BFD3 is the third generation of FXpansion's flagship software acoustic drum studio: new levels of realism and ground-breaking features in an intuitive redesigned engine. With stunning new kits, mix-ready presets and modelling technology for tom resonance and cymbal swells, BFD3 delivers uncompromising detail. The revamped interface has a new mixer and sound browser for the easiest BFD.
Required for boxed version up to v2.1.0.47:
Recommended for best results:
Required for v2.2, v2.3 and download version (64-bit compatible):
BFD2 is now a legacy product. It has now been superceded by BFD3.
BFD2 may run on recent OS/sequencer version combinations, but it is not possible for us to test or develop it any longer so please do so at your own risk.
Upgrade paths are available on request for BFD3 and BFD Eco - please contact us for details.
The information in this FAQ is provided for users wanting to utilise older systems with old operating systems and old versions of host/DAW applications. Tape stop mac vst free.
You may be able to find additional help from other users at the BFD2 forum.
Well it's Big, it's Drums and it's version 2! The rest is up to you :)
Boxed version with DVDs: It is possible to install individual DVDs, although DVD1 must be installed. Please be aware that many presets will not fully load if you do not install all the data.
Download version: The entire set of content must be installed.
After installation you can choose to delete individual kit pieces from your hard drive if you wish.
Yes! BFD2 introduces the ability to import your own sets of mono or stereo multi velocity samples and play them within BFD2.
Yes - there is a very diverse range of expansion packs available for BFD2.
A large range of boxed and download-only expansions are available from the FXpansion webshop.
Several third-party companies also produce expansion packs for BFD2.
There are over 90 kit pieces in BFD2 including 10 Full kits, 8 hihats, 23 cymbals, 16 snares and an extra kick!
No. BFD2 has the first part of every sample loaded into RAM for immediate playback. Any latency is due to the size of the audio buffers used by your host application and sound card, and delays due to MIDI devices.
No. BFD2's manual is around 180 A4 pages - such a staggeringly deep piece of software requires a very extensive manual to document its complex features. The thing is, from past experience we're not convinced that many users actually read paper manuals. We decided that a huge manual that collects dust on the shelf is simply a terrible waste of trees! Not to mention the fact that it would add heavily to the cost of BFD2 and to shipping costs due to the increased weight.
Yes. BFD2's built-in audio export and advanced Groove engine features mean that you can construct drum parts/ arrangements and then simply export your work as audio files to import into whatever device/software you want.
If you have very advanced usage needs - for example, tempo or time-sig changes during a song, or multiple output of audio channels, you must use a host.
BFD2 works in multilanguage operating systems althoughy the text in BFD2's interface itself is not multi-language.
BFD2 uses several different types of presets and other files. Version 2.0.0 ships with a variety of presets to get you up and running.
1. BFD2 Presets
These are snapshots of the entire state of BFD2 - so they include the kit, kit-piece tweaks, customized mixer setup, Groove page contents, MIDI keymap and automation map, as well as certain session-based preference settings. There are numerous BFD2 Presets supplied - simply load one and swap out the kit-pieces or Groove engine contents.
2. Kits
A combination of kit-pieces to form a 10/18/32 piece kit, and any kit-piece tweaks set up in the kit-piece inspector.
3. Kit-piece presets
These are presets of kit-piece tweaks made in the kit-piece inspector. They are useful for dialling up dry/damped/ambient settings, for example.
4. Mixer presets
Mixer presets are much more complex than in BFD 1.x - they include custom aux channels, output and send routings and FX setups.
5. Channel strip presets
You can save the settings of a channel strip in the mixer and recall it on others.
6. FX presets
All the built-in audio FX feature a preset system.
7. Palettes
Palettes contain the entire state of the Groove page - the Palette of loaded Grooves, humanization FX, editor settings and Drum Track contents (the arrangement track).
8. Grooves
Grooves are now proprietary files instead of MIDI files. This means that they can trigger articulations directly without relying on a certain MIDI keymap in order to make sense. You can still import and export MIDI files as Grooves very easily.
Your graphics card and monitor should be able to display a resolution of 1024 x 768 to take full advantage of BFD2's graphical user interface.
