Hello guys.

I just got a Behringer BCF2000 console and test it over the weekend with SONAR 3 in Mackie emulation mode and it works perfectly especially with the Virtual Screen app. My only concern is that the console has no touch sensitive faders so you have to "fight" the motors for a second before the console gives up and allows you to set your levels. I know there is a function where you can assign to a button a temporary "fader motor off" but it does't work in Mackie emulation mode. Any ideas how to solve this?

This is not an answer to your ?, but I am thinking of getting one those surfces to control Sonar and putting my money ib converters and sync. Being all it does is control Sonar can you punch in with it, does it go bank to bank smoothly, iare you running it USB" What kind of chipset do you have (Intel or YIA. What basically is your machine? What kind of audio interface/Soundcard are you running? Tell mr more please. TIA.......................JDW

you can try the following :

• Adjustable dead time to avoid loop-back problems (e.g. with Ableton®
Live)
Description:
Some software applications create a MIDI loop-back; so it was difficult to move
a fader on the BCF2000, because the application tried to move the fader´s
motor against.
With the new DEAD TIME parameter in the GLOBAL EDIT menu, it is now
possible to create a kind of “manually selectable MIDI latency” to avoid this
problem.
For further information please visit www.behringer.com BEHRINGER Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbH
Instructions:
Select GLOBAL EDIT mode (press EDIT + STORE button)
Turn PUSH ENCODER 7 to change the dead time
Push the EXIT button to leave the GLOBAL EDIT mode
Remark:
The range is between 0 to 1000 ms (milliseconds); the default setting is
100 ms and should be optimal for trouble-free working

hope this will help .

I tried what you told me with no luck. Testing on I found out an even worst condition: If you have a prerecorded envelope, over which the motors are moving the faders, there are NO value changes while you are fighting with the motors. So no matter how you move the faders the prerecorded envelope will NOT change. No matter if you have "arm for automation" on or off. The only thing to do is to delete the volume envelope and record it from beginning. When you touch original Mackie's fader it sends a MIDI command to the sequencer to stop reading the envelope and get the new values from the fader movement. Since BCF's faders are non-touch sensitive the sequencer never gets this command and continues to read the prerecorded envelope. I mean isn't this a basic function? Why they don't solve this? It would be enough to be able to program the buttons above the faders to function as a "fader pressed" commands. Uhhh.... such a stupid mistake for such a great console.

Maybe you can post this as a feature request in the UCS (universal control surface) group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/universalcontrolsurface

i think there beta testing it yet !

ORIGINAL: Maotar
Maybe you can post this as a feature request in the UCS (universal control surface) group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/universalcontrolsurface

Right, or just ask Marc over there if his current implementation already takes care of this. I think the control lag on the Mackie emulator is to avoid MIDI feedback loops, but that would be a really dumb way to solve it. If that's the real issue, then Marc already implemented a very elegant MIDI feedback suppression for active fader control right into the UCS.

I tried UCS but it is still under high development and far from consumer use.

I tried also "BCF2000 Total Recall" with no sucess of installing it even after manually configuring the registry.

The thing is that the Mackie emu. works just fine with this stupid "motor fighting" bug. I downloaded the Mackie emulation manual (the .doc file) with all the button explanation. It shows graphs of what buttons do in different modes. I tried everything but I can not get them to work in other modes than the basic one. How do you switch modes? The buttons are supposed to work as a "Read automation ON/OFF" in the record mode but how to enable that mode? Am I so dumb or I'm missing something. Also how do you configure it to control Cakewalk's EQ, DYN or other plugin? Is there any Mackie emulator "text" manual and not only the graphical one?

Is there any official Behringer's forum, since this issue should be on their pages?

I had the same experience with the total recall solution, it basicly sucks haha (no offense to the creator) .

You can switch modes by pressing the two shift buttons top right (see pdf of firmware 1.06).

Unfortunatly the bcf eq control only seems to work with legacy sonic timeworks eq wich came with sonar 2 i think (i don't have it), it would indeed be better if it would control the per track eq of producer edition.

cheers, arno

Uhh...

I think I'll have to get my piece of mind by waiting for Sonar 4 and hoping the things will work better. Maybe Behringer will build a 1.07 with a "fader touch" function simulation for Mackie Emulator and support for all the plugins. Until then my BCF remains just a useless box next to my PC. At least in using Sonar...

ORIGINAL: ragioniere
I think I'll have to get my piece of mind by waiting for Sonar 4 and hoping the things will work better. Maybe Behringer will build a 1.07 with a "fader touch" function simulation for Mackie Emulator and support for all the plugins. Until then my BCF remains just a useless box next to my PC. At least in using Sonar...

It's a waiting game for sure. No specific mention of improved/increased GCS support in Sonar 4 makes me hang greater hope on the full development of the UCS. Besides, the BCF2000 won't be the last piece of equipment to come along needing decent, configurable CS support, and the UCS will help on those, too. Heck, at least Marc is working on it!