User Guide

Song Start option results in a definable Groove (specified with the Default Groove

parameter) being played when the sequencer is started, something which is

extremely useful when using BFD as an auto-accompaniment module. If this

option is enabled along with Auto Groove Repeat, you will not have to enter any MIDI

notes in order to make BFD start playing continuously! Respond to Song Stop option

stops all Grooves which may be playing when the sequencer is stopped. We have

already examined the Auto Groove Repeat option earlier: this option loops the

Groove until it is stopped by a note-off (or by another note-on if in Latching Mode).

It's useful to have a play around with these parameters to see which ones might be

useful for the way in which you work: we tried to make it accessible to people with

a wide array of working methods. For example, some people will not want to

bother with programming in or playing the MIDI notes so the Respond to Song Start,

Auto Groove Repeat, Auto Bundle Shuffle and Auto Fill options are present, making

BFD function as a no-nonsense auto-accompaniment unit which happily plays

along while you compose without requiring any MIDI input.

Humanization…

BFD's intelligent humanization system offers a great deal of control over the 'feel'

of Grooves. First of all, the supplied Grooves have been recorded using profes-

sional session drummers playing an electronic drumkit. with the natural swing and

shuffle of the drummer to offer a great deal of natural swing and shuffle, resulting

in drumloops which sound as much like a real drummer as possible. The Quantiza-

tion panel allows you to manipulate the feel of the Grooves to your requirements.

Firstly, you can 'roll off' the amount of natural feel in the Grooves by varying the

Hard Quantize slider. One of the ways in which BFD's Grooves achieve their realis-

tic feel is by playing certain notes slightly before or after 'where they should be', in

terms of a hard-quantized, robotic drumbeat. The Hard Quantize slider gradually

moves early or late notes back to strict beat divisions: in other words, making the

feel tighter.

BFD also has a Swing function which works alongside the Hard Quantize. You can

regard the concept of Swing in BFD as a similar one to 'groove templates' in