Good couple: BCR-2000 controller and Fusion

[guydenruyter]

hi,

Yesterday my Fusion got back from repair and I finally had the opportunity to test my Behringer BCR-2000 controller (see www.behringer.com/BCR2000/index.cfm).

It really works very well together with the Fusion. It is very versatile (every button/knob can be programmed in a lot of ways).

I have programmed it it in following way: every column of controllers corresponds with one midi channel (1 to 8). The three endless controllers at the bottom rows I use for volume, filter frequency (hardcoded in the Fusion as controller #74) and filter resonance (hardcoded in the Fusion as controller #71).

The top row controllers are actually assigned to 4 groups, so by selecting first the group number, they correspond to 4 virtual sets of controllers. I have assigned them to the 4 custom knobs in the Fusion.

Finally, I use the 2 rows of push-buttons as S1/S2 switches.

I still have 4 unused buttons - but I will surely find use for this

This controller really makes live easy for live mixes!

[psionic11]

Nice. Suggestions -- foot switch or MIDI NOTE ALL on/off for a couple buttons...?

So if you assign channels 1-8 to knobs, does this mean you're able to individually control mix levels/pans for each sound in a MIX or each track in a SONG? Without having to use the PREV/NEXT buttons in order to highlight the next group of soft-controls from the MIXER panel? Can you then always have access to those mix functions without even having to go to the MIXER page?

[guydenruyter]

Jun 13, 2008 15:13:23 GMT psionic11 said:

Nice. Suggestions -- foot switch or MIDI NOTE ALL on/off for a couple buttons...?

Midi note all on/off is a good idea. By the way, the top row encoders have - in addition to turn - also a push function. These also go for 4 groups, so I have 32 push buttons I can still use . I can also connect 2 foot switches. I could even assign sysex-messages to some buttons (but sadly the Fusion doesn't understand sysex).

Jun 13, 2008 15:13:23 GMT psionic11 said:

So if you assign channels 1-8 to knobs, does this mean you're able to individually control mix levels/pans for each sound in a MIX or each track in a SONG? Without having to use the PREV/NEXT buttons in order to highlight the next group of soft-controls from the MIXER panel? Can you then always have access to those mix functions without even having to go to the MIXER page?

Exactly! That's what I'm doing right now. It really empowers the way of using the Fusion live.

[flux302]

so when your in analog mode can you control it like a true stand alone analog synth with each knob asinged to each parameter like osc 1,2,3 and filter ect? thats GREAT!

[guydenruyter]

Jun 23, 2008 0:33:34 GMT flux302 said:

so when your in analog mode can you control it like a true stand alone analog synth with each knob asinged to each parameter like osc 1,2,3 and filter ect? thats GREAT!

Sadly, this is not possible, for the single reason that Alesis forgot to include the possibility for generic controllers (e.g. midi controllers 20, 21, ...) in the mod matrix.

Now, we're stuck with a fixed number of controllers: the ones you use for the 4 knobs, the modulation wheel, the expression pedal and maybe a few others.

So, you CAN control a lot of things (e.g. osc1, osc2, osc3 amplitude), but only a limited number in the same program...

[bazz]

This one feature should be pretty easy to implement.. I think this would be a great addition to the fusion especially when used in live situations

[psionic11]

I was thinking about some way to work around the limitation of being stuck with only a fixed number of controllers.... does the BCR2000 "learn" what function to map to which key by reading the MIDI stream? For example, do you turn Knob 1, then the BCR2000 goes, "ah that's MIDI CC #39,"? If so, does hitting any of the ARP/FILTER/EQ/ASSIGN buttons also generate some kind of MIDI message, that could then be memorized?

If it does, then it seems possible to map that MIDI event to a controller on the BCR2000, or better yet, to map the combination MIDI event with, say Knob1, so that you get one-button access to the parameter --

1-button access to Filter cutoff
1-button access to the arp Gate
1-button access to the LOW EQ
1-button access to Assign 1

Still, if you can't do that, at the least having access to 1-8 MIX parameters (pans, levels, sends) at once is a big enough benefit to using the controller live or while inspiration is fresh.

[neomad]

You can not do that because simply the Fusion does not transmit midi messages in every function. I've tested 128 msgs creating the logic environment and I've only found a very limited number.

Other issues: CC 74 will affect Filter parameter in program mode, but Send 1 (or 2) in mixer mode... for ALL channels ! (I do not remember if was exactly 74... but was crazy)

Regards

[gjokom]

Great... Can you share the file (.syx) so maybe we can also share that template...