Bc2000 (for the BCF2000 & BCR2000)

You can also run WINE on Mac OS X. (http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/)

--- In bc2000@yahoogroups.com, sghookings@... wrote:
>
> Mark and Royce (and the nearly world famous German site) I want to "dank
> u wel" for your efforts here.The summary is I went down the "hard" route
> of using your sofware under Linux (WINE) and this lead to a "self help"
> method for understanding how I can use your GUI to store presets. Until
> now, I was missing the plot :-(
> Thanks ... my issue now ... I recently discovered the upper 1-4 bankable
> 24 buttons/8 knobs are PER preset :-).Why is this a problem? I now have
> an interesting mathematical problem of optimally packing my low range
> NRPNs/2xbuttons/2xknobs for -ve value NRPNs. That is I have way too many
> controls now, so which important controls to duplicate, and how?
> But what a fabulous problem to have :-))
> Background
> I have a Miniak, which is a great synth but somewhat lacking
> interface.It is okay, in terms of shortcut keys, but I coveted real
> hardware.
> Step 1 - dealing with low range NRPN values
> You kindly helped me with the 7 bit NRPN ".tx" to send LSB.This has its
> routes in Psionic's initial research in original
> <http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bc2000/message/2578>   post.
> I could never get the hang of the GUI, inspite of reading the excellent
> manuals. And I was going to ask about how to send commands in the BCL
> Editor to make current assignments apply to preset N.
> I figured (incorrectly I see now) that the Miniak, being so stupidly
> non-standard, rendered your GUI useless to me.
> But on a different forum some Mac fanboy, who distrusts BCRs, was asking
> similar questions (how to control a Miniak from external surface).
> I explained the only surface I have found that is up to the job is the
> BCR with your excellent software. Even then, one has to compromise to
> use 2 knobs for control a -ve range (and it isnt quite a nice as one
> would like). But I havent found another surface that will let one send
> "MSB" 7bit value NRPNs as an "LSB" 7bit. Not evern ironically, any of
> Alesis products (save the Ion) -- assuming I have understood their
> manuals correctly.And as for a signed 14 bit ... the midi standard is
> unsigned 14 bit!!!
> Step 2 - flexible control surface
> I have researched many control surfaces. Always I missed one or two
> salient points, but luckily some internet searches and development of
> Minaktools allowed me to understand the non-standard way Alesis (and
> hence AKAI) coded the Miniak.
> Without your collective software the BCR is of limited value for Miniak
> programming.So these Mac fanboys, who for whatever reason suggest they
> have the perfect environment / OS, are unable to use your software "as
> is".I'd read in your manual that some folks have used WINE.Last night I
> also did this under Wine 1.0.1 Ubuntu 10.X
> I couldnt believe how trivial it was. Simply
>     * run wine,
>     * find the executable,
>     * and it "installs" it under it's virtual program files.
>     * Put BCR into USB mode (I chose 3),
>     * start BC Manager
>     * select the BCR as midi input/output.
>     * program up your assignments
>     * store this in the presets
>     * optionally dump out the complete sysex for backup purposes
> "hey presto" there is the BCR.
> Now, I know some die-hard Mac fan-boy will say "but I dont want to run
> that silly unix like OS". Too bad, they are after all BSD with a GUI.
> But looks like you can run wine "native" on a MAC
> <http://wiki.winehq.org/MacOSX>  . I havent tested this because I dont
> have a Mac.
> Else there is this parallels thing on Mac, so they could download an
> Ubuntu and run that OS to run Wine to run the BCManager to allow the
> control of the BCR to get the environment to program the Miniak!!!
> Step 3 - "But how do you do these .tx from the GUI"
> Mark you are a very patient person. I see the scientist in you, xref
> each answer with a reference to the chapter of your manual. I confess to
> still not quite understand the concept of standard def (easypar) v
> custom (tx).Anyhow, I had watched the flash videos too but I still didnt
> get how to custom program the GUI.
> So I used the BCL editor to send some custom commands to
> buttons/encoders/knobs.I spread these over a couple of presets  (but did
> it the manual way; your GUI is a far nicer way to achieve this ... I
> mean it is after all why you created the software!).
> Once I had gotten BCR running under linux, I realized there is a red
> "receive"  midi icon under the B-Control 2 (BCR2000): Presets
> spreadsheet.And selecting a given preset, receiving the midi, will open
> a new spreadsheet with the specific fields completed.
> More than that, the layout screen is then also suitably completed.
> And I can see "custom" in some of the group buttons (the very .tx I sent
> via the BCL).And I can see straight NPRN address in other buttons.
> Double clicking on a custom yields
> Line Name Output1         $B0 $63 $002         $B0 $62 $0B3         $B0
> $06 $004         $B0 $26 val
> Oh and value 1 is 0, value 2 is 2, sent to LSB (correct for waveform
> osc1).Mode is downStandard output is NoneGeneral: show value is ticked
> (and it does show value)Info has a name ... which is blank (but soon
> will say Osc1Waveform) :-))And I  can put comments in here too!!
> If I click in Encoders 1 NRPN 12 (waveshape for miniak osc 1)
> Info is blank (this will be rectified)General is show value, LEDs off
> (might change this) Speed levels is 1.Standard output is Non-Registered
> Parameter NumberChannel 1, NRPN 12 ($00 $0C)Value 1 : 16284 (-100)Value
> 2: 16383 (-1)Mode: Absolute (14 bits)
> Custom output: None.
> At last I see what you were driving at in your earlier reply; sorry I
> was being so dense.
> Conclusions
> I have "seen the GUI".
> I now have enough inductive parameters to generalize, without hassling
> you.
> I hope others who were not sure about using BC Manager under linux will
> realize it is trivial. And hopefully a Mac fanboy (I am using the
> British trick that you rib your friends harder than your enemies :-))
> will be able to use/validate WINE works for them.
> This mean other forums, that suggest the BCR isnt up to the job, doesnt
> work on their OS etc etc, should be able to google that indeed it can.
> Once again, thanks a lot.
> Tot ziens
> Steve H
>