I have a large collection of BFD2 drum files and was curious if it is possible to add those kits to GA4. I skimmed through the GA4 manual but did not see anything in relation to this. I am using the trial version of GA4 to decide if a purchase is warranted since i already have a large library invested in BFD. I do like the functionality of GA4 especially the drag and drop pattern feature. I suppose the alternative is using the drag and drop to create the midi track then initiating an instance of BFD triggered by the midi track
However you can use GA4 until satisfied with the groove and then add BFD as a new instrument and use the same MIDI track. Then you will get the sound from BFD. Check however the MIDI mapping. Might need some re-mapping.
i dont have GA4, but i saw in the new update (4.2) they added midi out from GA , so maybe its possible to play patterns on GA and trigger sounds directly from BFD somehow !
Was quite easy actually, after the upgrade MIDI out has been added to GA4.:
Open the Rack Instrument (hit F11) and add both BFD and GA4. (I do not have BFD but did this with Superior Drummer and I guess it is the same thing with BFD)
Be sure that MIDI out is on in GA4. You will find the symbol above the pads and above the transport counter. It is a MIDI symbol with a small x under it. The x should not be yellow.
Load the set and/or groove of your desire in GA4.
Load a drumset in BFD. On the BFD track, in the inspector (far left in the project window), go to where it normally says “All MIDI Inputs” or the name of your MIDI input device. Click there and change that to Groove Agent and the corresponding Kit number.
Be sure that it is the BFD track that is the active track. Click with the mouse on the pads of GA4. You should now hear the groove played by both sets at the same time. Go to the mixer and drag the fader of GA4 all the way down and you will only hear BFD. (I am sure there must be a better way to turn off the GA4 sound, but this method works. You should now be able to use all your BFD kits). However: Most kits from different companies have their own mapping. So you may need to remap BFD. I needed to remap Superior. Remember that you have turned off your keyboard (or MIDI device) for BFD so you need to use the mouse to click on the Pads. Or if you set both tracks to active you can use the keyboard to trigger Pads or single hits. The signal will then go through GA4 and use the sound of your BFD.
Thanks for your detailed response. I am in mixing sessions the next couple of days but I will try that after the weekend. The problem I have found so far with the patterns in GA4 is the velocity is full on most things I have tried and if I manually pull them down to get a more human feel the drums lose some punch. In BFD the velocity layers seem more dense and the velocity handles in the drum editor seem to have more control. To be fair I have not spent a great deal of time with GA4. I do like the patterns and the ease of D & D into the project…but I like the drum kits more that i have created in BFD
Hi-- did you ever get the BFD and GA4 to work together? I am in a similar situation. Love BFD, but I would like to construct song parts more easily with GA right in Cubase. But I have invested all this money in BFD libraries, etc.
Please let me know, if you have a minute, how you got these two to work together. Or if you found another, better solution.
You need two tacks. One with GA4 and one with BFD. You use the GA4 track for the grooves or midi files. You set MIDI out in the GA4 track and on the BFD track you set GA4 as input. This way the midi signals travel from the output of GA4 to the input of BFD where it meets the BFD samlings.
You may need to remap the drums in BFD, and GA4 is pretty “rich” in drum lay out on the keyboard. i.e. that GA4 uses a lot of keys to trigger different drums or hit variations and you may not have all the articulations or drums or percussions in BFD as you have in GA4. This may vary with the BFD set you load. However BFD is “richer” in velocity, so you may also need to correct the velocity of the hits to make it sound right in BFD.
If you save the two tracks and routing and remapping as a Cubase template this is a “once in a lifetime” job.
Thanks for this!
Yes, the velocity levels that come with GA seem pretty subpar. But the ability to make beats that hang together with variations and automate those variations seems really cool.
Did you tweak the midi mapping for BFD? (I have BFD and BFD2 and Jazz & Funk expansion) Is that something you can share, or that you can take a screen shot of?
Also, I imagine that if you “humanize” the velocity in BFD that should make more variations in velocity.
I am very interested in a drum library by Rattly and Raw, Martin France drums, because it seems like it is really good on the very quiet side of playing (something that I find lacking in every library I have had). But Martin France only works with Kontakt. I am thinking I can do the same thing with Kontakt as you are (and I will be) doing with BFD.
Thanks for your support, Rumdrum