Approx 55GB full install size. Smaller installs of ~20GB and 35GB are available and the footprint can be customized further after installation.
BFD2 has never been supported on G4 processors or OSX versions prior to 10.4.x.
BFD2 versions up to and including 2.1.0.47 are supported on G5 processors, and will operate on 10.4.x or later versions of OSX.
BFD2 versions from 2.2.x onwards (including the BFD2 download version) are supported on Mac Intel processors only, in 10.5.8 and later versions of OSX.
BFD2 versions 2.3.x and later are supplied in native 64-bit and 32-bit versions for Windows 7 and Mac OSX 10.5.8 or later.
All versions prior to 2.3.x are 32-bit only.
Yes - BFD2 complies fully with your DAW's multi-core CPU management.
VST 2.3 and 2.4, RTAS on PT7.0 and above, AU on OS X, and standalone (via CoreAudio, ASIO, WDM and MME).
BFD2 versions prior to 2.2.x are supported on:
BFD2 versions from 2.2.x onwards (including the download version) are supported on:
Yes, as long as you have access to a machine somewhere with Internet connectivity and a means of moving a small key file between the two machines (a USB memory key, CDRW, floppy disk or similar device would all do the job).
BFD2 versions 2.2.x and later (including the download version) are only supported on Windows 7 (Intel/AMD CPUs) / Mac OSX 10.5.8 or later (Intel CPUs only).
Cubase SE3 is not a Universal Binary - in other words, it is compiled only for Power PC CPUs: G4s ad G5s. On an intel Mac, Cubase SE3 runs in the 'Rosetta' interpreter which makes Cubase think it is on a PPC Mac. BFD2's authorization file is linked to your machine configuration, which includes the processor type.
Unfortunately, this means you can either authorize BFD2 to work in your simulated PPC Cubase SE3 environment, or you can authorize to run on your real hardware, but not both. However, the major problem is that Rosetta is going to really slow BFD2 down - BFD2 has a lot of highly optimized code specifically for PPC or Intel chips, and what will be happening on your system is Rosetta will be simulating PPC instructions on an Intel chip, and ignoring all BFD2's speedy intel instructions that we laboured over. This simulation is many times slower than is desirable for an audio application! We judge that a dual core 2GHz macbook pro is equivalent to a 500MHz G4.
So that's the lay of the land. Your music studio's performance as a whole will greatly benefit from a DAW that runs on intel Macs natively, not just BFD2.
Yes - however, it's not a 'drop in replacement' - songs and projects saved with BFD1 will still load with BFD1.
BFD1.x and BFD2 can co-exist on the same system. BFD2 will not interfere with any existing BFD1.x-based projects, and you can continue to use BFD 1.x as normal.
BFD2 is compatible with all audio and grooves in BFD1.x and all BFD-compatible expansion packs. BFD1.x presets can be imported into BFD2.
There are some systems in BFD2 which don't match BFD1's exactly - for example, the new mixer and signal processing engine has many elements which have no counterpart in BFD1; BFD2's groove engine uses a single unified groove palette spanning the entire keyboard instread of 3 separate octave-bundles.
BFD2 data is not compatibile with BFD1. Some kitpieces may play in BFD1, but BFD2 uses Mid/Side encoding for the room microphones, and allows 3 snare direct microphones, both of which are not supported in BFD1.
Any expansion packs that you want to use with BFD2 must be authorized in the FXpansion License Manager, which is installed with BFD2 and controls authorization of all new FXpansion products and any expansion packs in BFD2.
Your expansion packs (and BFD 1.x, if you intend to use the original BFD library sounds) need to be registered in the same user account as your BFD2 license. If you have ended up with multiple accounts for different products, please contact our technical support department to resolve the situation.
No - only a brand new set of recordings that is exclusive to the BFD2 package. You will need BFD1's data installed and authorized in BFD2's License Manager to use the BFD1 sounds in BFD2.
Yes but it is reformatted for BFD2's new Groove engine and accompanied by 1000's of new grooves made for BFD2.
Aside from some slight differences in the mic'ing and articulations, they are treated to all intents and purposes identically to the new files. There is no need to have 2 copies of any of the WAV files on your drive - you can set up as many data paths in BFD2 as you like.
