FXpansion BFD2 8BK User Manual
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WELCOME TO 8 BIT KIT
Thanks for purchasing the downloadable 8 Bit Kit Expansion Pack for BFD2!
This pack can only be used with BFD2 – it cannot be used with BFD 1.0 or 1.5.
Installation instructions can be found in the ExpansionPack_Manual.PDF
document provided with the download.
There are 8 download packages, with the following filenames:
• BFD2_8BK_Package1.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package2.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package3.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package4.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package5.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package6.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package7.zip
• BFD2_8BK_Package8.zip
Each package contains the following installer files for each platform:
Mac Windows
• 8BitKit Installer OSX • 8BitKit Installer WIN.exe
Please take a few moments to read through this manual, which explains the
philosophy behind the 8BK sounds and provides some tips on effectively
harnessing them in your productions.
Many thanks,
The FXpansion team.
http://www.fxpansion.com
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CREDITS
Audio Engineering: S. Husky Hoskulds, Steve Duda
Drum Technician: Josh Baldwin
Recorded at Sound Factory Studios, CA
Programming: Paul Chana, SKoT McDonald, Steve Baker, Angus Hewlett, Andy Simper
Additional Programming: Peter Slotwinski
Interface and Packaging Design: Alex Akers, Rus Brockman
Original 8BK Design and Graphics: Adam Ferns (www.raresense.co.uk)
Manual: Mayur Maha
QA: Robert Bantin, Andrew Vernon
Technical Support: Rory Dow, Alex Volmer, Ryan Sellers
Web Design: Andreas Schnetzler
Distribution & Project Administration: Rhiannon Bankston-Thomas, Julia Titchfield
Husky would like to thank:
Phil MacConnell – as well as Jason, Matt and Wren – at Sound Factory; Tony Hoffer,
Jay Bellerose, Brian Reitzell, John Wicks and Wren Rider for the loaners and support; Josh for
the drumming; and Steve Duda for countless hours of editing and continued enthusiasm...
8 Bit Kit concept by S. Husky Hoskulds: http://www.eightbitaudio.com
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8 BIT KIT HIGHLIGHTS
A different acoustic space and microphone setup
8 Bit Kit was recorded at LA’s Sound Factory studios. The drum room that was
used for the recordings is quite small, with a tight, up-front sound.
The selection of microphones rounded up for the session is rather unusual.
Highlights include Calrec Soundfields, parabolic ‘Spy Mics’, and Grundig
dictaphone mics, as well as old favourites like SM57s, RE-20s and Neumann U87s. A more comprehensive list is provided in the Recording Notes section.
Custom API/Sound Factory console preamps were used throughout.
Creative processing and recording techniques
Certain 8 Bit Kit sounds feature creative processing such as overdrive and filtering
in certain mic channels. These decisions were made purely to end up with the
funkiest, most unique sound possible.
In addition, selected kit-pieces are provided in ‘Amped’ versions, which are more
heavily post-processed with various techniques such as filtering and overdrive, toy
echo mics, vintage compressors, plate reverb and ADC subharmonic synths.
For further details of the processing used, refer to the notes later in this manual.
This information is also shown within BFD2’s choosers and info displays.
Several unorthodox recording techniques were used during the 8 Bit Kit sessions.
For example, some kicks were heavily detuned, had chains attached, or struck
with a paint roller instead of a kick beater! Again, full details are provided later in
this manual or in BFD2’s info displays.
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Exotic Kit-Pieces and Percussion
8 Bit Kit provides many unique, custom and modified drums and cymbals/hihats.
Highlights include custom-built snares and stainless steel cymbals, as well
as warped hihats, roto-toms and frame-drums used as toms. The percussion
selection, in particular, features such esoteric delights as cooking pan lids and
steel bowls, as well as ethnic percussion such as bongos, African hand drums
and darbukas.
Vintage analog drum machines
One of the highlights of 8 Bit Kit is the inclusion of classic analog drum machine
sounds, recorded dry and with room ambience while played out over a high quality
Vocalmaster P.A. system. Rather than using samples, the original machines were
sourced and recorded at selected settings. These sounds are great for layering
with acoustic kit-pieces.
USAGE TIPS
• The Amb3 channel can be quite extreme when using the 8BK sounds. Unless
you’re in an experimental mood, it’s recommended to turn down the Amb3 send
from the Kit-piece Inspector, or use one of the supplied kit-piece presets that do
this for you (‘8BK Dry’ for example).
• The same applies to the processed channels of 8BK kicks and snares. Simply
turn down the Kick In and Snare Bottom channels to tame the sound.
• In most cases, the processed channels should be used at low levels. Using them
in this way, perhaps while rolling off the high-frequencies, can give you similar
results to re-amping or overdriving your sounds in parallel for extra bite.
• Some drum machine claps, normally classified as Percussion, are also included
as an extra articulation for the corresponding drum machine’s snare. In such
cases, the clap is heard independently through the Snare Top2 channel.
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RECORDING NOTES
The following microphones were used during the 8 Bit Kit recording sessions:
Directs:
Kick in (processed):
Kick out (dry):
Snare top (dry):
Snare bot (processed):
Snare top2 (dry):
Hihat:
Toms:
Cymbals:
Percussion:
Overheads: Calrec Soundfield, with an original blackface Alan Smart (SSL copy) stereo
Room: Neumann U-87, via Alan Smart silverface stereo compressor
Amb3: Parabolic Spy Mics, with an Electrix Filter Factory in the chain to varying
The preamps used were custom Sound Factory/API console mic pres: the in-house
API console is heavily modified by the staff at Sound Factory.
Misc. 8 Bit Audio processing
ElectroVoice RE-20
Shure SM57
Processed using Grundig dictaphone mic
Direct unprocessed Clap channel for selected Snares that
feature Clap articulation (Claps also provided as individual
percussion kit-pieces)
Shure SM57
Coles ribbon mics
Calrec Soundfield (half of)
Sennheiser 421
compressor in the path, followed by an Avalon Stereo EQ
degrees. Where indicated in the listing, a Vocalmaster P.A. and Edison
Grammophone horns were used for some Kit-Pieces.
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8 BIT KIT KIT-PIECE LIST
8BK 808 Claps Hi
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Claps Hi
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
also available as rim in 808 Snare Dusk
Hit
8BK 808 Claps Lo
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Claps Lo
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
also available as rim in 808 Snare Short
Hit
8BK 808 Claves
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Claves
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Cowbell
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Cowbell
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Crash A
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Crash A
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Crash B
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Crash B
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Crash C
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Crash C
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808/Hihat
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Hihat
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Decay knob used for different hihat positions
Closed Tip
Half Tip
Quarter Tip
ThreeQ Tip
8BK 808 Kick Long
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Kick Long
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
Kick Out = Dry
Kick In = P.A.Close
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Kick Short
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Kick Short
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
Kick Out = Dry
Kick In = P.A.Close
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit
8BK 808 Snare Dark
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Snare Dark
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
Kick Out = Dry
Kick In = P.A.Close
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Hit, Rim
8BK 808 Snare Dusk
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Snare Dusk
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
Snr Top = Dry
Snr Bot = P.A.Close
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Rim = Claps Hi
Hit, Rim
8BK 808 Snare Short
BFD2/Audio/8BK 808/Snare Short
Manufacturer: “Unknown”
Model: 808 Vintage Drum Machine
Date: Early 1980’s
Notes:
Snr Top = Dry
Snr Bot = P.A.Close
O/H & Room = Vocalmaster P.A.
Amb3 = P.A. + Overdrive
Rim = Claps Lo
Hit, Rim
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