PT8 Vista BCF2000 midi emulated problem

[drjohn11]

I have PT8 installed on a Vista machine with a Behringer BCF2000 controller that I cannot get to work in Vista with PT. I have tried connecting thru USB and a midiman interface using the midi ports on the BCF2000. In both cases the BCF2000 and the midiman show as midi emulated in the send to box on the midi controller selection screen in PT. In both cases the bcf2000 sends data to PT but does not recieve data frm PT. Of course it times out with lost comm to HUI. This does not appear to be an issue with either Vista or the controller as the BCF2000 functions normally with Samplitude in either mode and method of connection. Anyone have any ideas?

[STARDOG]

*** FOR ANYONE THAT HAS HAD HASSLES WITH THE BCF2000 *****


Hi. Yeah aggro and hassle, thats the problem I have had. So here is MY answer:-

Firstly make sure that you get the latest driver and firmware from the Behringer website.

Go to hardware manager and delete your bcf2000 driver from under 'game and sound controllers' and unplug the usb.

Turn on your bcf with the fifth button from the left held in until it says EG on the display (after saying Bhui).

Turn rotary 1 until U1 is selected.

Then turn rotary 5 to set the ID to ID 1.

Then press exit.
Turn off BCF
Plug in USB cable to machine from BCF.
Install XP driver in Vista by right clicking and installing in XPsp2 COMPATIBILITY MODE.
Turn on BCF and you should see it A) install quickly in vista USB, and B) It should be now visible in the hardware manager as BCF2000 (1) not just bcf2000.
In PT8 make sure that under midi input devices you only have your BCF as the midi controller and plug directly into that.
In PERIPHERALS set the controller ins and outs to BCF2000 (1) not anything else like BCF2000 (A) or (BCFMIDI)

If you do this it will actually work in PT8 LE. I have 2 chained giving me 16 faders - most important factor is setting the unique ID on the fifth rotary pot, or you wont see BCF2000(1) or as in my case BCF2000(1) & BCF2000(2) in the set up peripherals.

Hope any of this helps you.

I had been trawling the web for the past 3 weeks to sort this out, but I got there in the end.
I still get the odd 'lost communication with the HUI' error but in general they are a lot less frequent, and dont become a problem if you only use to mix, not track the midi as I think there is a definate problem that digi need to sort out with the flakey midi editor window anyway. If its time sensitive album material you are working on, take the controllers out of the peripherals dialog box or you will come unstuck and it will most likely crash your session.

[LSW]

Stardog - how in the world did you figure all that out? I've never heard of this controller before today, and I'm no sorta divided between this and the Faderport which I've been using for a while.

The Faderport had similar issue for a while, and I think they're still going on for some people. My general feeling is that PT + Vista + HUI controller is just a not so good mix of things.

But thanks for the info, I'm going to bookmark this post just in case.

[STARDOG]

Yeah, It took me a while, but being both a sound engineer and multimedia programmer for at least 15 years, I guess i'm used to hacking everything together when products don't work as they should. I also don't like being beaten! Lots of coffee and late nights! (and rebooting!)

All being said though, now they work great. You have to fiddle with the user mode every now and again, as PT tends to lose the plot when you do anything midi (almost like it resets the midi pulse on/off switch) especially with plugins, but to be honest I now sleep happily at night.

I'm in the process of adding another 2 controllers to the matrix, so I will have a poor mans 32fader automated solution! The desks might be a bit cheapish looking but they do all I need. They don't control most plugins, but using Latch they work great in automation in PT8.

Right now i'm in the process of pimping them up in a purpose built frame like the one I saw on Gearslutz. Gearslutz pimped DAW Controller

You can also get rid of the horrible faders and put some spanking new ones on as they are a standard fit. I feel like a bit of a tight ass doing it, but when you have automated 32 faders for less than £600/$1000 I sure can live with it!

[STARDOG]

UPDATE - Multiple connected BCF2000's and PT8 LE on Vista 32bit..

Ensure that you use the first chained BCF as the major midi controller (unless you have a break out box) for any other midi devices.

1) READ MY PREVIOUS POST

2) Set the user mode on the first connected USB BCF2000 (Channels 1-8) as U3 - This indicates user mode usb3 and you will see the usb light active - (in 'S' modes the usb is off) and dont forget to set the ID as ID 1.

3) Connect second BCF2000 and set the user mode to U4 - and also set the unit to ID 2.
U4 will also use midi and you will see the unit midi light activity flash as you move anything on the first BCF. Don't connect any Midi items to this second BCF though or you will 'lose connection'
4) Ensure the midi for both units is ticked in the midi setup in PT8.

Now working without connection loss.

Enjoy.

[TOM@METRO]

My neighbor thanks you.

[STARDOG]

Tell your neighbor, no worries, anytime, glad to be of assistance.
If he has any other aggro with it just ask. It took a while to sort out, but it seems that the whole world has a problem with this setup so it only seems fair to share the knowledge and as a protools lover, I hate to see folks migrating to the less creative workstations.

[chimanosuke]

Hi,
I have the same problem of BCF2000 with Pro Tools M-Powered 8.0.1 on Windows Vixta XP1, then I have tried STARDOG's solution. But they still don't work! I can input from BCF2000 as HUI mode to PT, but not from PT to BCF!
I updated all the things, but I give up. Does anyone find the solution?

[Ill Soul Productions]

Thank you so much. OMG this is what i needed to know!!! do i need midi cables or do the new BCF2000's both get hooked up through usb?

[equabilestudios]

awesome stuff, that helped alot. here is a few questions. i just got 2 BCF2K's. working really good. all but i had the encoders stop working in a project. and the emulation mapping that is on behringers site is worthless. can you turn pan automation off on the bfc? if so how? and how to you toggle automation modes from the bfc? can you? i can easily change it with my mouse, but thats why i bought these dumb things.

ok, to recap....

1. pan automation
2. automation modes

one more thing. with two hooked up, i change in bank of 16. instead of 8 with one.
i know to shift click for one at a time, but is there another way to do it?