Rayzoon Technologies LLC

paspallum

Hey dudes
I'm thinking about buying a Behringer BCF2000.... the Midi controller desk with eight motorized faders, eight rotory knobs and 8 more 'function buttons'
http://www.behringer.com/BCF2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG

Yep they are 20% of the price of a Mackie... sure they are only 75% as good... but the Mackie will cost ya 500% more. (and that is a lot)

I really want to hear from anyone who has bought one of these Behringer units and is using it with Cubase SX or Sonar 5.

I'd rather post this question here than go searching through forums that I am not familair with... plus with JS2 every paparmeter will have a 'learn' function....
......8 buttons, 8 faders, 8 rotary knobs and a footswitch input has got to be a powerful way to control JS2... better than 'one function at a time' with a poxy mouse! (??)

Paspallum

Guitarfish · Jamologist Joined: 03 Apr 2005 Posts: 108

paspallum · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:43 pm Post subject: thanks

Thansl guitarfish

I have joined that forum

Paspallum

paspallum · Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:54 pm Post subject: Don't buy

Guys
I bought a Behringer BCF2000 midi USB fader controller this week.
After 20 hours (overnight) and about 9-10 solid hours of trying to get it to work (no the unit was not faulty.... just fiddly) I took it back to the shop for a full refund (which they gave me)

I'm not saying anything bad about behringer as a company... they make some good stuff... just this item is really a pain to set-up, a pain to use and really distracts your focus from the music.

The humble mouse really is easier to use. (and more powerful by way of simplicity!)

I decided to get the BCF2000 unit when I heard that JS2 will have a fully 'learnable' interface... but let me tell you... this thing is as difficult as driving an areoplane...it'll take ALL of your focus off making music and will demand your undivided attention...

I imagine the Mackie and M-Audio units would be simplier and more 'direct' to use... therefore a little better... but eight faders to control you DAW that might have 16, 23....64.. faders? (hell I have 17-24 audio and midi tracks alone for drums with JS and BFD) it gets confusing.

I think a fader controller with 24 faders like the Tascam 2400 might be OK but they cost 7 times what the Behringer unit cost.

Anyway jammers... be warned.... unless you just love to fiddle and tinker and really NEED some extra gear to 'get your head around' stay away from these eight fader controllers.

Papsallum

madmax · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:40 am Post subject:

sorry to hear this,

i have bought the behringer bcr2000 one year before and use it with plogue bidule for control vst and vsti (effects and instruments). with midi learn in bidule it works very nice. just plug in the usb connection start bidule take the unit in bidule to your desktop and you can start. it takes 1 minute. parameter feedback to the bcr2000 works too.
no problem here. but i havent tried it with jamstix...

MarkOne · Junior Jammer Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 11

I've had a BCF2000 for about a year and a half.

It is brilliant. I had no trouble making it work with Cubase.

Downloaded the latest drivers from the Behringer site, downloaded the updater and loaded the most recent OS into the device, followed the instructions as to setting it into Mackie Control emulation mode and then in cubase went to the devices page and Add Device clicked on Mackie control. Job done.

There is also a little app on the behreringer site that you run after switching on the BCF and before running cubase, and it provides a user interface telling you exactly what the displays on the mackie control would.

As an old school guy who learned mixing on proper mixers there's nothing like being able to grab a fistful of faders and close your eyes while setting levels.

A great little investment (sure the Mackie control is a much nicer device, but way more expensive)

I've also seen people set up two or three BCFs quite successfully to make a proper 24 channel desk Cool

paspallum · Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:42 pm Post subject: Happy 4 U

Mark One
I'm sincerely happy that your Behringer BCF2000 does the job for you.
I couldn't wait to get mine.... but as you will have read I was sorely dissapointed.

I found it really troublesome to set up.... in your post you have explained so easily how to set it up.... you should have helped them write the manual.... you would have done a 10 X better job.

I did get it all working in the end (before I took it back) but I found it was impossible to use without nearly having a brain hemmorage!

When you shift 'fader groups' on the unit... the selected channel in CUBASE didn't move or 'scroll' in unision with the BCF2000... you had to hit a BCF2000 channel control to make it 'line-up' in Cubase and it just got to be a pain for me.

And yep I had the BCF Veiw (mackie display emulator) I felt my eyes were going from cubase...to the BCF Veiw... to the BCF2000 and back to Cubase.... just to find out what fader track was controlling what channel in Cubase... I want my ears to be doing the work... not my eyes.

I suppose different people have tolerences for different methods.

I wish you heaps of joy with your BCF2000.

I just want to let people know that they aren't quite as 'simple' as they state them to be.
And... it's probably good that fellow 'jammers' get to hear both sides... my bad luck and your joy! (cool!)

Cheers
Paspallum