I started with BFD in 2007. Over all the years and updates, I have no idea what a clean install should look like. Ive had error messages that I have multiple versions of BFD running. I would like a way to know where things should be, or what I may not need. Some example of a the optimal install would be great.
Also, I really want things simpler. The only adjustments i need to make on a kit are usually snare volume, high hat volume. All the routing and and fine tuning is nonsense to me. I want to load a kit, tweak the volume and go.
I haven’t read through all the above, but the minimum to keep me happy would be that all previous expansions and factory content prior to BFD4 continue to be accessible, not only accessible but that accessibility be achieved without fuss.
Apart from that I’m good to go, although if you wanted to overhaul and pretty up the GUI I wouldn’t say no.
If they need DRM then iLok is the way to go, not being permanently online. I agree about the cracking though. EVERYTHING gets cracked. I pay because I want to support the authors, and I don’t appreciate being left with unusable software as a result
+1000 on the “boring” management stuff. I’ve been doing music in DAWs with VIs for a looong time. Can’t tell you how much time I’ve wasted trying to force BFD to be more informative and consistent in how it keeps track of my library. Can’t recall ever having to open and edit text files for any VI except BFD. Why? Just so I could force the dopy “Library” button to reflect what’s actually in my library. That one inconsistency made me lose all faith that BFD actually has any clue what expansions I own. The buggy “scan” feature (which will consistently hang if it has to scan more than a few folders at once) feels like it could be obviated with a more consistent spec for the way these libraries are built in the first place. I’m no computer programmer, and I use BFD because it sounds amazing, but I know enough to know that computers are rather excellent at supporting and exploiting well formed databases. BFD3 just feels sloppy to me in this regard. I don’t want to edit an XML or go spelunking into my OS’s /Library/ in search of the one true path. Bottom line - I want BFD to be way more clever in how I rummage through the sounds I own.
With Cubase 11, more options on screen layout/size/scale
Make it easier to audition and also see what instruments have what articulations (align the old and new content)
Make it easier to manage/see what mics are available and for what instruments, I often build my own kit and it can get confusing, perhaps allow only mics that all kit pieces have to be used as a selectable option
More consistency when selecting/auditing kit pieces (volume level in particular), especially as I don’t often use the kit/mixer presets.
Make it easier to output individual kit pieces (with options to include bleed/ambient mics) as I don’t always use the mixer/included presets (with the option to export unprocessed/unaffected pieces for a stem or to render the audio), owuld be handy to have groups in th eixer to route to seperat eoutpus (e.g. toms)
Make it easier to see/select grooves that use extended articulations and if any of the current instruments lack all the grooves articulations make it easy to see them
Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol/NKS mapping on their keyboards (for use with the light guide)
A bit of work on some interface elements, specifically:
– Key map
– Seeing/deleting extra mics/room and any non-kit direct mic options
– Less tabs to click on, easier to see/edit everything for a kit piece (tech + model)
– Bigger pictures of kit pieces (and mic options detailed for matching kit pieces)
Ability to select multiple pieces and apply changes to them
More grooves and better database indexing to find them and sets of grooves
First, I think think BFD3 is a cracking bit of SW. But of course there are always things that can be improved.
I would like to see improvements in Library Management and Installation: the two are very much tied together. Make it clear what the folder structure will be when changing the install location. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ended up with nested folders because it looked like I should add the actual bottom level install folder, only to have the installer add it as well, or vice versa.
As far as library, presets, and groove management, it would be nice to have default locations that we could specify, that BFD would then install all content of that type into in an organized fashion, instead of us having to deal with folder by folder management for each expansion and groove pack. Then of course if we decide we need to change that location BFD would allow us to specify the new location and update ALL references. Issues with file location should be dealt with with a expansion specific pop-up dialog (perhaps similar to Kontakt but BETTER) asking for a location that would be scanned, including all sub-folders, and that would update the reference to the expansion automatically (unlike Kontakt).
The addition of some sort of info line, showing what kit, groove, and presets are loaded, along with asterisks if modified, would be very helpful.
Consolidated or improved Tech and Model page.
Seconding @BennyG 's suggestion, a “Tap to Find” function, ala SD3, would be awesome.
