Bc2000 (for the BCF2000 & BCR2000)

I've looked at Alex' BCN44 syx files.

To start with the big news: No BCL!
So the Nano does NOT communicate via text lines embedded in sysex
messages, as the BCF/BCR do. Instead, the Nano sends straightforward
binary data sequences.

The structure of the single ("temporary"(?)) preset dump is very
simple: one sysex message containing a sequence of 12 sub-sequences,
one for each element: the "turn" and "push" functions of the 4 push
encoders, plus the 4 separate buttons.

The dump of all presets actually starts with the temporary preset as
well. Then there are the 99 memory presets: each memory preset is cut
up into 12 separate sysex messages. (Incidentally, the address format
of these messages is VERY peculiar and took me several hours to
understand, but I won't bore you with the details.)

As yet, I understand only part of the structure of the byte sequences
for the individual elements:
Each element has 19 bytes. The first byte indicates the message type
(off, PC, CC etc.), the second is the channel, etc.
Further testing would be necessary to figure out the complete format. 
(That's the one drawback of binary data: without a data spec, you have
to figure out the bits and bytes one by one yourself by trial and
error - I never thought I'd ever say anything positive about BCL, haha!)

One other thing is clear: unlike the BCF/BCR, the Nano does not have
data for a preset as such (i.e. apart from its 12 elements); so
there's no "Learn" message, no Snapshot on/off setting, etc.

So all in all it can't be too difficult for me to write a basic editor
for the Nano, once I know the complete format for the preset elements.
(As I see things now, it's probably easiest to write an independent
editor for the Nano rather than integrate it into BC Manager, since
the data formats are almost totally different.)

However, I don't have a Nano myself, so I'd have to pester Alex (or
other Nano owners) with questions like "can you set up a button with
such and such parameters, and send me the preset dump". And I would
also like to know if the Nano responds to "other" SysEx messages, such
as an Identity Request. All this would amount to a frustratingly slow
process, lasting several weeks or longer.

Obviously it would be much easier if I had a Nano myself - hopefully I
could then perform the relevant tests in a few hours. However, living
in the Netherlands I probably can't even buy one: a 2006 Behringer
promotional booklet states that the Nano is "not available in Europe".
I don't know if that is still the case, but it would explain why my
local shop doesn't sell it. (By the way: does anybody know WHY
Behringer didn't/don't sell it in Europe? Are they so ashamed of the
Nano that they won't let their "friends" in Europe see it...?)

Anyway, I would now be willing to take up ivaasura's offer of sending
me one of his/her/its Nanos as a kind of donation for an editor. At
the moment I'm VERY busy finishing the next version of BC Manager and
all associated documentation, but once that is done, I can probably
spare a weekend or so to write a basic editor for the Nano.

Finally a "logistical" question: should we start a separate Yahoo
group for the Nano (assuming that there isn't one already - I haven't
checked)? I can think of arguments in favor of staying in the BC2000
group (effectively expanding it) and arguments in favor of starting a
separate group. Maybe this also depends on the number of people owning
Nanos: if the BC2000 group is going to get "swamped" with discussions
about the Nano, people only owning BCFs/BCRs might not be too pleased.
My current intuition is that we can stay in the BC2000 group, but I'm
open to other views.

Mark.