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Programming Drums in BFD3 on a Surface (Surface Pro 3 w/Pen)

1,735 views · Published 15 February 2016 · 12:30 · Indexed 24 October 2026

Channel: BenoniStudio · 2016 · Education

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In this video I cover programming drums in BFD3 on a Surface Pro 3 using the Surface Pen and cover a few more tips for using BFD3 on a Surface.

Be sure to watch the Tips for Installing/Using BFD3 on a Surface video
https://youtu.be/vlVxm5ZNibM

One reason why I stick with FXpansion BFD3 is because it includes a groove editor within BFD3. That means I can program drum patterns using BFD3 in standalone and I do not need to use a host like Pro Tools or Bitwig, ect...

Since BFD3 was not built for touch, you will absolutely NEED to use the Surface Pen. And when using the pen, you actually have a very intuitive way to program your grooves. It's fast and efficient, and it won't take too long to get use to using the pen instead of a mouse. Obviously we could use the Type Cover mouse pad or attach an external USB Keyboard/Mouse as well. 

The Pen has a Right-Click button, so as long as you set your right click tool to the Eraser, you can easily draw in notes using the pencil/draw tool and quickly erase without having to switch tools in BFD3. I only cover the pencil, erase, and paint tool in this video, but check out the other tools as well. I think you will find that BFD3 can be efficiently used when you have the Surface Pen.

I would not be doing much mixing using just the Surface speakers. There is just no way to hear the full audio range. You could use headphones if you need to get a rough mix on the go. Then when you get back to your main system, you could save the grooves and move them to your main system, and/or you could save the Preset and use that on your main system to finish the mix.

But, you could also attach a USB audio interface to your Surface and finish your mix directly on the Surface.

Back to programming drums in the Groove Editor. Be sure to make use of the Rudiments! The combination of Rudiments/Paint Tool and the Surface Pen is a match made in drum heaven! It works extremely well and is a fast way to program intricate drum patterns within BFD3. It's really great to use. 

www.fxpansion.com

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