No. BFD2 has flexible routing and modern DAWs, on the whole, can hide channels on demand and have good channel management generally so there is no longer any need. Effectively, BFD2 gives you the best of all the approaches in one plug-in.
The Groove engine is completely rewritten in BFD2 - there are too many new Groove features to fully cover in this FAQ. Please read the manual for a full guide to the new Groove engine! Here's a brief summary:
Firstly, you can load up to 128 Grooves (including Fills), and devote an entire MIDI channel to the Groove engine in order to use all 128 (so that they do not clash with any MIDI keymappings to articulations).
Each Groove slot can have its own start and end behaviours set up. You can recreate classic drum machine fill behaviours or go way beyond into new territory for jamming auto-accompaniment.
Groove events are tied directly to articulations - they do not need MIDI keymappings in order to work.
You can audition Grooves before loading, in sync with the host if it is playing.
Realtime humanization is more comprehensive and easier to use. You can destructively 'print' humanization effects onto one or all Grooves.
BFD2's Groove Editor lets you edit Grooves with the same level of control as full sequencer MIDI editors.
You can record Groove events live via MIDI in real time.
BFD2 provides a single-track arrangement lane for Grooves, so you can create a full drum track entirely within BFD2.
You can export single Grooves, multiple Grooves or the drum track as MIDI or audio, with multiple channels if required. The export Groove features are great for making multichannel breakbeats quickly and efficiently. Since the export features are built into the software interface itself, you can use them when running BFD2 as a plugin or as a standalone application.
BFD2 can be hosted as a plugin within Drumagog 4 or later.
No - however, BFD2 can be used with expansion packs that include brush articulations such as BFD Jazz & Funk or BFD Jazz Maple. Alternatively, your own samples can be imported.
Yes. BFD2 allows you to load kits up to 32 pieces in size (compared to BFD1's 18). You can load anything in any slot. Note that each of the 32 pieces has multiple articulations, so this is equivalent to much more than 32 slots in a conventional drum sampler.
Here's a summary:
These are the articulations in the BFD2 sound library - articulations found in older libraries will still work, of course.
BFD2's new architecture allows support for any number of articulations, so future expansion packs can introduce even more new articulations per kit-piece.
Yes - as long as you have suitable mallet samples (for example, those in BFD Jazz & Funk, BFD Jazz Maple or your own samples).
There is a global preference for the max velocity layers and also a detail setting per kit piece class (eg. for all kicks, or snares etc) allowing you to use half the maximum, a quarter of the maximum or a single-layer with automatic amplitude-scaling.
Unlimited paths across multiple drives.
To some extent, yes. However, no two identical kits have been recorded, and in any case no two drums sound the same (because of heads, tuning, the room, the mics & technique, even ambient factors like climate). For instance, the Black Beauty snare and Ludwig VistaLite are nominally similar to examples in BFD1, XFL and Deluxe, but sound wildly different.
Yes - there are some bonus 8 Bit Kit and BFD Percussion kit-pieces with reduced velocity layers. These cover a few classic drum machine kicks and snares, and a few kit-oriented percussion sounds (cowbell, tambourine and some other 'bread and butter' sounds). See the Kit-Pieces tab of the BFD2 product page for a full listing of the kit-pieces provided with BFD2.
Please note that these bonus kit-pieces do not negate owning the expansion packs they're taken from - they comprise a very small and detail-reduced selection, allowing users without any expansion packs to experiment with the layering functions and percussion slots on multi-channel sounds, as opposed to mono/stereo imported samples.
No - this is not possible.
No - because we wanted to guarantee stability and cross-compatibility of mix presets, and because you already have a DAW for that. BFD2 has 8 stereo and 16 mono outputs so isolated channels can easily be processed by external plugins or outboard.
Yes - BFD2 v2.1 and later versions feature the Overloud Breverb algorithms for high-quality built-in reverb. BFD2 also contains an intentionally artificial-sounding reverb effect called TinCanVerb. Alternatively, you can route drum channels to individual outputs for further processing in your DAW's mixer with any reverb effects you own.
Yes, CPU permitting. Running our EQ and high quality DCAM circuit-modeled compressors on all 32 drums (~40 channels including buses and alternate mics) is going to take a hefty chunk of CPU.
