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A redesigned interface is just one of the new features in BFD2.

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For some time, FXpansion’s BFD was the de facto standard in ultra-realistic drum ROMplers. It wrote the rules and was augmented with some wonderful and absurdly large kit libraries.

But things have moved on, and the plug-in itself was beginning to buckle under the weight of all that bling. Users were being drawn towards newer options such as XLN Audio’s Addictive Drums and Digidesign’s Strike. With fighting spirit, though, FXpansion is back with a sequel.

Just like its predecessor, BFD2’s sounds were sampled from real kits using a variety of mics to capture both the ‘direct’ sounds of the drums and room ambiences, with articulations varying from simple hits to flams, rimshots, sidesticks and edge hits.

Couple that with detailed multisampling of many velocity layers, and the result is something that’s far beyond what you get from a traditional drum machine.

Overview

Visually, BFD2 is totally different to BFD. With so many new features – including a new ‘proper’ audio mixer, analogue-modelled effects and a new groove page and palette system – there’s clearly been more than a little tinkering.

Add to this the brand new ten-kit, 55GB library (all recorded at George Martin’s famous AIR Lyndhurst studio), and backwards compatibility with the previous version (including the expansions), and things are looking very promising.

As you’d expect, BFD2 has a much-improved workflow. With five main pages (Kit, Mixer, Grooves, Mapping and Preferences) accessible from the top bar, even the advanced features aren’t buried.

As you’d expect, whole kits and individual pieces can be loaded, edited and auditioned from the main Kit page – you can even load and map your own multisamples, should you wish. Kit size is now variable, with 10-, 18- or even 32-piece options. There are extensive bleed controls and piece-specific feed levels split into Overheads, Room and Ambience 3 sections, while new kits include two Ludwig classics (Ringo Starr’s Blue Oyster and John Bonham’s Vistalite) as well as contributions from Gretsch, DW, Pearl and Pork Pie. You’ll also find bonus snares, such as Ludwig’s Black Beauty.

FXpansion’s purist approach to recording, using unprocessed signals, has resulted in a flexible library that sounds both clean and consistent. You may have to process the sounds in the same way you would with a live kit, but the great thing is that you have the added benefit of the ambience from AIR Lyndhurst’s recording room.

The mixer page includes up to four inserts and sends per channel and a flexible bus routing system, so creating processed sub-mixes is easy. Factor in the option to render all audio channels to individual files and you’re much more in control. In essence, you can use BFD2 in whatever way suits you.