This article will guide you through installing and authorizing the BFD3 Software & Core Library. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Obtaining Your License


When you purchase BFD 3 you will be supplied with a link to download the inMusic Software Centre - This is your software manager for Registering, Downloading, and Authorizing BFD licenses. 


If you purchased BFD 3 from www.bfddrums.com, the license will be added to the account associated with the email address that you used to purchase the product. 


If purchased the software using the wrong email address, our friendly support team is available to assist with migrating the license to the correct inMusic Profile.


If you purchased BFD3 sometime ago and are yet to migrate from FXpansion to inMusic Profile, please see this FAQ before following the steps below, you'll need to first migrate the license to inMusic Profile for activation: BFD Migration | Frequently Asked Questions

 

Download, Install & Activate BFD3 within inMusic Software Centre


Note, BFD3.5 is a major update for existing BFD3 users - BFD3, the Core Library and all Expansion content has received an update. This means BFD3 users must update all content/installers upon use with BFD 3.5. 

Use of old content with BFD 3.5 will result in unexpected behaviour and is not recommended.


Installing BFD3


  • If you're yet to download/install the inMusic Software Centre, please see here: https://www.bfddrums.com/downloads
  • After the download completes, open the inMusic Software Center
  • Click Let's Go! and your default web browser will open to sign into your newly created inMusic Profile. Enter both your email address and password and click on "SIGN IN".  
  • Navigate back to the inMusic Software Centre, click the 'My Software' tab, and then 'Download' beside BFD3 & its Core Library:

Note: BFD Core Library is 48.62GB, you will require a total of 97.24GB of available storage on your machine to perform the download & installation.

  • Once downloaded, proceed with Installation:
  • The installation window will appear and start running the installer for BFD 3
  • Hit next on the first two windows, and make sure you're aligned with the License Agreement.
  • BFD Standalone must be installed in the default location. This is your local drive, not on a partition.
    • We are only installing the BFD software here. Not the Core Library:
  • The plugin should be installed in the same folder that houses your other plugins. If you do not have other plugins, the default location is a good place to start. This is where most plugins are installed by default:
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\ Steineberg\VSTPlugins
    • Mac:  /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components 
  • Click 'Install' to begin the Installation
  • Installation Complete! 
  • Click 'Done'. 


Installing BFD 3 Core Library


  • Navigate back to the inMusic Software Centre and click 'Install' for the BFD3 Core Library
  • A pop-up will appear and start running the installer for BFD 3
  • Hit next and make sure you're aligned with the License Agreement.
  • On the next screen, you are prompted to specify the install location of your BFD3 Core Library. 
    • We suggest the default location but if you must install it on an external drive, please use an SSD via SATA or externally via USB C / Thunderbolt for acceptable speeds. 
  • You may receive a message stating 'The folder you have selected to install to doesn't exist. Would you like to create this folder? - Click OK to proceed with the Core Library installation
    • Note that the installation of the core library will take some time as the content is high in volume
  • Installation Complete! 
  • Click 'Done'.


Loading/Scanning Core Library Content in BFD3


  • Upon launching BFD 3.5 (standalone or plugin), your core library will automatically load into the software upon launch - Note, that you may experience a load time up to 5 minutes as BFD 3 scans your content and licenses.  
  • Locate your content from the available kits on the left:
  • Double-click on your Preset, Kit, Drum or Groove to load


Loading Core Library Content From Different Locations / External Drives


If your content is not stored in the default location, you can manually load this from a different drive - Note, that we recommend using an SSD for the best performance; If you must connect a drive externally, USB C or Thunderbolt are suitable. 


To load your content from a different location/drive...

  • Click the 3 lines on the top left of the window > Tools > Set up content locations...
  • Click 'ADD'
  • Select your location and hit 'OK'
  • Allow a few minutes for BFD 3.5 to rescan the content path
  • Content successfully added! Click 'DONE'


FAQ / Troubleshooting


How much storage is required on my computer for download & installation?

Storage requirements can be found on the minimum system specifications on the product page for your specific expansion - File sizes vary depending on your choice of expansion. 


inMusic software center will specify the size of the download by clicking the 'i' icon - See below:





You'll require double this size for both download/installation. Once installation is complete, it is suitable to remove the installer from your drive, but removing the installed content will result in repeating the download/installation process. 


I have limited storage on my machine, can I download an expansion to an external drive?

