BCF 2000 Users ... *PLEASE* Help .... how do I load and test a user created Preset ?

Hi BCF2000  users !
 
My BCF2000 is running the 1.10 firmware  and I have now found  2  x  manually created   .syx  emulation presets for  MCU  mode but I am confused about how to load and use and test them.
 
As  we / I  have found, the  "built-in"  Mackie mode for Sonar is OK, but not very well laid out and cannot be altered - the above  2  x  MCU  emulation preset files I want to test  are  in Mackie mode  but with much more flexibility and customisation.
 
By way of acknowledgement,  [ BCF2MCU.syx  &  BCF2MCU+.syx  ]  are general  [ non-DAW specific ]  -  both these  emulations were written by Art Hunkins and can be found here:-   www.arthunkins.com/Behringer2MCUPresets.zip   -    this zip file has the above two  MCU emulations in it along with a Windows based Syx Loader.exe  program to load the  .syx  files into the BCF ]
 
Anyway ....... my confusion is,  I have these 2 emulations but am totally confused about how to load and try them out.
 
So ...... what do I need to do to load and use and test these  presets.
 
- do I need to be in " Operating Mode "  USB 1  or  USB 2  or USB 3  or  USB 4 ?
 
- in which  " emulation "  do I need to start the BCF2000 in  ?    bC  ?  MCC ?  LC ?  MCSo  ?  or  bhui  ?
 
- I know I can use the above  "Sysex Loader.exe"  to  upload the  relevant  .syx into the  BCF
 
- what do I do to get it in and loaded into the BCF  ?   how do I select the preset  etc.... ?
 
- in Sonar, do I still select and use the  Mackie Control Surface and set it to the BCF midi in and BCF midi out  ?
 
- what else do I need to do  ?  what am I missing / doing wrong ?
 
I'm genuainly sorry about my questions and confusion  but my brain has gone a bit to jello with all my testing of this unit.
 
Any help / advice / step-by-step  " "how-to "  will be enormously appreciated.
 
Thanks,
Tim

Hi Timboe

I won't be able to answer all your questions but I'll help where I can.......

- do I need to be in " Operating Mode "  USB 1  or  USB 2  or USB 3  or  USB 4 ?

Operating mode relates more to how the various MIDI connections are configured. I would suggest U3 is probably your best bet. In that configuration the USB connection acts as a MIDI connection between BCF and PC and the other 3 MIDI connections are also available for connecting to external gear if required.

- in which  " emulation "  do I need to start the BCF2000 in  ?    bC  ?  MCC ?  LC ?  MCSo  ?  or  bhui  ?

To load your own presets you need to use bC. It's not an emulation as such (unlike the others) but gives you access to the BCF's own program mode.

- what do I do to get it in and loaded into the BCF  ?   how do I select the preset  etc.... ?

Not sure on loading the preset into the BCF but the previous post link looks a good bet. Once loaded into the BCF you step through the presets using the two preset selection buttons (left & right - Rew & FF in Sonar emulation)

I can't help with the other questions but I doubt very much whether you use the Mackie CS in Sonar. I would have thought the Cakewalk generic surface would be the one. The MIDI connection settings will depend on how you have it connected. If it's via USB, the connections will be something like BCF2000[1] and BCF2000[1-A]

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Hi trevorst and  FBB  [ and everyone else ]

In relation to trying to load the  2  presets  I found above in Post #1, here's what I have done / tried - can you please let me know what I may be doing wrong:-

- I turn on the BCF and put it in to bC mode
- I go to a clean preset number - say P - 22
- I use BCManager or SysxLoader to load up the preset
- the BCF red LED goes in a rapid flashing square-circle and then stops - there is no error message
- I then hit the STORE button twice so its stored in P - 22

Then

- I open Sonar
- I select / check the BCF as a midi in and midi out
- I choose the " Mackie Control " Surface panel and assign it to the BCF midi in and midi out  [   I'm not using ACT  or  the  Cakewalk Generic Surface ]
- I also open the Mackie control panel and select touch-sensitive faders and the touch-track-select option
- I open up a project in Sonar ...... and .......
- Nothing happens - anthing I move or press on the BCF does nothing in Sonar and anything I move [ with my nouse ] in Sonar does nothing to the BCF

Can someone please explain what I am doing wrong ?

Many thanks,
Tim

OK .... this is  just getting silly now.

As a "test"  I just download  the  " R "  program version 3.2 demo as these presets are compatible with most DAW's with MCU mode including Sonar and " R " .

Anyway, guess what ?

I did the above steps in Post #5 above and both the presets worked right off the bat - motorized faders, fully-bi-directional control  etc...... all good  [ although some wierdness with how some buttons are mapped / controlled  etc...]

So this tells me  some  of what I am doing  [ my steps above ]  must be correct.

So my questions remain ........ why is Sonar not responding  ?

What am I doing wrong in Sonar with these presets  ?

All help much appreciated.

Tim

Hi FBB

Yep ....... I tried the  Cakewalk Generic Surface  but its  " blank " / doesnt respond  ( ? )  -  any movements / assignments need to be manually learned  ...... its pointless ...... and like ACT, theres no  " motorization "  or  " duplexing "  of functions  etc....

And importantly, the  instructions for these presets advise that after the  .syx is loaded,  " .... your Behringer control surface is now ready to emulate the Mackie Control Universal .......just be sure, in your DAW, to select the Mackie Control Universal as your MIDI control surface input ... "
 
Did the above in  " R "  -  works.
 
In Sonar - "dead-as-a-door-nail"  so to speak.

This is getting very confusing.

Tim 

Hi FBB

Certainly no need to apologise - your help is very much appreciated.

I'm hoping that of the  [ many ]  BCF  users here  some  will  know how to load and get  a preset going so that the BCF and Sonar  "play-together properly"   and  "hand-shake-hardware-duplex with each other".

What worries me is that given  " R "  responds to these mackie presets with its mackie control surface file  but  Sonar  does  *not*,  that this  may be an indicator  of a core/foundation problem or glitch with Sonar's mackie implementation.
 
If this is so, then given CW's  non-desire  to address even basic  ACT limitations, their desire to address possible makcie emulation / compatability issues will be even less  - especially given [presumably]  their wish  to steer people to its own hardeware [ VS700 ] controller options as oppossed to the competitions [ mackie / mackie emulations ].

I  really  hope I'm wrong. 

Thanks again FBB.

Tim 

Hi Tim,
Can't answer your question on using learn, but you really don't need to use it. If you use BCmanager (Link given in earlier post) it will save the changes for you.

Now what I found out with new Mackie Emulation preset you found.
I was still unable to get any response out of Sonar using that preset, but as you found out Reaper works fine.
Using BCManager I was able to remap the BCF actions by moving the functions I wanted to other buttons, reaper responded fine to the new mappings.
The thing that is strange is that the normal Mackie control mode also works fine on Reaper, so the new preset is putting out the same instuction set. It could be an initial handshake issue.