# BCF2000 - Midi control for Spitfire - Very Close to a beating



## David Pattenden (Feb 11, 2017)

Hello Everyone, 

I'm sure this is an old subject for some of you veterans so humble apologies in advance if a yawn factor of 10 is occuring. Never in my life signed up to a forum of any kind so this is a complete first driven mainly by despair and a large amount of expletives.

All I'm trying to do is use a BCF2000 with Logic 10.3 on a Mac for general mixing in the - faders and pan knobs in one mode (standard) and then flip over to instrument mode and use the faders as midi controllers on something like Spitfire Albion for Expression, Dynamics, Vibrato,etc a la Christian Henson. Thats it - nothing else. Something quick to bang ideas down fast. Everything else I do by mouse as normal and use a Akai Advance 61 for keys entry.

I tried others controllers but I do like the feel of the crappy old Behringer for this purpose. Yes it's noisy but (like me) it's cheap and cheerful. 

Problem encountered is thus ....

Now opening a normal template when starting up Logic. Pan and Faders all work for audio straight off the bat. I go into Controller set up - put the BCF in IN(strument) mode - then with Albion open I use the learn function in Logic controller assignments to map those Expression, Dynamics and Vib to faders 1,2 and 3. Seems all straight forward and it works. Yay!

This all under the guise of 'Channel Strips' 'No mode' in controller assignments in Logic which it seems to default to When I have it in the 'IN' mode.

Logic tells me 'Learned' and it's all hunky dory. The fun then starts here when it says 'Keep Both' or 'Re-assign'. It doesn't matter which I choose - what happens is I switch back to the regular channel mode and the learned functions just evaporate into thin air.

Is there some numbskull thing I'm missing here as I've been going over this for nearly two days and patiently adjusting whether in the 'Expert view' I should be saving these as a different 'class' or changing the 'channel strip value' which is confusing the BCF? Nothing seems to 'stick' when I save the whole template and the reboot it all up.

I've been watching a large number of illuminating and informative videos on youtube and even things posted here but nothing seems to answer the question. I'm missing 
something real simple I know.

Surely you don't have to create controller assignments every time for each track?

I should mention I'm not using any Behringer drivers or automapping software (is there any?). The BCF2000 all works just fine when I first use it - Boot up the BCF2000 and press '3' for Logic control on start up first time around. Works fine except for this bloody midi mapping.

I'm know I'm not really pushing the boundaries with operation here and the Behringer book of nonsense it comes with is about as helpful as a chocolate teapot.

Any help would be massively appreciated so I (and you) can just get on with our lives!!!
Many thanks in advance.


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## benuzzell (Mar 31, 2017)

Bumping this as I'm in exactly the same boat. Just trying to set up BCF2000 to control Kontakt CC paramaters in Logic 10.3, nothing else, but can't get this wonderful POS to work. None of the online video tutorials seem to solve it. 

Did you manage to get it working in the end?


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## synthpunk (Mar 31, 2017)

I have not used the Behringer in a long while but it should be as easy as going to control surfaces/learn assignment in LogicX. Make sure the BCF is in MIDI CC Mode.



benuzzell said:


> Bumping this as I'm in exactly the same boat. Just trying to set up BCF2000 to control Kontakt CC paramaters in Logic 10.3, nothing else, but can't get this wonderful POS to work. None of the online video tutorials seem to solve it.
> 
> Did you manage to get it working in the end?


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## David Pattenden (Mar 31, 2017)

hi, yeah I was disappointed to get pretty much zero feedback from this forum. Not everyone here is an expert on everything (I've always been self taught) so seemingly simple things can appear frustrating. After all midi/usb devices shouldn't really be that complicated and you just wanna get those ideas moving and not be snagged up with what appears to be a simple plug/play device.

There is a very long 16 part instructional video on youtube which is helpful and goes through the BCFs various control modes in Logic by Dancetech here - 
Note especially putting the unit in Midi Instrument mode.

