OK, after my recent trials and tribulations, I would like BFD4 to be able to launch WITHOUT scanning. Let it launch, perhaps warn you of missing content and that you need to scan, but then do nothing. Allow the user to then manually scan.
As it is I had a terrible time as I needed to delete some content paths from BFD as I’d rearranged my library, but I couldn’t delete them because the scan couldn’t find the content paths I’d deleted and left me in a scanning loop of doom! If I could have deleted the paths from the BFD window and then scanned it might have solved the issue. As it is auto-scanning just creates a Catch-22 like the circling path to Dante’s Inferno.
Well no it’s not a bug report, I would like BFD to not scan on start up. Although I have arrived at that conclusion because of a bug, even when fixed I would like this as a feature, as it’s poor design that if left any future bug introduction could break it again. At least if you could load BFD you might be able to do something, rather than it just sitting there in a recursive loop.
It seems silly to me that it has to do a full scan and complete it without error before you can even use it. I mean sure, Cubase does a scan when it loads, but if there are any issues it just let’s you know what they are and loads anyway, allowing you to fix it afterwards. With BFD’s system, any error stops you being able to use the software completely.
I can’t imagine this hasn’t be requested so +1 on a scalable UI. Full screen anyone? Separate window possible for the mixer and / or the keymap or for that matter UI elements that would be nice to see in tandem with the mixer like the groove editor?
At the very least the key map should be something we can see in total, and not be required to scroll through. I’m aware that it will auto scroll upon hitting a controller - but sometimes I’m not using a controller. Side note: Would love to see an official key map for Maschine
The whole thing just seems cramped by today’s standards. Frankly I’m usually using BFD through Cubase so I’m okay with it as is, but recently I was using it stand-alone and in that modality I feel like we can benefit from a more luxurious layout.
If a main kit graphic is staying in BFD4, and I cant see a reason why there wouldnt be a kit graphic, it would be handy if the different articulations of each kit piece, and where to click on the kit piece to trigger the articulations, were shown.
As in, clicking the edge of a snare triggers a different articulation than hitting the centre of the snare (and the same with cymbals), but where those different articulations are isnt entirely obvious, unless one is clicking the very edge of a hihat or the very centre.
Having a visual representation of where these articulations actually switch over would be very convenient.
@Kafka I’ll be damned if I haven’t stared at those very arrows and not once since owning a license for BFD clicked on them. I have however repeatedly tried mousing over the edges of the UI in the hopes that I could click and drag.
It makes me realize both how powerful and how weirdly dated the whole thing feels
@Artlessbugbear It’s a weird interface. I can’t think of another app that works like that. I think it showed up mid v3, but I forget when.
I’d really like to be able to customize all font sizes on all my apps. BFD3 isn’t great, but it’s better than Kontakt. I think I read somewhere that NI gave a hard ‘no’ on that one. That probably means the subject is more complex and tied to early design decisions than we may realize.
@Rik77 Thanks for the iPad version request. I love it.
Recently I was thinking BFD needs to do something like Two Notes do on their products. For guitar I use the Torpedo Live in the studio which I edit from my mac and live I use the CaptorX with the iPad app to edit presets. It works so well.
BFD on iPad needs to have the ability to link up with BFD on the computer where you can edit and transfer your favourite Kits and Presets so you can work with your top live kits on the iPad. If it was a lite-ish version, I would like it to have full individual drum samples. Not 50%-70% of the full samples on the BFD computer version. A full 5 Drum kits is good so live work can be carried out efficiently and if you need a change from any of the 5 you can swap them out with one using the computer version.
I need to have a look at the recent I/O set up for iPads and see what’s going on now.
I have heard of the Alesis Strike Pro being able to load some of the BFD samples and work for live use. But I think it only does a limited amount of samples per kit piece so the expression is limited, not entirely sure on this though.
BFD are my favourite so I would love to see it set new standards in the VST and E-drum world.
Thanks.
Edit*
Although I would love to see BFD in a module for edrums, I think the iPad is a great idea for a flexible solution for current edrum setups.
A right click option to hide a channel. I use separate mono channel outs for snare and kick (Kick In - mono 1, Kick Out - Mono 2, Kick Sub - Mono 3 etc) but the main Kick channel is still visible. As this is now redundant as no audio goes to it then it would be nice to hide it. If you get what I mean
I’d like a separate control for bass drum re trigger filter in engine …quite often there is bounce on bass drum triggers and a longer filter would be good… other drums require short re triggers for flams etc and seem to be fine
Multi-piece paint tool in the groove editor. Let’s call it “stencil” tool.
Copy a groove of duration x that uses n pieces of the kit.
Designate the order in which the voices will be spread across the target pieces on the next step.
-Click and drag. Now, the groove will be spread onto the newly designated target pieces, up to duration x, then it will loop over if dragged more. Dragging up or down will still modify velocities.
Im likely to try this at some point soon, I am determined to get some BFD functionality on my RPi4 and have a tiny mobile BFD kit. Still trying to get my head round the possibility, but at a 2.3ghz overclock, and with 8gb of RAM, and an SSD, I dont think I’m out my mind just yet
That would be out of this world. I don’t know how expensive things become on the hardware side, so as to build in pads, or a midi interface, or what not, but surely a prototype like the one you envision connected to a ddrums module (ex alesis io) could really be a major force!
