I’ve mentioned now and again that I’ve been into BFD since 2, and here… after all this time… I think I might have made a rather embarrassing realization:
I bring BFD channels into projects (usually Digital Performer 11) on DAW auxes, and largely control the most aspects of the drums from the project’s mixer, not BFD’s (other than to gain stage in BFD which does supply a most generous amount of level).
In the BFD mixer I keep things panned center, as it’s more convenient for me to control this from the DAW with everything else.
But… it just hit me… if I don’t do any panning in the BFD mixer, then – and for many years now – the audio in the Overheads / Rooms / Ambients …isn’t panned, correct? It’s all just coming up the middle? Because the “Big Three” stereo pairs can’t receive any panning from the DAW – only from BFD itself, unless I’m mistaken on that.
This came to me as an intellectualized thought rather than something heard in place, so I still need to check it.
If it’s true then I have perhaps revealed myself as not the worlds most acute listener, although the panning of my drums in the DAW always sounds pretty much the way I want it to (in which case, then ultimately what’s my problem really).
If I only roll a smidge of the Big Three into my mix then I suppose this might blur the imaging tho not obscure it completely.
And – if my brainwave is correct – then what happens if I pan in BOTH places?
That’s certainly a slippery slope for ya, because naturally BFD’s panning increments don’t comport with Performer’s – DP’s panning range being -64 - +64; while BFD’s runs from -100 to +100. So I guess I need to calculate what percentage of, say +12 in DP = which percentage of +100 in BFD to show the snare as being in a consistent place?