This is also a great video explaining automation in Kontakt similar to what I'm saying below - 


Actually matching up faders in Logic was virtually automatic for the mixer section which is fine but thats not really why I have the BCF. I'm using it more while playing in parts mapping the faders to 

That being said, I did perform a fairly simple approach of the 'drag and assign' function within Kontakt. I mainly use the BCF as a very simple automation device and don't do into the other various features it offers. It's just speed of input for me as I really just use orchestral software.....Albions, LASS, Adagio, etc and using the single mod wheel alone doesn't always allow most natural combination of Dynamic, Expression and vibrato all together. Especially on solo legato stuff.

I'm assuming you've already got the BCF scanned and showing as a controller in Logic in 'devices'?
Really all I did beyond that is then ...

1 - Create New Software Instrument track - Opened plug-in - say Kontakt 

2 - load an instrument i wanted to assign controls to, say Albion.

3 - Make sure the folder is highlighted at the top of Kontakt window which displays the library section on the left. Click on the 'Auto' (automation) tab at the top of that section (The tab on the right hand side). You'll then see the midi automation list below and any controls already mapped.

4 - on the BCF move a fader or rotary control you'll see a little red square highlight in the column saying 'Hi' to the left showing you it's receiving midi information on that channel/controller.

5 - Then by drag and drop you can select/highlight that channel in the Kontakt window which was saying 'hi' and drag it across to the instrument you're using to the parameter you want to control. Say fader one you want to control 'Expression' - wiggle fader one, you'll see its default channel 12 (I think?) on the automation device and then drag it over the instrument page directly over the control 'Expression' and you'll see a green '+' appear. let go and Bingo - move the fader and now you're controller Expression should be doing the same thing. Neat!

6 - Do that with whatever other controllers you want to use in the same patch and then MOST importantly RE-SAVE this instrument (or Multi) in Kontakt so that your custom mapping is remembered. I thought it best to re-save the patches in a new folder as reloading updated patch from seems much quicker anyway. (I would say DO NOT OVERWRITE the original plug in's patches - 
but re-save new ones in a new folder named 'my patches' or whatever you like - so 'Strings' I would simply rename 'StringsD' so I knew it was my patch with an added 'D' to the patch name and dump it in my new personal folder. Don't resave the samples. Just the patch. 

Now when you load that up in Kontakt or Logic - call up your patch - bang there it is. Everything mapped and remembered as you want it.

Of course Spitfire and other companies in Kontakt pre-map the main controllers like Expression, Dynamic, Vibrato, etc so they immediately work Defacto with mod wheels on keyboards so I actually 
preferred to custom map and rename each patch I use as I go. Also means I layout my BCF the way
I think it should be including things like Mic Pos, Main Vol or whatever for quick changes. Won't ever be the same for everyones preferences. I'm sure there's a way you can map the faders to match the 
'factory preset' set up by Spitfire although I didn't have the patience to work it out.

So instead I'll just use the mod wheel when previewing a patch and then go through and map the instrument if I'm actually going to use it. Probably seems a lot of labour but for me right now it works I can get on sketching out stuff fast and with the parameters I want to control in the most intuitive layout for me on the patches I use most. 

I'm not a commercial writer sadly - one day maybe - and so not sharing systems with anyone so this is my own solution. Although saying that I don't see how it would affect sharing sessions as controller information is the same once written and not everyone has identical studio rigs. Anyway not a problem I have and I'm not under massive time constraints like commercial guys to save seconds during a working day.

Same applies to other instruments and plug ins - I done similar work around for Omnisphere, Waves, Eventide, Heavyocity and any other type of Plug in I use and this seems to work by delving in the controllers sections of each software. Same drag and drop assign.

Trick is to always remember to save whatever patch you've messed with - don't overwrite originals.
This may seem real obvious but didn't seem an obvious step when I was messing about to begin with. Just don't assume (as I did) it'll be remembered like say a midi piano is pre-mapped on any start up.

Since then I've gone on to set up a few basic templates in Logic with say a few patches of Kontakt loaded up on start up. Simple strings, piano, percussion multi, choir - for example - and hey presto 
I'm off to the races in a few seconds. Once the idea is down then I get into orchestrating specifically what I need. I found creating massive templates like you see in many instructional videos laborious for sketching out and sucks up the ram fast also. (Although I did create a few larger for big section writing like LASS and Adagio and then bounce those sections out to workaround lack of RAM when those tracks start to heap up) 

I'm sure there's a way way better and correct way to do this but not being offered any solution in a clear way anywhere to me this was my workaround and seems to work just fine. I don't even have to think about it anymore which is the way I like having controllers. Get it set up and get on with it I say.

