I’m guessing that BFD Player with it’s simplified UI and workflow, is going to be more geared towards composers and producers who are just looking for the finished sound ootb, without having to tweak things. BFD4 will be more for the advanced user who wants to take advantage of really customizing a kit/preset.
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I hope so too, I think BFD Player has been their experiment for this sector, and it will go from being only for Alesis use (which I thought was an excellent alliance) to be the lite version of BFD for everyone, something like the EZdrummer… That’s why I hope BFD4 keeps all the possibilities that its current version offers,
- That they continue to improve in offering modeling and sample control options, such as tom resonance, cymbal swell, tonal variation of the sound,
- Improve the import method to create our own pieces.
- Standardize certain parameters and recording protocols both for themselves and for third party developers, maintaining the character, but reducing the inconsistencies mentioned above.
- Aesthetic and some ergonomic changes in the GUI to give it a more modern, elegant and minimalist look, especially in the controls, the pictures of the pieces, and the distribution of them (the groove editor needs to be renewed).
- And the most important thing, a GOOD AGGRESSIVE marketing campaign. It’s a little sad to see how other drum developers mock certain features that are being added, that BFD had already added years ago, the same is quite scarce material on Youtube, not only by the company but also by many youtubers in the industry who do not even know that the BFD exists, nor is contemplated in comparisons or anything … I do not know why it has fallen into such silence, but I think much of it is in the strategy.
Yes, Drew has already said that BFD Player will eventually be available to everyone and I believe have integration with existing expansions.
I thought the official word was that BFD Player as really for eDrummers.
If it’s supposed to be a simplified version of BFD3 then they killed a far better product in BFD Eco in my opinion.
BFD Eco is way better than BFD Player.
I don’t think anyone using EZdrummer or Addictive Drums or any other competitor is going to be tempted to move over to BFD player, but if they’d updated BFD Eco and added the kind of features that people loved about EZdrummer it could have been easy pickings.
I wouldn’t advise any NON edrummer to buy BFD Player as I just don’t think it’s for them.
Steve
BFD Player is more a simplified version of BFD4, not 3? If it has a groove player built-in and can load presets, then it would be fine for the composer/producer. I think it’s intent is to reel-in new users who don’t yet have a drum sampler, as opposed to those who are already using one?
It would take too long to find but @BFD_Drew had definitely said it was made with E-drummers much more in mind.
Whether it’s scaled down version of BFD3 or BFD4 or not, it’s far too scaled down in my opinion.
BFD Eco was perfect for song writers and they killed it and I’m sorry to say I’m really not a fan of BFD Player. If it’s aiming to be a scaled down version of BFD4 then it needs to offer at least as much as EZdrummer and I don’t think it’s close
Steve
All in good time. We’ve got an entire roadmap of features for BFD Player.
BFD Eco was not maintainable, and had pathetically low velocity layer limitations that were a mistake at the time, and I said so, but nooooooooo… nobody listens to me!!
BFD Player is its own thing. You can consider it a particular deployment of the underlying engine. It isn’t a reflection of BFD3 nor BFD4, not really.
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Did you change the BFD Player product page to, Coming late 2023? 
We did actually ship a version in January, to the Alesis customers! But no, the page hasn’t been updated yet. I’m on paternity leave right now. Player will hopefully launch properly when I get back.
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Noice, congrats Drew!! First one? Wishing you and your family all the best.
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Congratulations, Drew!
Kind regards,
Living Room Rocker
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Congrats Drew, start the BFD training now lol 
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despite all the issues, it’s still holding up on a PC here, when i use it. the showstopper is and will continue to be putting access to my work at risk due to the current DRM.
agreed, someone could author a “Drums for Dummies” but the value BFD is with the extensive “drum focused” capability for acoustic drums, not a dumbed down version for bedroom “producers”. i’d like to believe there is a possibility for both, but would bet the cost and current DRM requirements are a greater barrier to crossing that market inflection point
agreed on the value and potential need, but imho too much work vs ROI to create AND maintain. perhaps InMusic could recruit some of the more knowledgeable members of the user base to create DAW specific templates and reward them with a free expansion pack for the most downloaded of the year. People do it for themes in Reaper, so…?
