A Beatles Virtual Instrument

zed · Post by **zed** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:33 pm

Frodo wrote:Here's why I want BDF:

BDF2: $400
Perc Expansion: $250
XFL Expansion: $250
Jazz and Funk Expansion: $250
BFD Deluxe Expansion: $250

Extra HDs put me close to $2k.

My dear Frodo,

Why do you feel the need to buy all of the expansion packs? The stuff that comes with the basic package is more than plenty. I bought the XFL expansion for my BFD 1.5 and aside from the occasional use of that maple snare, I hardly use any of the other kit pieces. You are becoming an expansion pack glutton! When you have a great kit set up with the Ringo Black Oyster pieces, and a few variations on that theme, you will already have more than enough to create tonnes of great sounding songs without the need for additional sounds. While always nice to have some extra options, they are certainly not necessary, and you will probably not ever miss them.

Get a grip, hobbit.

And honestly, I predict you are going to spend way too much time fiddling around with building and editing drumkits, when all you need is one or two good ones that you can go to for almost everything. Too many choices is often NOT a good thing.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:50 pm

For certain kinds of projects, maybe. But Ringo's kit is not going to serve all purposes. My clients demand more... and most of them are extremely picky to a fault. This is one case where one size does not fit all.

And notice the subtle wording-- "why I want BFD" as opposed to "why I got EZD instead".

Sometimes I have a wide variety of musical styles to cover-- and one area where I'm really lacking is with collections of specific world percussion. Someone comes in one day and wants to do a Baiao, Xaxado, or a Chorinho groove with proper instruments. The next day, someone else wants some unusual Peruvian combo rather than Brazilian or Cuban. Then someone else wants various combos of instruments from various parts of Africa.

I know there are other types of projects that will come up that will demand more than just a vintage kit. Different kinds of contemporary kits must be on hand for a diversity of projects I know are on the calendar over the next year or so.

I got tired of saying, "I can't".

So, my good Z, there may be more to this than I'm letting on...

zed · Post by **zed** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:03 pm

Frodo wrote:I know there are other types of projects that will come up that will demand more than just a vintage kit. Different kinds of contemporary kits must be on hand for a diversity of projects I know are on the calendar over the next year or so.

Okay Mr Frodo. I'm sorry... I'll stop harassing you!

I didn't realize you were stocking up for clients. Makes sense to have lots of stuff if you have to meet the needs of many different clients and projects. I don't deal with clients (thankfully), so that is never one of my criteria when shopping. I am the only extremely picky individual that I have to worry about... and I am plenty enough.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:11 pm

It's nice to have what you like and to like what you have-- but the upside of dealing with clients is that they bring income and income brings VIs-- and guitars-- and amps-- and...

Ah-- just on cable tonight: "How I Won The War". Got on the DVR and am waiting for the right time to give it a peek. I've never seen this film, believe it or not.

twistedtom · Post by **twistedtom** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:35 am

Frodo wrote:Here's why I want BDF:

BDF2: $400
Perc Expansion: $250
XFL Expansion: $250
Jazz and Funk Expansion: $250
BFD Deluxe Expansion: $250

Extra HDs put me close to $2k.

In time... in time...

That is the point, I will get a drum Vi but I HAVE SO MANY OTHER THINGS I need to spend on. #1 in the computer world is a new Mac. Pro.

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 2:39 am

Oh, there's no end in sight, it seems. You get a new computer that can run slicker than the one before and suddenly you find yourself in search of all kinds of goodies to put in it.

I want BFD2, definitely. The collection runs a bit of bean, no doubt. Nothing says that one has to get everything at once. I watched BFD from version 1. In the meantime, my goals were a new MacPro some time in early 2007. I got there by April based upon the anticipation of EW PLAY and FabFour-- hence this brief thread!

So, 32-bit PLAY arrived two months after my MacPro did and the 64-bit Beta arrived 9 months after that.

I haven't had any demos that required serious virtual drums or percussion in a long time. Suddenly, I've got at least 15 coming up.

So, everything is sort of falling into place sequentially. I've got EZD for cheap to get me started for now. I can't believe my MacPro is almost a year old... a veritable dinosaur! (j/k)

twistedtom · Post by **twistedtom** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 3:38 am

Frodo wrote: hence this brief thread!

(j/k)

twistedtom · Post by **twistedtom** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 4:00 am

EZD is a lot cheaper at $150, how are the sounds for rock? do you have any add ons like drums from hell?

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:54 am

twistedtom wrote:EZD is a lot cheaper at $150, how are the sounds for rock? do you have any add ons like drums from hell?

Yeah-- EZD is cheaper, but it's only 1.5GB compared to BDF2's 55GB.

I've only heard the demo for DFH and can't really tell you how well it works. DFH appears to better suited (at first glance) to something more metal-ish. Nothing wrong with that, and I'd like to have DFH2 "just because".