Hope that helps explain what you're after.


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## David Pattenden (Mar 31, 2017)

Oooop - yep as Synthpunk said and I very briefly mentioned - ensure the BCF is in Midi CC mode. Watch the Dancetech videos posted. He explains on one of the episodes about it.
V. Important to ensure that.


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## chimuelo (Mar 31, 2017)

Do you use presets in the BCF-2000?
I understand having everything on 1 preset is nice, but I thought switching from one surface to another, only having new CCs on faders was fantastic.
I don't use mine anymore, but no way I can ever part with it.

It's so old I have to stick my finger in the back to power it up.
After 1000s of button presses and 10 years of abuse the clever mechanical engineering arm broke.


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## David Pattenden (Mar 31, 2017)

Hey there, 

No I don't use any presets. It just sits in the Midi mode. As I mentioned I really just use it for the faders automation input really although I know it does way way more than that. I hark way over 20 years back to things like Atari ST days so have been through a stack of gear, one experiment after another. I sometimes feel like Homer Simpson in that as I get older, once I learn one new piece of knowledge my brain pushes another one out! HA!

For example I have a Novation keyboard and Automap software seemed a great idea '_in theory' _- One ring to rule them all! Sounded too good to be true (which in life if it does sound too good to be true, it never is true) - it just caused more problems than it was designed to fix which cost me an afternoon unravelling the install, clogging up Logic. Never again.

Now I tend to keep things as basic as possible so I use any what little creative brain power I have for actual music writing so for now thats all I need the BCF to do. I sit down, fire up Logic and off I go. I use other middle of the road controllers - Keyboards, Maschine, etc and they all do their own thing. 

I know there's some really amazing (and likely more accurate) fader controllers and all in professional weighted key midi controllers out there but as you say the BCF is a noisy clanky workhorse that I picked up boxed/unused for $150 on Kijiji and it's great!  And frankly if it's good enough for Christian Henson.....it's plenty good enough for my amateur stumblings.


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## Kyle Shepherd (Oct 29, 2017)

Thanks for this. Should this work in the same way if you for example, when in a loaded kontakt instrument, lets say Spitfire Albion ONE, right click and midi learn the expression for example. I use use the Arturia Keylab 88 as a midi keyboard controller and also use the keyboards sliders and rotaries as my faders. Ever since i midi learned all expression, mic positions and envelopes (attack, decay etc) for all ALBION ONE instruments in my template, +- 20-25 instruments in total, my template shows major ram and cpu use on the meter in cubase 9. Is this perhaps because i have NOT resaved the instrument as you suggested? 

thanks, any advice welcome.
Kyle


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## chimuelo (Nov 4, 2017)

https://mountainutilities.eu/bcmanager https://mountainutilities.eu/bcmanager

Check these latest tools and editors for BCF/BCR2000.
Really great support too.


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## Yash (Aug 7, 2018)

Hi David,

Just wanted to say Thank you for sharing your knowledge. This helped answer my questiins. I have been looking for information to how to setup bfc2000 and just like you needed to assign my studio logic 88 midi keyboard to faders for expression, legato volume etc..I am looking to buy on ebay and wanted to set up and similar to yours. Your thread has helped me understand the setup and the confidence to buy one now. Cheers buddy.


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## Eddynz (Dec 4, 2021)

C


David Pattenden said:


> Oooop - yep as Synthpunk said and I very briefly mentioned - ensure the BCF is in Midi CC mode. Watch the Dancetech videos posted. He explains on one of the episodes about it.
> V. Important to ensure that.




Any chance you could just quickly tell us how to do that, so I don't have to search through 16 videos to then begin following your instructions again?


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## Eddynz (Dec 4, 2021)

David Pattenden said:


> Oooop - yep as Synthpunk said and I very briefly mentioned - ensure the BCF is in Midi CC mode. Watch the Dancetech videos posted. He explains on one of the episodes about it.
> V. Important to ensure that.


Also, maybe you could edit your big long post, so that this instruction is at the beginning? 

It might be helpful for the future people who stumble across this thread and spend an hour trying to follow the instructions, only to finally figure out that there was a missing instruction


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