Fxpansion BFD2 Manual User Manual download pdf (Page 7)

1:2 BFD2 Architecture

How BFD2 works

Disk-streaming multi-channel sample playback engine

At the heart of BFD2 is a sample playback engine that streams multi-channel audio recordings of drum, hihat, cymbal and per-

cussion instruments – called kit-pieces – being played in various ways, and recorded with multiple sets of microphones.

There is an inherent latency when accessing ﬁles on a hard drive. Because of this, BFD2 caches a short segment of the start of

every sound in system memory. Therefore, even though BFD2 can use a lot of RAM, it allows you to use sounds with detail levels

far beyond conventional RAM limitations. Hard disk space is far cheaper than RAM, and will be for the foreseeable future.

Dedicated interface for working with multi-channel acoustic drums

Rather than having to work with a generic sampler interface and sample libraries designed within its limitations, BFD2’s user

interface allows you to work with its hyper-detailed sample library as if you were playing and mixing a real drumkit!

There are functions dedicated to building the custom kit of your dreams in seconds, tuning and damping kit-pieces, and high-end

studio quality mixing tools. It features simple-to-use mapping tools, and dedicated support for electronic drumkit systems. Mean-

while, the ﬂexible Groove engine lets you lay down convincing drum tracks quickly and easily.

Anatomy of a kit-piece

Articulations

A kit-piece is made up of one or more articulations. These were referred to as ‘hit types’ in previous versions of BFD. An articula-

tion is an individual way of playing a percussive instrument such as a drum, cymbal or hihat. For example, hihats feature up to

11 articulations – a pedal-down sound (‘foot-chick’) and tip and shank (edge) sounds when the hihat is closed, fully open and at

three positions in-between.

Good use of multiple articulations allows greater realism than using conventional sample-sets, because of the expressive range

possible on a drumkit.

Velocity layers

Each articulation is made up of a number of audio ﬁles, called velocity layers. These audio ﬁles are recordings of the articulation

being played at varying intensities from soft to hard. As well as the amplitude (‘loudness’), the timbral response of percussive

instruments varies greatly with playing dynamics.

The high amount of velocity layers in BFD2’s sounds lets you recreate the sound of dynamic drumming, giving convincing results

when using accenting. This is very important in the formation of realistic grooves.

Multi-channel audio ﬁles

Each velocity layer is an audio ﬁle made up of multiple channels. These are recordings from several sets of microphones used to

capture each kit-piece. Real drum recording situations commonly use multiple mic setups in order to capture a variety of different

elements.

Firstly, a kit-piece may sound different depending on where a mic is placed. Snares sound very different when mic’d from above

compared to from below – a mic placed on top captures the ‘pop’ of the skin being struck, while the crunch and sizzle of the mesh

snare is captured at the bottom. Meanwhile, mics inside kick drums tend to pick up the ‘snap’ or ‘click’ of the beater striking the

drum. The main ‘thud’ and low-end power is captured by a mic outside the kick drum.

Drum recording situations also make use of stereo sets of mics to capture the kit as it sounds as a whole within a space. They

capture the projection of the kit and its reﬂections within the room much more effectively than individual directional close mics on

various parts of the kit, which sound very dry in comparison.

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