DCAM is our proprietary analogue circuit modeling technology, and stands for 'Discrete Component Analogue Modeling'. DCAM enables us to build virtualized electronic circuits in code, the results of which are superbly authentic. You'll already have heard some of the filtering and distortion modelling if you've tried our synthesis instruments like DCAM Synth Squad and Tremor or effects such as Etch. The compressors in BFD2 are very realistic models of 2 of the most well-known studio compressors ever, and sound great even at extreme settings.
Yes. BFD2 features a modular mixer with flexible channel routing, assignable AUX sends/returns and side-chain busses. A selection of the bundled effects have a side-chain input (where it makes sense to have one).
Yes.
Yes.
Yes, via drag+drop direct to host, Finder, etc, or using the Save menu in the Groove page.
Yes - multi track audio rendering & export is built-in and extremely easy to use. You can export Grooves as audio, and also set up BFD2 to export what it's playing in sync with a host that is sending it MIDI.
The export features allow you to 'record-arm' any channel on the BFD2 mixer - whether it is a direct mic channel, ambience channel or aux/master channel - so that the channel is exported as a discrete audio file. This means you can create multi-channel bounces very easily, which is something that not all hosts can do.
The audio export features are built into the BFD2 interface itself, so you can use them either when running BFD2 as a plugin in a host or as a standalone application.
If you are using BFD2's internal Groove engine, offline audio export can be used.
Yes - you can import multi-velocity mono or stereo samples in standard WAV format. Imported samples are used to create a kit-piece which can be loaded into a slot in the normal way. Imported kit-pieces can have only 1 articulation.
Yes, the standalone application supplied with v2.2.x or later supports multiple outputs.
Earlier versions do not feature a multi-output standalone application. However, you can use any lightweight plugin host to run the BFD2 plugin for multiple outputs.
BFD2 comes with factory mappings for the following:
Easy-to-use functionality is built in for customizing existing mappings and for setting up mappings for less common controllers like Zendrums, TrapKats, Mandala Drums, Hart, XDrum, Pintech, RET, Roland HD-1, HPDs and SPDs, Ion IED-1s etc., as well as customized or DIY controllers and modified versions of the factory supported controllers (e.g. TD brains with extra toms or cymbals from Roland or elsehwere).
BFD2 makes it easier to set up your e-drum kit, and you should be able to get a response comparable to your drum brain sounds, as long as you have a suitable low-latency system. The BFD2 manual contains more info about latency and electronic drums in general (see chapter 9).
Yes - BFD2 supports positional sensing using a MIDI CC.
Currently, positional sensing support is implemented for snares, to switch between the hit/half-edge articulations.
The data in the download version has been reduced to 20-bit audio, whereas the boxed version contains 24-bit audio.
The download version is only supported on Windows 7 and Mac OSX 10.5.8 or later, and is only compatible with Intel processors on Mac.
The download size is approx 14GB - this is uncompressed during installation resulting in a maximum installed size of approx 52GB.
20-bit audio offers a dynamic range of around 120dB. This is greater than the dynamic range of most professional-grade preamps/A-D converters, so there is no perceptible loss of audio quality. Any noise introduced due to the bit-reduction process is well below the analogue noise floor inherent in the recordings, and leads to much smaller downloads.
This product features a challenge-response authorization system, with three installs on your own machines allowed simultaneously.
We have tried very hard to make the authorization procedure as pain-free as possible. Please understand that it is necessary for safeguarding your investment in future development and user support.
Our products do not use iLok or any other unified protection scheme. We do not believe in such systems' security, and would rather not pass on their costs to our customers.
Yes - you can install on up to 3 machines as long as only 1 is running it at any one time. Site / volume licensing is also available (POA - please contact us for details).
A new major operating system version is enough of a change that the authorization system will require re-authing the product; point releases should be fine. Likewise, a significant hardware change will also require re-authorization. We will be monitoring the situation closely and adjusting the flexibility of the authorization system to get the best balance of copy protection and annoyance levels.
If reinstalling an existing OS without changing any hardware, you will be able to save the auth file and simply re-import it when authorizing the product again.