BFD3 has great sounds. I’d mostly like to improve work flow in the Groove Editor.
Drum Track:
Option to “Snap to Bar” when dragging grooves in. (great for when you’re zoomed way out).
Option to “Insert x Bars of silence”, and would accordingly displace parts to the right.
Right click menu includes “select all parts to the left” and “select all parts to right”.
Groove Editor
Edit Menu includes “delete x measures to the left” or “delete empty measures” (say you import midi and it’s 75 bars long and there are only midi events on the last two bars).
Right click context menu on selected midi events like “Mute”.
Velocity display larger or in the center. For some reason, sometimes it takes half a second to find it. It adds up and decreases workflow.
Groove Palette
if a groove is multiple bars long, have an option upon drag (or before dragging) to only drag one bar if you want to. (even one in the middle). Perhaps right click and a menu item called “partial drag” is there and if you click it, you get a dialog box that says “Drag bar(s):__” you can enter “4-6” for ex.
Skin options
I usually don’t care about skins, but the white one is too bright over long periods of time, and with the dark one, the horizontal scroll bar on the groove editor does not have enough contrast to easily see.
How about this: I don’t WANT a BFD4 until well after BFD3 is fully functional and all the bugs have been FIXED!!
Asking for money again, right after I bought BFD3.4, and suffered this BFD2 to BFD3 migration nightmare, and all the damned BUGS in BFD3… No way am I going to spend more money at inMusic, on the same damned product I already own, if the one I just spent money on is totally BROKEN.
For me the biggest issue with BFD is the hard-wired expectation of the mixer paradigm.
It created havoc with automation (fun fact, at one time BFD3’s [host] automation would not accept anything but the hardwired slots, and my recall is fuzzy whether it would allow a viable host automation map to be assigned at all (It was working for BFD2 but 3 broke it). But for certain, after hihat, if it’s not floor tom, slot 4’s automation deleted slot 3’s.).
It seems like no one uses host automation, no one seemed to know. It was during contact with ROLI support where we got it fixed. This is why VSL cannot make VE Pro automatically take BFD3’s names, there is a conflict of a custom map to the factory map; it sees the latter and any custom map has to be re-upped every launch (by deleting a parameter and replacing it), now VEP has a chance to see the names I make. And unless I save the auto map before saving VE Pro project and quitting, chances are very high it will even with that workaround get the order wrong next launch, certainly if I’ve used a different automap it will get the other one wrong.
So first thing I want to see is the automation tab, which it will not open showing.
The issue itself is so tedious and so not a popular thing, ok, unless I lobby hard it’s going to stay status quo. but I would like to get to the tab right away.
I have mystery instability right now [not BFD’S] and redoing the same things over and over after crashes has become very tiresome.
I have been wondering since ages why you can trigger the kick drum with the respective icon on the drum screen but don’t get a reaction from the hi hat pedal. I would expect that clicking on the pedal of the hihat should trigger the pedal articulation. At least on my system it doesn’t trigger anything.
This is a mildly humorous request, but I think BFD could do with some star endorsement and having just discovered that Al Murray pub landlord is the MD of The British Drum Company then he’d be a great one to go for, BFD meet BDC.
See if you can record some of their kits as expansion packs.
Although I’m kind of joking I actually think it could be a really good idea.
Here’s the lovable pub landlord at NAM espousing the wonders of his product.
cant believe your all going through hell with this migration
why is it SOOOOOO unintuitive nothing is transparent
the thing is there comes a time when you got to say enough is enough and walk away
I think that we just want something that works reliably and logically. When BFD3 came out it was a game changer with excellent sounds and a GUI that was basic but very usable. I got used to it and did a lot of work with it. Unfortunately BFD3 was not taken care of in the way of development and time stood still. Many third party contributors developed some fantastic expansion kits, but Fxpansion did not work very hard to integrate them or develop the basic software to better integrate them. Also neglected was the authorisation and kit/part scanning.
A new and relatable GUI is an essential. There mast also be a foolproof ways of integrating new kits/expansions, a more flexible mixer to integrate with DAWs to be able to use the DAW mixer and the BFD3 plugins. Perhaps being able to use third party plugins within the BFD mixer.
