BFD Eco
Clicking the CHANNEL tab reveals a whole new section right above the mixer view. From there, the user can access the individual settings for any selected drum element, as well as the three effect insert slots per channel. For example, the kick channel features settings for microphone balance (In/Out), tuning, damp settings, send amount (Aux1/Aux2), and the amount of signal sent to the overheads and to the room channel. Note that these individual settings vary a little depending on the selected element. Regarding the three effect insert slots, the first one is reserved for the parametric equaliser, while the other two can be used for any of the 14 included effects, from compression and distortion, to the great sounding plate reverb (using the Breverb algorithm by Overloud). It is also possible to load and save channel settings, keeping them ready for later use in different drum setups. Finally, each channel can be individually routed to a separate mixer channel in the DAW's mixer, enabling the use of external effects for full control over one's drum sound. Even though the quality of BFD Eco's included effects is more than satisfactory, the fact that it also supports multiple outputs is an essential feature for users who like to treat their drums with some special 3rd party effect chains.
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The GROOVES tab enables access to a set of MIDI groove files, categorized by genre and style. These grooves can be used for building drum tracks inside BFD Eco, but the user can ultimately choose to drag and drop any MIDI groove on a track and further tweak it using the DAW's piano roll. Needless to say, BFD Eco responds to MIDI notes just like any other instrument (meaning it can be played using a MIDI keyboard or edrum kit), but the grooves can help as a quick solution when composing new tracks. They are also handy for looping in the background while setting up a drum kit using the CHANNEL tab. BFD Eco also offers a range of global controls, from global dynamics and humanisation, to mic bleed and global tuning. The drop-down menu located on the top of the interface also reveals the checkbox to activate the so-called Anti-Machine Gun mode, which prevents the nasty repetitive effect which may occur when the same sample repeats multiple times during fast drum rolls and fills. Final Thoughts BFD Eco is, without any doubt, a highquality piece of software. It features FXpansion's signature high-fidelity September 2011
drum sounds and powerful routing/editing functionality, but available in a compact, easier-tohandle package. Thus, whether or not someone will find this software useful ultimately depends on one's needs. What some users would regard as a formidably broad amount of options, others will simply see as unnecessary bloat. BFD Eco takes away this potential bloat, keeping all of the workflowessential features, supported by a smaller, but still very usable set of acoustic drum sounds. The fact that it can be further expanded using numerous downloadable add-on libraries makes it a viable solution for any music producer seeking a lightweight, simple, yet highly effective and flexible source of acoustic drum sounds for their music. Considering the amount of included presets and grooves, as well as the amount of customization options, it could be useful both for absolute beginners and experienced musicians. BFD Eco is available at a standard price of $149, although please note that it can currently be purchased at a discounted price of $29 via audioMIDI.com (for a limited amount of time).