Q – I have really been enjoying Antideppessant and was happy to find all the information about the recording process in your studio journal. I was surprised to read that you used BFD for the drums. After several more listens I think they sound and fit excellently. I was woundering if you could tell us some more about you opinion of the program and the whole idea of using a drum program to replace a drummer.I was also wondering if you used the preprogramed loops or you own programing.
I found the information on your home studio very useful but would love to see a few photos if you don’t find it to invasive
A – I’m glad the Studio Journal was of use. BFD was ideal for my set up that year as I wasn’t working with a drummer and my workspace was just about adequate for recording anything except drums. I am no longer renting that space and we have my drum kit in our basement now.
I thought BFD was just fantastic as it allowed me to create unique kits (I had about 6 for the record) and control the room ambience in a very musical way for individual songs. I did not use any preset loops or grooves. All the parts were programmed by me, painstakingly, and not helped by a bug in the MOTU Digital Performer software. I wouldn’t use BFD with Performer again because it was so slow, but that was the only ‘working’ system I had that year. I’m back working with Logic and I will be experimenting with BFD again soon when I start demos fro my next record. My plan, which may change, is to have a real drummer play on this project, but BFD will hopefully help me let him/her know what I’m looking for on each song. Will I try BFD II? Not until I buy a faster computer and more hard drives.