Yes, however:
Once a transfer is authorised and the fee has been paid, the new owner is entitled to exactly the same upgrade paths and technical support resources as if they had bought the product new.
VST plugins are virtual instruments and audio effects for your digital audio workstation.
There are literally hundreds of free VST plugins online nowadays, and finding good ones takes time. To help you focus on making music instead of testing audio plugins, we listed the best free VSTs for your music studio.
Scroll down to browse the VST plugins based on their category. Each category page features the best free virtual instruments and effects for a specific music production task. Welcome to the internet’s most up-to-date directory of freeware VST plugins.
The categories are updated with the latest free plugins multiple times per year. Be sure to check back from time to time and keep your free VST plugin collection up to date!
Freeware effects in VST plugin format:
A selection of free virtual instruments in VST plugin format:
Other useful freeware VST plugins:
A selection of free audio editors, digital audio workstations, and other applications that host VST plugins:
An archive of free VST plugins that are not supported anymore. These freeware plugins are hosted on BPB with the permission of their developers.
If you’re a software developer interested in hosting your VST plugins on Bedroom Producers Blog’s servers, feel free to get in touch!
In case you’ve never used VST plugins before, chances are you’re facing a question. What are VST plugins?
A VST plugin is a software-based audio effect or a virtual instrument intended for use in a host program that supports Virtual Studio Technology. Most digital audio workstations nowadays can load VST and VST3 plugins.
VST plugins are used to expand a virtual music studio, much like how hardware effects and instruments are utilized in a real studio. There are literally thousands of VST plugins available for free download on the web.
In fact, there are so many free VST plugins on the market that one can waste hours downloading and testing them instead of making music. For this reason, we have created the free VST directory to help music producers find the right tools more quickly.
The acronym VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology. Introduced by Steinberg in 1996, the Virtual Studio Technology and VST plugins made a massive impact on the way we produce music today. The technology allows music producers to expand their digital audio workstation with third-party audio effects and virtual instruments.
Now you know what a VST plugin is. But how can you use VST plugins to make music?
You will need a VST plugin host. That is a software program capable of loading VST plugins.
Choosing the right audio software and learning to use it properly will ensure an efficient workflow when producing music. Therefore, make sure to familiarize yourself with the software available in your VST plugin folder. No one wants to use a complex plugin for the first time during a critical mixing session.
First of all, you need to choose the right VST host or digital audio workstation. The decision to use freeware or commercial music production software is up to you and your budget.
The first thing to keep in mind when choosing your DAW is the workflow. Is the interface intuitive? Does the control layout seem logical to you? Does the application provide all the recording and mixing features you’ll require? And most importantly, can it host VST plugins?
The best free digital audio workstations right now are Tracktion 7 and Cakewalk by BandLab. Both applications can load VST plugins.
Now that you’ve picked your DAW, you’re all set to start building your collection of free VST plugins.
Always go for quality instead of quantity. The biggest mistake people make when discovering the world of free VST plugins is to download hundreds of VSTs and to hoard them on the hard drive. This is bad for your workflow, and it will slow down your productivity.
Imagine that your DAW is a real-world studio. Would you be able to make music in a room cluttered with hundreds of dusty instruments, effects, broken tapes, disconnected audio cables, and other gear that no one will ever use? You don’t want such a mess in your virtual studio, either.
Stay organized when choosing your virtual instruments and effects. This page is a great place to start because we listed only the best freeware VST plugins in each category.
What you need is a small but versatile collection of audio software that will cover all of your music production needs.
Take the time to examine the plugins on offer and keep only the ones that you really need. Keep your mixing toolbox lightweight and efficient. Limit yourself to no more than three virtual compressors, equalizers, synthesizers, etc. Install only the tools that best suit your workflow and learn how to use them. Read the manuals, watch the video tutorials, and spend some time experimenting with your free VST plugins.
Finally, keep your plugins up to date. Developers often release updated versions of their freeware plugins, which include essential bug fixes and additional features. Keep an eye on our news section to stay informed about the latest updates of popular VST plugins. Also, consider subscribing to our email newsletter to receive the latest freeware news straight to your email inbox.
If you’re looking for even more freeware plugins for your DAW, check out the massive database over at KVR Audio.
Updated on November 13th, 2020.