Am I the only one who misses the look and feel of previous BFD versions?

[edwinstar]

I really tried, but now i have to admit: I am a littlebit disappointed with BFD3.

I was a BFD Fan from the beginning and own BFD 1, 2, 3 and lots of Expansion Packs and used them on all of my Songs. I had to upgrade to 3 because of AAX.
At first (like so often) i was exited about the new GUI look, but after a while i thought "why all these changes" everything has a new name, is located somewhere else, the BFD2 Presets didn't import right, the Keyset was different and the Mixer was too complicated. I really started missing my old BFD 2, but couldn't use it in Pro Tools 11. Maybe I'm old, but I want a good thing to stay good!

So now, with a sad Eye, i tried something else: Superior Drummer 2. And funny, the good feeling is back again, without ever looking at the Manual, i found everything i need, and now I'm flying again.

Does anyone else have the same experience? are you all happy users? and I am the only "old fashioned" guy who doesn't like too many changes?

[doublestrokeroll]

I really tried, but now i have to admit: I am disappointed with BFD3.

I was a BFD Fan from the beginning and own BFD 1, 2, 3 and lots of Expansion Packs and used them on all of my Songs. I had to upgrade to 3 because of AAX.
At first (like so often) i was exited about the new GUI look, but after a while i thought "why all these changes" everything has a new name, is located somewhere else, the BFD2 Presets didn't import right, the Keyset was different and the Mixer was too complicated. I really started missing my old BFD 2, but couldn't use it in Pro Tools 11. Maybe I'm old, but I want a good thing to stay good!

So now, with a sad Eye, i tried something else: Superior Drummer 2. And funny, the good feeling is back again, without ever looking at the Manual, i found everything i need, and now I'm flying again.

So it's bye bye BFD3 for me. Does anyone else have the same experience?

nope.....I love it...

See ya....

[jord]

Me neither... I get drums done faster with it.

Gotta love those "loud" good-byes. All I can say is don't let the door slam your arse on the way out.

jord

[SKoT_FX]

Many of these issues are easily resolved:

1) Don't like the Keymap? You can still use the BFD2 keymap if you prefer. Or the BFD1 keymap. Or General MIDI. Just set which one you want to use in the Key Map panel.

2) The BFD3 Mixer can be made to act like the BFD2 mixer (ie, without mixdown busses) - there's a preference for that. Otherwise it should be functionally equivalent. It's only as "complicated" as the BFD2 mixer, with 2 extra FXs and Sends.

3) I'm not going to apologize for renaming "Kit Pieces" to "Drums" . The much improved workflow of BFD3 required moving some panels to allow us to escape the constant swapping back and forth between kit, mixer and chooser panels in BFD2. Now you can do all that on one screen. This is a Good Thing, and worth a little learning of the new layout. BFD3's glowing reviews in the press certainly seem to like the new workflow... just as well because we must have redesigned & refined it a half dozen types during development & beta.

[Drew_BFDTeam]

just as well because we must have redesigned & refined it a half dozen types during development & beta.

Still find myself waking up in a cold sweat most nights!!

[edwinstar]

thanks for your replies! (except the rude guy, who only likes positive posts)
i tried all the mentioned solutions and still bfd3 doesn't feel immediate and inspiring to me.
but... i should have asked all my questions here, before i stopped using bfd for good and letting everyone know. that's why i will edit the titel of my post and as soon as i find the time, i will ask you all my questions and hopefully i will find all the answers to make me a happy bfd user again!
kind regards,
edwin

[greg.montano@gmail.com]

you may want to check out some of the tutorial videos at macprovideo or groove3 - may help you to get up to speed a little quicker. Once the new workflow is second nature, you will get things done quicker (hopefully )

[Benoni]

I'm not a fan of the GUI either. It's not the operation I have problem with, just the look. But I've already discussed this issue ad nauseum, so I don't think anyone cares what I have to say at this point

[noynekker]

I can only add that I mostly like what they've done with BFD3 GUI.
At first I really missed the drum kit images, which were replaced by those blueish outlined drumkit things . . .
. . . but most of the user interface changes are a great improvement in workflow, as "jord" has stated - - it is generally faster to get things done.