You certainly can! - To download your expansion to an external drive... 

  • Connect your external drive to your machine
  • Navigate to the inMusic Software
  • Click on your initials and then click 'Settings'
  • Click 'Change' to specify a new download path



My content won't start downloading, what should I do?

  • Make sure you're connected to a working and stable internet connection
  • Permit inMusic Software Centre within your firewall/security settings
    • Subjective to your choice of software anti-virus/firewall settings


Permit System Storage Access:


macOS:

  • Click on the Apple icon on the top left corner of your screen.
  • Select System Preferences.
  • Go to Security & Privacy Preferences > Privacy and click Full Disk Access from the left panel.
  • Tick the checkbox for inMusic Centre. If the lock at the bottom is left locked, click it to unlock the Privacy pane. 
  • If you can’t locate inMusic Centre  here, click the ‘+’ icon and select  inMusic Centre from the list of available applications. 


Windows:

  • In Windows 10, go to Start  > Settings  > Privacy > File system > Allow Apps to Access your File System- On
  • In Windows 11, go to Start  > Settings  > Privacy & security > File system > File System Access - On and Let apps access your file system - On



My Core Library / Expansion is missing from inMusic Software Centre, what should I do?

First, check and make sure you own an expansion - Expansions are purchased separately from BFD3 and the included core library. If you're not sure, login to your inMusic Profile via a web browser to see your registered licenses HERE


Select the 'My Expansions' tab in the inMusic Software Center - All your expansions will be listed here:


 


Note, if you purchased these expansions some time ago via FXpansion, you'll need to migrate to inMusic profile, see this guide to help you migrate: BFD Migration | Frequently Asked Questions


Ensuring the license remains in your inMusic profile will allow for seamless installation and activation via inMusic Software Centre. You can double-check if the license is in your inMusic Profile by logging into your inMusic Profile Account and viewing your registered products HERE 


If you purchased your BFD3 Expansion from a different email address to your inMusic Profile, please contact our support team by submitting a new ticket - Our friendly team will happily assist with migrating your license between accounts.


I used the BFD License Manager before, why do I need to now use inMusic Software Centre?

The BFD License manager has been discontinued and is replaced with the inMusic Software Center - The BFD3.5 update provides GUI changes as well as improvements to authorization and the management of user content; we strongly recommend our users update for the best experience with BFD3. 

 

I'm experiencing error messages loading my content, what should I do?

BFD3.5 is a major update for existing BFD3 users - BFD3, the Core Library and all Expansion content has received an update. This means BFD3 users must update all content/installers upon use with BFD 3.5. 


Use of old content with BFD 3.5 will result in unexpected behaviour and is not compatible with this update. 


Once your updated content has downloaded/installed, ensure it's loaded into BFD3:


  • Click the 3 lines on the top left of the window > Tools > Set up content locations...
  • Click 'ADD'
  • Select your location and hit 'OK'
  • Allow a few minutes for BFD 3.5 to rescan the content path
  • Content successfully added! Click 'DONE'


I'm experiencing clicks/pops and poor audio from BFD3, what should I do? 

If you're experiencing clicks or pops when using BFD 3 either standalone or as a plugin - The first step is to try adjusting and increasing the Audio Buffer size within your DAWs settings or within the BFD3 application. 


If in a DAW, please refer to the manual for your preferred workstation - Usually, you can change the buffer size by navigating to your audio settings / preferences. 


To adjust the Audio Buffer size in BFD3's standalone application...


  1. Click the 3 lines on the top left of the GUI
  2. Select Tools > Show Audio & MIDI Settings
  3. Click the drop-down menu beside 'Output' to select your choice of sound card
  4. Configure the buffer size - We suggest 256 to start off with:
    • If you experience latency (a delay from striking your drum), reduce the buffer size in increments
      • Note, doing so may increase the chances of clicks/pops
    • If you experience clicks or pops, increase the buffer size in increments. 
      • Note, doing so may increase the chances of latency
  5. Once configured, click outside of the settings window and the settings will be retained.


If you find BFD3 is still producing clicks/pops - Disable Multi-threaded synthesis & Multi-threaded mixer:

  1. Launch BFD3
  2. Click the 3 lines on the top left
  3. Select Tools > Preferences
  4. Click the 'Engine' tab on the left
  5. Disable Multi-threaded synthesis & Multi-threaded mixer