal right off the bat and also if I’m happy with the tonal sound of the MIDI data velocity, but the overall volume going into the mixer needs tweaking. The cool thing about the Trim knob, is that it will adjust the volume going into the ambient mic channels as well by the same amount, whereas the mixer fader does not affect the ambient channels.
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Hey guys!
Yes i’ve tried the mixer but when i lower the knobs nothing happens.
Actually my problem is that when i play the hi hats i Can tell they are too loud in the pop punk preset.
I just use bfd3 for playing electronic drums. I have ni idea about mixing yet, as you can see…
Nacho,
A drum instrument’s level not only depends on the setting of (1) the Trim knob that Fender_Bender mentioned and (2) the direct signal (which is controlled by the fader associated with the instrument itself) but also — and in some cases dramatically so — on the amount of signal present in the so-called ‘Ambient’ microphones, viz. the room, overheads, etc.
It’s vitally important to get thoroughly familiar with these Ambient Mics and how they work, because not only do they have a big impact on the levels and balance of the kit, but on top of that, they also can make a huge difference to the sound and the character of the drums: a snare captured through the overhead or room mics sounds totally different from that same snare heard through the close mics. And the same goes for bassdrums, toms and, well, everything else, really.
(Very much worth your while to experiment at length with the balances between ‘Close’ and ‘Ambient’ signals for all the instruments that you wanna work with.)
The amount of presence of the Ambient mics also makes a profound difference when it comes to (the balance and sound of) the hi-hats and cymbals. It’s very well possible that you find that changing the (direct) fader of the hi-hat (in many of BFD’s presets) doesn’t seem to make any noticeable difference as to its level. That occurs whenever the hi-hat’s level is mostly determined by the amount of signal that’s present in the overhead and room mics, rather than by the setting of the direct (or ‘close’) fader.
To change the level of the hi-hat in these cases, you need to raise or reduce the amount of Ambient signal. You do that by adjusting the settings of the Ambient Mics (bottom pane of the Tech tab, on the right of BFD’s GUI). Adjusting the Trim in that pane affects all the ambient signals together, but you can also adjust specific signals individually by tweaking their (small, horizontal) fader.
Again: it’s unexaggeratably important that you take the time to fully learn and master this feature of BFD, in order to gain full control over the sound, balance, character and behaviour of your drum kits.
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Great point and probably right over the target. In OP’s case, the Amb channel faders are also likely at 0dB, hence why the fader isn’t having a noticeable affect on the hi hats. This is one of the reasons a lot of presets, especially older ones, tend to sound like crap. Because there’s no real balance with the Amb send levels and faders… they’re at the default 0dB. There is a setting in Preferences where you can change the default Direct, OH and Amb channel fader levels, but that will only apply to building a kit from scratch and won’t affect where they’re set in a saved Preset.
One of the first things I do when building a kit after balancing the kick and snare direct levels, is balancing each ambient mic channel with the send levels with what I feel works best for the kit. To me, they’re almost like sub mixes in themselves. There are ambient channels where you may want a little less kick in it like the rooms and OH’s and less/no cymbals in any mono Amb channels, etc. Really comes down to taste and what works best for the kit, but having a good knowledge and workflow of how much of each kit piece is present in the Amb channels will generally always get you a good starting point.
Thank you so much for your help. As soon as i get home i’ll try to do that.
I have a lot to learn about mixing. I would love to
Hey guys! I could change the hi hat sound following your advice.
Just one question: where Can i learn the básics of drum mixing?
I need something to start with. I would really like to understand everything in BFD3, i love it. The more i use it the more i like it.
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YouTube is full of great BFD tutorials.
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