Dual BCF2000 question

[mojogil]

I've come to realize that 8 faders aren't working for me. If I add another bcf2000 can I use USB or do I need midi?

[Craig Allen]

It will hook up via midi to the first BCF which can hook up via USB.

[Donnie Frank]

I think you might like the MotorMixes better. I use my BCF2000 for small shows <= 8 channels.




For > 8 channels, I use the dual MotorMixes:




I scored the pair with the SAC chip for 600 bucks. I got the Pelican Case on eBay with a new O-ring for under 50 bucks:

[RBIngraham]

I hook them up all via USB. This will then make them show as 2 separate MIDI ports. I then use MIDI-Ox to combine the MIDI ports together to send them to the input of SAC. And then take the output of SAC, split it and go to the two separate MIDI Inputs.

I find this to make the second unit more responsive than when you daisy chain the 2nd unit via MIDI to the 1st unit hooked up via USB.

It's also easier to then add a third or forth unit as all you do is plug it in and modify the patch in MIDI Ox. (well once you've loaded the correct sys-ex file into the BCF unit and loaded the correct SAC template)

Note that there is an issue with creating scenes that fade volume levels when using more than one BCF at a time. This is true no matter how you hook it up. If you create a scene that faders the channel faders over a period of time when you have more than 1 BCF hooked up, all the faders will stutter and generally go nuts while the fade is happening and for several seconds after the fade it complete. Not really an issue for most users, but it's something to be aware of.

[gdougherty]

I hook them up all via USB. This will then make them show as 2 separate MIDI ports. I then use MIDI-Ox to combine the MIDI ports together to send them to the input of SAC. And then take the output of SAC, split it and go to the two separate MIDI Inputs.

I find this to make the second unit more responsive than when you daisy chain the 2nd unit via MIDI to the 1st unit hooked up via USB.

So you split the return and send all the data to the device inputs? No filtering needed?

[kruntz]

So you split the return and send all the data to the device inputs? No filtering needed?

If I remember correctly, I don't even split the return. MidiOx sends the same stream down the outputs. Each BCF uses its own mapped data.

[RBIngraham]

So you split the return and send all the data to the device inputs? No filtering needed?

You could if you wanted to do so. But it's not necessary and it didn't make any improvements as far as I could tell. And it didn't fix the fader fading issue either.

Each BCF in the set up uses it's own MIDI channel. So the messages on another MIDI channel will be ignored.

I personally load all 4 presets into my BCF units. So any of them could be any one of the 4 possible BCF units. I also removed the programming from the bottom 4 buttons on the right, so it will not jump forward and backward in the channels on it's own. But that's just my personal preference since I want to set them to the first X number of channel strips and then never change during a show.

[RBIngraham]

If I remember correctly, I don't even split the return. MidiOx sends the same stream down the outputs. Each BCF uses its own mapped data.

You need to split the data to send it to the two separate units at some point in the data chain. Since SAC only supports a single MIDI Input and Output (something I wish would change... oh sorry, that's a feature request..) you have to get all the MIDI datat down to a single MIDI input somehow and then on the way out of SAC it is all streamed out of a single output. That single output needs to get to two or three or four BCF units in some manner. Now you could hook them all up via their MIDI ports and use a MIDI splitter and combiner, but that is just doing the same thing as MIDI-Ox is doing internally in my set up. You could daisy chain them together as the behringer instructions suggest. But that is also doing the same thing. The main reason I use MIDI-Ox is because I can then plug and unplug them for however many I need for a show, and all I need to change is the presets on the BCF units themselves and load in the appropriate MIDI-Ox set up and it's ready to go.

[kruntz]

You need to split the data to send it to the two separate units at some point in the data chain. Since SAC only supports a single MIDI Input and Output (something I wish would change... oh sorry, that's a feature request..) you have to get all the MIDI datat down to a single MIDI input somehow and then on the way out of SAC it is all streamed out of a single output. That single output needs to get to two or three or four BCF units in some manner. Now you could hook them all up via their MIDI ports and use a MIDI splitter and combiner, but that is just doing the same thing as MIDI-Ox is doing internally in my set up. You could daisy chain them together as the behringer instructions suggest. But that is also doing the same thing. The main reason I use MIDI-Ox is because I can then plug and unplug them for however many I need for a show, and all I need to change is the presets on the BCF units themselves and load in the appropriate MIDI-Ox set up and it's ready to go.

Yes, maybe I wasn't clear.
I use MIDI-Ox too in my multiple (USB only) BCF setup, but I don't remember explicitly setting up a TEE in the output side of the config.
I'll get a peek on it tomorrow, when I'll have my system available.

[RBIngraham]

Yes, maybe I wasn't clear.
I use MIDI-Ox too in my multiple (USB only) BCF setup, but I don't remember explicitly setting up a TEE in the output side of the config.
I'll get a peek on it tomorrow, when I'll have my system available.

I forget what the check box if labeled now, but in the MIDI port patching within MIDI-Ox there is a box that if you have it checked will automatically route inputs to outputs. If you have that checked when made your patches, chances are it would all work without having to specifically set up a specific patch out from SAC to both BCF's MIDI Inputs.

I unchecked that box because I want to be specific and it also keeps the possibility of creating a MIDI feedback loop by accident lower. Which could happen here if you're not careful.