Bc2000 (for the BCF2000 & BCR2000)

Hi everyone.

This is my first post so please be kind!! :-)

I have an old 8P (without programmer) and have recently purchased a BCR2000 on
auction.... the BCR hasn't arrived yet so no chance to play.

I've been following a thread regarding controlling 8P parameters using a BCR...
I'm pretty MIDI ignorant despite being a keyboard player at the dawn of MIDI
(sigh.... please take me back to the 80's)

I digress....

I downloaded the BCR manual to swot up on a few things before it arrived and the
edit and learn functions seemed pretty good and the answer to my 8P programming
hassles.

I even found a U-tube video (not a very good one) of somebody tweaking the
rotary knobs on a BCR and altering the patches on the 8P.

Now it seems that the BCR and 8P don't talk to each other... If I've read the
thread correctly, the BCR cant 'learn' from tweaking 8P parameters ie. sliding
edit faders on the keyboard.

I'm sure that this question has been answered but I am getting lost in the
technical side of things so my apologies for re-hashing it again-

Question - can the BCR2000 control JX8P parameters?
Question - what software/hardware do i need to connect the two together?
Question - how do I do it?   yeah... I know... RTFM!!!
Question - if the BCR can't 'learn', can you manually enter the parameter data
into the rotary knobs ie. using BCR edit mode?

There was a thread regarding BCR control of 8P on another group that fizzled out over a yearago... someone suggested writing codes and such like.... I'm old and my braincells are dying by the millions each day.... I cant write codes (I'm lucky to
remember my mobile number)

The BCR was originally intended to control Ableton Live but the Utube video
REALLY sparked my interest in it (no way I can afford a Kiwi Technics or PG-800)

Many thanks for your help!

Daz

--- In bc2000@yahoogroups.com, "daz303@..." <daz303@...> wrote:
> Question - can the BCR2000 control JX8P parameters?

Yes.

> Question - what software/hardware do i need to connect the two together?

Once you've programmed one or more presets on the BCR, all you have to do is connect the BCR's MIDI OUT to the synth's MIDI IN.

> Question - if the BCR can't 'learn', can you manually enter the parameter data
> into the rotary knobs ie. using BCR edit mode?

On the BCR itself you can tell buttons/encoders to output MIDI Channel messages (Control Change etc.).
However, you can't program System Exclusive messages this way, which is what you need for most parameters of the JX-8P: for SysEx messages you need to upload a specially-made preset to the BCR.

There happens to be a folder dedicated to the JX-8P in our file section:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bc2000/files/Presets/Roland%20JX-8P/
This folder contains a ready-made preset someone made.
I have no idea whether this preset suits you, but in any case all you have to do is upload it to the BCR.

To upload a preset definition like this, you need a program like MIDI-OX (for syx files only) or my own BC Manager (syx/txt/bc2; available from http://home.kpn.nl/f2hmjvandenberg281/).
But don't even try Behringer's own BC-Edit: basically it doesn't work.

If you really want to, you can edit existing preset definition files (or create your own) in dedicated BCR editors like BC Manager, but this is tough.

Hope this helps,
Mark.

Adam

Thanks for the nice easy guide - I will use this with my AN1X when the time comes.  I guess the advatage of installing a prepared template is that you don't have to figure out which knobs/buttons to assign to which controllers.  But then again, a preset configuration could be a disadvantage if you don't like the layout!

--- In bc2000@yahoogroups.com, "Adam A." <rraaiillss@...> wrote:

>
> Honestly you don't really need a preset for the JX8P, and I don't recall having to do anything special to get them to play nice. It should seem obvious, but if not - connect the MIDI out and in on the BCR to the in and out on the JX. I've only ever had success with this using the Standard modes, which is selectable by holding Edit + Store on the BCR and then turning the top, left-most knob. S-*=Standard. Exit.
> 
> In order for this to work, you will need to turn on system exclusive in the JX (each time you turn it on) by pressing the MIDI button, selecting parameter 26 and moving the edit slider on the JX until it says System Exclusive On. Hold the "Learn" button on the BCR and turn the knob you want to assign - all other lights but the knob you selected will turn off. At this point you simply select the parameters (example: Parameter 52 is the filter cutoff) on the JX, move the Edit slider until the BCR reads "Good" and the other knobs light up again. Keep trying until it returns "Good", it doesn't always work instantly. You do this for each knob on the BCR you want to assign and whatever you want to control on the JX. I managed to get all of the parameters into a preset by having separate encoder groups on the BCR for DCO1 and 2. 
> 
> Not really  meant to be a guide, but it works perfectly for me. Hope it helps you.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Apr 10, 2012, at 7:15 AM, Mark v.d. Berg wrote:
> 
> > --- In bc2000@yahoogroups.com, "daz303@" <daz303@> wrote:
> > > Question - can the BCR2000 control JX8P parameters?
> > 
> > Yes.
> > 
> > > Question - what software/hardware do i need to connect the two together?
> > 
> > Once you've programmed one or more presets on the BCR, all you have to do is connect the BCR's MIDI OUT to the synth's MIDI IN.
> > 
> > > Question - if the BCR can't 'learn', can you manually enter the parameter data
> > > into the rotary knobs ie. using BCR edit mode?
> > 
> > On the BCR itself you can tell buttons/encoders to output MIDI Channel messages (Control Change etc.).
> > However, you can't program System Exclusive messages this way, which is what you need for most parameters of the JX-8P: for SysEx messages you need to upload a specially-made preset to the BCR.
> > 
> > There happens to be a folder dedicated to the JX-8P in our file section:
> > http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bc2000/files/Presets/Roland%20JX-8P/
> > This folder contains a ready-made preset someone made.
> > I have no idea whether this preset suits you, but in any case all you have to do is upload it to the BCR.
> > 
> > To upload a preset definition like this, you need a program like MIDI-OX (for syx files only) or my own BC Manager (syx/txt/bc2; available from http://home.kpn.nl/f2hmjvandenberg281/).
> > But don't even try Behringer's own BC-Edit: basically it doesn't work.
> > 
> > If you really want to, you can edit existing preset definition files (or create your own) in dedicated BCR editors like BC Manager, but this is tough.
> > 
> > Hope this helps,
> > Mark.
> > 
> >
>

Hi and thankyou to all of you who posted help and suggestions..

I received my BCR2000 today and hooked it up to my JX8P and it worked brilliantly!!!!!

I simply hooked the synth up to the BCR using both midi in and out leads and set the BCR to mode S-2.  I chose a patch on the JX and hit the 'Parameters' button so that I could access the JX controls.  I then pressed 'Learn' on the BCR, selected a rotary knob and slid the edit slider on the JX up and down once or twice until the BCR "bit" and read the information.  That's It!! No software uploads or anything... the BCR was able to 'Learn' just like it said in the Bolour Supplement (those of you too young to know Monty Python may not understand that bit)

I haven't mapped out all of the controls yet.... still scratching out maps with pencil and paper but that might be a job for tomorrow.  Also haven't used it for Ableton Live 8 which was the original intended purpose but since Ableton maps to the BCR via its own database I'm not too worried.

Anyway, many thanks again and I hope this thread may have helped others with similar questions and gear.

cheers

daz