The basic kit in EZD is really quite good, imho. I've yet to install the Nashville or Vintage kits yet. The only other expansion I got was the Latin Percussion, but I'm spending whatever free time I have just getting the feel of EZD and mapping some of my own MIDI loop patterns.

It's still early yet in the process for me, but hopefully in the next couple of days I'll be much further along.

One of the things that is so typically distracting during my day is what I'm going through right now. I've been waiting all morning for a conference call, and I know that the moment I boot DP the phone's going to ring. Grrrr!

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:47 am

PLAY UPDATE-- second Mac 64-bit Beta 1.0.042

http://www.soundsonline-forums.com/show ... hp?t=11208

The only thing mentioned is that there were some bug fixes which "someone" reported. Not sure what those are at the moment.

Am downloading now.

zed · Post by **zed** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 5:39 pm

Frodo wrote:Yeah-- EZD is cheaper, but it's only 1.5GB compared to BDF2's 55GB.

Given that one third of the BFD kit pieces are cymbals, and that the decay of a cymbal is probably (on average) at least 10 times longer than the other kit pieces, it is probable that about 45--50GB of the BFD library is made up of cymbal variations.

How's my math?

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:59 pm

zed wrote:
Frodo wrote:Yeah-- EZD is cheaper, but it's only 1.5GB compared to BDF2's 55GB.
Given that one third of the BFD kit pieces are cymbals, and that the decay of a cymbal is probably (on average) at least 10 times longer than the other kit pieces, it is probable that about 45--50GB of the BFD library is made up of cymbal variations.

How's my math?

Mister Z, I'd trust your math before I'd trust my own!

The observation about the cymbal-only collection was quite keen, btw. Natural cymbal decay is so critical to getting a more organic sound overall. I detest samples that roll off the decay for the sake of keeping the size of the samples small at the expense of sound quality.

Many piano VIs do the same sort of thing, making them behave more like marimbas than pianos.

In any case, I may be picking your brain over some ideas regarding MIDI loops. I'm still only getting started with all of this, but I'm going to have some questions about your REX collection. That quickie mp3 you sent a couple of weeks ago was quite fascinating-- the guitar was the focal point, but I'm still impressed with the kick drum sound you got.

Eleventh Hour Sound · Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:04 pm

There is an amazingly nice Guitar Center in Roseville, CA (really nice, humble guys behind the counter)

(And less than the usual 140db of 10 different songs playing at once : ) <grin>

Anyway, one of the sales guys in ProAudio who was probably like 17, pointed out that some people are picking up BFD 1.5 and then doing the BFD2 update which gives you a few more kits then if you just got BFD2. (Since you would get the original BFD 1.5 kits)

So far, they're not discounting BFD 1.5 but I'm keeping my eye out for my friend who originally gave me his BFD version 1 when he couldn't get it to work. BFD changed my musical life and for someone with limited mics, hardware and studio space, right now I'm actually preferring drums tracks that I've done with BFD and an eDrum kit to live drums...

If any of the retailers end up selling copies of 1.5 at a really nice discount price that would be a totally amazing way to get into BFD.

1.5 is quite respectable in my opinion, and then the v2 update just ups the ante.

Same with the expander sample pack. They seem to be holding their value, but it would be awesome to find them on sale too!

(Opps forgot this was a FabFour thread) <Laughing>

Can you tell how passionate (and thankful) I am about finding nice, organic sounding (to me) real drum sounds?

To me, BFD is to drums what Ivory is to piano... "Done, got it covered! " <grin>

Frodo wrote:Here's why I want BDF:

BDF2: $400
Perc Expansion: $250
XFL Expansion: $250
Jazz and Funk Expansion: $250
BFD Deluxe Expansion: $250

Extra HDs put me close to $2k.

In time... in time...

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:19 pm

RecordingArts wrote:
If any of the retailers end up selling copies of 1.5 at a really nice discount price that would be a totally amazing way to get into BFD

Sweetwater has 1.x for $199.99. As of a moment ago it was marked as being "in stock". The upgrade to BFD2 is also $199.99, so for the same $400 for BFD2 the extra kits sound attractive.

audiomidi.com has 1.5 for under $180

I've also seen the $199 upgrade discounted a little here and there.

Thanks for the tip, RA!

Eleventh Hour Sound · Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:26 pm

YAAAAAAA!!!!! Ringo would be proud! <Grin>

Frodo wrote:
RecordingArts wrote:
If any of the retailers end up selling copies of 1.5 at a really nice discount price that would be a totally amazing way to get into BFD
Sweetwater has 1.x for $199.99. As of a moment ago it was marked as being "in stock". The upgrade to BFD2 is also $199.99, so for the same $400 for BFD2 the extra kits sound attractive.

audiomidi.com has 1.5 for under $180

I've also seen the $199 upgrade discounted a little here and there.

Thanks for the tip, RA!