graphics don’t make music sound warm, cold, anything… (smh)
I greatly appreciate the concept of the current implementation, however it is unfinished. at a minimum, percussion in particular is pretty useless. ideally it should be possible to include a dedicated vector outline for each kit piece. get an intern to do it?
i’d find that very interesting, despite the current DRM implementation
wondering if it might be possible to create a utility to “normalize” some aspect of kit pieces. haven’t done too many tweaks. but appears access is possible in conjunction with several existing options already in BFD.
my priority is music, but have a skill set that could explore the potential for this. could even be implemented as a VST if the desire is to automate the matching of recorded volume levels. it would require a very well specified use case, but just thinking about it, can see all sort of issues with anything other than direct mics, but…
hmmm… might be something to this. as capturing an IR when creating an expansion should be pretty straightforward…
…
Further thoughts on the topic of cohesion/visualization, wondering about the potential for a different take on kit piece articulations, as in real world examples of a drummer using multiple beater types for a track (i.e. switching between mallets, brushes, sticks, etc)
probably missed something, but when trying this in the past, had to load 3 different snares which was a major PITA for both the template and MIDI tracks. DAWs have come a long way with implementing articulation maps, computers are beefy enough to handle increased sample loads…
we feel your pain. feel free to enlist your user base to make the business case.
The ability to change time signatures within a drum track in standalone mode.
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The rudiments feature in the groove editor in BFD 3 is phenomenal. I hope that carries over to BFD 4!
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Not sure where to put this. Or where to keep putting it?
But - Are we any closer to getting vst3 in bfd3 or even BFD4?
As much as I love BFD3, being a Cubase user it’s now getting close to the bone for another cubase update. And this time around it looks like a total drop for vst2.
Both Cubase with it’s continuing (for me) left and right vst issues and BFD with no vst3 Might have to get the chop. And I don’t particularly want either to have to go.
By the way - BFD player is quite a nice cut down version.
I’m only guessing here, but I doubt BFD3 will get the VST3 update but I’m 100% sure BFD4 will have it.
That said, we all thought we’d have to wait for BFD3 and that BFD2 wouldn’t go 64bit, we were wrong.
Is it compulsory to upgrade Cubase?
If not, then it’s just a question of whether the new features in Cubase (whatever they may be) are worth sacrificing BFD3 for.
I wouldn’t expect to see BFD4 until late 2024 or early 2025.
Steve
Hi Steve.
I know it’s not compulsory to upgrade cubase. Sadly, It would seem that there is no more updates to the latest version 12.? - It’s sadly lacking in collapsing stuff into mono (for me. Narrowed down to cubase software and all my projects are cubase.)
I’m at the minute trying to re install cubase 11, though that version (for me) wasn’t much better.
I first though my problem was with BFD3. Then it started with superior drummer, now it’s in all my vst’s.
A big problem at the minute.
And I take your meaning of not sacrificing BFD3. It may mean a shift in DAW. Very timely.
Sadly the whole thing is a mess, and things seem slower than ever with companies moving forward.
Time will tell. Hopefully for the better.
I just want the best drum sounds I’ve ever heard in a VST. I understand the mind numbing process, and if I could I would help.
This is just kind of what I dream being in a drum VST.
Things like:
The most extensive hi-hat engine ever in a VST, hell, I wouldn’t mind even building a contraption to control the hi-hat pedal at various points of open to close, and recording 3,000+ samples of the hat alone. Just sit with a decibel meter in front of me (or stand) and yeah. 12 points of open to close, of edge, and tip, 8 on the bell, take a bunch of samples of the high hat going from open to close at various points, and having it automatically play those when closing the hat. As well as the bit of ring you get when you open and close it quickly.
60 -80 velocity layers per articulation, of both left and right hand samples, that could individually be midi mapped. And 8 round robins per layer throughout. You could then program 2 up, and 2 down, and volume correct. The room response would still sound natural too.
Not all articulations would need that many, but center drum articulations, rimshots, etc…
Open, and “buried” kick articulations.
An edge articulation for the toms, I’ve never seen one available.
As well as the most extensive sampling of the ride cymbal ever done.
Full signal bleed etc…