Bc2000 (for the BCF2000 & BCR2000)

--- In bc2000@yahoogroups.com, Steve Wahl <steve@...> wrote:
>> The point to realize is that ALL the current settings for the 32
>> presets are retained throughout the time the BC remains switched on.
> 
> I did not realize this.  Are the "switched away" presets still
> sensitive to incomming (via midi) changes as well?  

Good question! I thought I had tested pretty much everything when I
wrote "BC MIDI Implementation.pdf", but apparently not...

I've now tested this on my BCR with the following pair of presets:

$rev R1 ; Firmware 1.10; BC Manager 1.5.1
$preset
  .name 'Test 1                  '
  .snapshot off
  .request off
  .egroups 4
  .fkeys on
  .lock off
  .init
$encoder 1
  .easypar CC 1 1 0 127 absolute
  .showvalue on
  .mode 1dot
  .resolution 96 96 96 96
  .default 0
$store 1
$preset
  .name 'Test 2                  '
  .snapshot off
  .request off
  .egroups 4
  .fkeys on
  .lock off
  .init
$encoder 2
  .easypar CC 2 2 0 127 absolute
  .showvalue on
  .mode 1dot
  .resolution 96 96 96 96
  .default 0
$store 2
$end

So preset 1 links encoder 1 to CC 1 on ch. 1, preset 2 links encoder 2
to CC 2 on ch. 2.

Note first of all, as I stated before, that you CAN use these presets
as one "super-preset":
E.g. I first selected preset 1 and physically moved encoder 1.
Then I switched to preset 2 (via "PRESET >"): the LED for encoder 1
went out ("obviously"), and I fiddled with encoder 2.
Then I went back to preset 1 (via "< PRESET"), and the LED for encoder
1 went on again at the position I left it at.

However, the BCF and BCR only accept incoming MIDI CC data for the
CURRENT preset (the "temporary preset" or "preset 0" in BC Manager's
terminology).
E.g. when I sent CC data (i.e. CC #2 on ch. 2) for preset 2's encoder
2 (from BC Manager's MIDI controllers window), the BCR only updated
preset 2's encoder 2 whenever preset 2 was actually selected. If
preset 1 was selected when I sent data for preset 2, and I then
selected preset 2, it turned out that the BCR had NOT accepted the
previously sent data for preset 2.

So one could argue that the BCF and BCR are a bit inconsistent: a
"super-preset" only works "fully" in one direction (namely FROM the BC).
So it depends on the situation whether super-presets are feasible: as
long as you don't change parameters from the connected MIDI software
or hardware device, it's very feasible. In other words: the BC must
basically be the master.

>> (After all, in modern-day computer operating systems like Windows,
>> you ALSO have to manually switch between programs by selecting their
>> open windows, and we call THAT "multi-tasking".)
> 
> It's the computer that's multitasking, not the user.  A limit of the
> current paradigm is that the keyboard and mouse are directed at only
> one program at a time.

Actually there are things like "global hotkeys" (e.g. in Winamp) that
map particular keyboard keys to specific running programs,
irrespective of the currently selected program.

> It's multitasking because you can start a web page loading, switch to
> a word processor window and start typing, while the web page continues
> to load.  Or because you start a song playing and it keeps playing
> when you switch to some other program.

Yes, of course - so maybe we could say that the BCF and BCR provide
"unidirectional multitasking" - but no doubt someone will take offense
at that term too, so perhaps we shouldn't get into semantical
discussions (or rather: end the current one!). I merely wanted to
point out the option of programming super-presets. (I'd almost said
"multi-presets", but I'm done with the word "multi" for the moment...)

One related point (to complicate the overall picture):
At the other end of the spectrum as it were, Propellerhead Reason only
ever uses a SINGLE BCF/BCR preset (i.e. the temporary preset), but
makes it SEEM like there are many presets involved: when you switch
between Reason devices (synth, effect, mixer, etc.), Reason keeps the
BCF/BCR's CC assignments the same but "fakes" a switch to another
"preset" by simply sending the correct CC messages (for the new Reason
device) to the BC, so that the BC's LEDs/faders are updated
accordingly. In fact, this also happens WITHIN Reason's 14-channel
Mixer device when you press PRESET < or >, thereby switching between
channels 1-7 and 8-14.

Mark.