Hey guys,
thank you all for providing honest and highly valuable feedback. I want to update you on how it is being used.
Since the beginning of last week, I have been in the process of carefully reviewing all default content and making relevant notes prior to proceeding with changes. I will be replacing most drum fills and making minor tweaks to beats where I hear an improvement can be made. I will also be addressing and further carefully mixing volumes between drum components as well as volumes betwen individual drumsets.
A new, simplified drum map for Latin set is planned and the relevant beats will be changed to match it, along with humanizing the feel. Jazz beats will all be redone, amongst other changes. I will make public a detailed list of all changes once they are completed and updated content published.
FYI Several percussion instruments such as cowbell, shaker, tambourine and triangle were added to all sets a while back and you can download latest versions here:
Or you can wait for the new versions.
For those that prefer toms with less ring, I recommend checking out the Vintage Ludwig drumset or the Standard Pro in the Premium Library.
I hope to have the revision of all the content completed some time this month.
Allow me this opportunity to give you a background on why those fills are the way they are if you are interested.
When we were putting together the BB, there was a lot of guesswork and speculation involved. We didn’t know who would be buying it, what it would be used for, how it would be used or what users would need/ like. My biggest misconception is that I thought that users would find simple beats and fills too predictable and boring and sounding just like another drum machine. Surely people had enough of that and wanted something different. Little did I know…
The second biggest reason is that without context, it is very difficult to make a judgment for something that will be used in a variety of contexts. I was to make drum beats into “songs”, but for no actual songs. We had a very limited amount of time to prepare 200 songs in 20 genres and produce 10 drumsets. Your ears and judgment get fatigued. Even now, reviewing things, after a while everything starts to sound ok. There is still a degree of guesswork involved, but with an approach that users will likely want things simpler.
Since there was no context for songs, drum fills were randomly paired with drum beats. While some may have worked, others failed badly. My impression was that users would generally not play the “songs” as they are, but rather combine beats and fills into actual songs they need, thus making my pairings only a preview of available content.
I know that listening to some of the default content paints a very different picture of me as a player to what I actually am. The difference is the context. This may come as a shock, but whether I record or play live, I try to play the least I can get away with. For years I gigged with only the kick, snare, hats and ride. I always try to play what the music requires, while being sensitive and respectful of everyone else in the band.
So, let’s see how you like the updated content when ready. I don’t know if I’ll nail it, but it will hopefully be much closer. And if anyone comes complaining about BeatBuddy fills being too boring and predictable, I’ll pass your phone numbers onto them
Thanks for reading. You’ll hear from me with the updated content.
Goran