The groove section is a vast improvement, very well done, I use this a lot, and really like the updated changes.

From BFD2 to BFD3 the midi mapping went through a huge change, which I cursed out loud many times, but eventually recognized that there are more articulations represented in the new changes, and now I appreciate those changes.

"BFD3 Pop 110bpm JM kit" works in a spectacular way for the pop based songs I'm working on right now.

The Mixer is better, the Effects section is better, resizable VST user interface, kits load faster . . . come on, they've really made some great changes.

[Johnw123]

What about the sound? As good as BFD2 was BFD3 sounds better to me. It loads quicker and it loads the kits much faster. No its not for the casual user but neither was BFD2. It is a very tweakable drum sample player. I think its the best out there.

As to the GUI I think its a no brainer. Its far and way better in every way.

[andyjh]

As to the GUI I think its a no brainer. Its far and way better in every way.

I might challenge you on that statement, try loading a cowbell, or other percussion instrument and explain to me how seeing your cowbell as a Cymbal is better than what BFD2 did? (showed it as a cowbell image that is). There needs to be a percussion object/frame.


I have a love/hate relationship with BFD3, it's two steps forward and one back. I think the way key mapping works could be made easier. If you try to assign a drum that is already assigned to another key, you get both, and it's a lot of messing about to sort it out.

BFD3 seems to have real problems with user samples - they just don't work reliably now (they did in BFDF2).

I still think that BFD3 is the best drum software out there, but it's over complication of things may be it's own enemy, and it's bland basic GUI is likely to not attract so many new users.

Still it could be worse, look what NI did to Battery 4 - a complete and utter &*!$+ !!

[Drew_BFDTeam]

If you try to assign a drum that is already assigned to another key, you get both, and it's a lot of messing about to sort it out

I cannot reproduce that at all.

[Johnw123]

I might challenge you on that statement, try loading a cowbell, or other percussion instrument and explain to me how seeing your cowbell as a Cymbal is better than what BFD2 did? (showed it as a cowbell image that is). There needs to be a percussion object/frame.

Perhaps you are dwelling in the kit display too much and not using the mixer fully. The mixer shows a picture of the kit piece in use in this case Cow Bell. If I recall BFD2 didn't show all the percussion as a picture but rather a generic picture of added pieces. I use the add on percussion kit form FXpansion.

I have Battery 3 and it is cell based as was DR008. The mixer view is the more important view with BFD3.

[andyjh]

Actually, if BFD allowed us to audition the kit piece by clicking on the image on the mixer , without having to press ALT at the same time, then maybe the wire frame wouldn't need to be there at all.

But, having to use two hands to audition is tedious, so it then becomes necessary to click on the wire frame kit to audition, and that is when a percussion instrument blurs into the cymbals.

Maybe if the wire frame was gone, the need to hold ALT when auditioning in the mixer removed, then the TECH and MODEL pages could be displayed at the same time, that would actually allow the mixer to be wider, if the TECH and MODEL was all above the mixer.

[andyjh]

If you try to assign a drum that is already assigned to another key, you get both, and it's a lot of messing about to sort it out

I cannot reproduce that at all.

What I meant is that when you assign a new key, it doesn't delete the original assignment, you have to go and delete that manually afterwards.

Now, I guess I should use the mini keyboard in the middle, that does allow cut and paste - but I find this keyboard is too small to use, and no info until the mouse hovers.

The vertical "keyboard" on the left is also cumbersome, (If the back keys weren't as long as the white keys, it might be easier to follow it) - I spend most time scrolling and having to be aware of which octave number I am looking for.

All a bit of a distraction from what I am needing to do.