WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN SPECIFICATION BETWEEN BCF2000,BCR2000 AND UC 33.IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE PARAMETERS OF,SAY FOR EXAMPLE CUBASE VST 4,TRITON LE AND A DRUM MECHINE, AT SAME TIME WITH THIS CONTROL SURFACE?
Anybody.........please...
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN SPECIFICATION BETWEEN BCF2000,BCR2000 AND UC 33.IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE PARAMETERS OF,SAY FOR EXAMPLE CUBASE VST 4,TRITON LE AND A DRUM MECHINE, AT SAME TIME WITH THIS CONTROL SURFACE?
Anybody.........please...
Woah. Calm down Radhu. Trying in caps makes you sound very excited.
Main diff between BCF & BCR is that the F uses motorised faders and would be better for controlling software mixers and the R uses rotary knobs that would more suitable for soft synths (but it really depends on your preference).
I'm not sure whether these equipment can control 3 different pieces of equipment simultaneously; the usual setup is to program a controller to work with 1 piece of equipment at a time.
The difference between the BCR2000 and BCF2000 is the R and the F where R stands for Rotary knobs, while F stands for faders... I would personally recommend the the BCR2000, since it has more knobs that you can access instantly. it is an excellent controller to use with softsynths, drum machines, etc.. and pretty much anything that can be controlled by MIDI, even certain preamps for guitar (where you use it to control the preamp parameter/settings). The best thing about the B-series controllers is that you are able to connect them in series, and use them in a modular fashion. You are able to control even more parameters of different MIDI capable gear with that, all using only 1 USB port.... as long as you don't exceed the total length of 15 feet of MIDI cable. You will start to have signal drop outs and latency issues which can end up being a pain in the tush beyond that length.
When you have 2 BCR2000s connected serially sharing one USB port, you have more than enough knobs to be assigned to the number of things you could possibly control at once. You just need to make sure that your setup is somewhat permanent, and the knobs on the BCR2000 are clearly marked for your reference. There's ample space under the knobs for sticking the tape and labeling them.
Price wise, the BCR2000 is a steal, it's way under $200 USD... it's excellent for beginners, and even some of the pros do not want to let it go once they get used to it and fall in love.
If anyone in this thread requires more information or reviews on other controllers, please don't be shy, I'd be glad to write a short review for you.
Anyway, the choice of faders of knobs depends a lot on the type of music and softsynth/softsampler you are using and exactly what you need to control. While knobs may be good for controlling parameters for most electronica-based softsynths (e.g. in LFOs), faders are indispensable for volume and expression control in particular with orchestral samples. It's also useful for controlling DAW software - in particular volume control.
UC-33 is a low cost solution to having both faders and knobs. Usually, one would deviate towards either more faders or more knobs in a controller.
BCF2000 has an added advantage in that the faders are motorized. UC-33 is not motorized. Of course, you'll have to pay for the motorized faders...
UC-33 is ideal for the loop based musician or just about any other form of electronic music. It allows you very intuitive compatibility with Ableton Live and Reason. You could do real time remixing and tweaking with the UC-33 and never worry about dropping out of time (as long as you have your samples and loops synced up beforehand). The controller's layout is much like a mixer, and it's compatible with any major sequencer software. You have hands on access to the channel strip faders of your sequencer. This is definitely a plus point since mixing music is all about the "feel"... like the old school musicians/engineers, when you're having your fingers move faders, you're likely to transfer a real performance into your mixes compared to using a mouse or programmed automation... They are arranged in sets of 8 channels so if you're running 16 channels ... you have to switch between channels 1-8 and channels 9-16 to control them. So if would be advisable to arrange the channels that you want to control mainly into the first 8 channel.
The UC-33 gives you real time control over softsynth parameters, eg filter cutoff, fx send level, LFO, and bla and pretty much anything else than you'd think of tweaking live.
The polycarbonate sheet overlays that are provided with the UC-33 are convenient not only because of it's "cut-out" shape and charming colors.. but it also serves to protect your controller (or part of it) from dust and scratches.
The fader caps come with a charming looking green light so you can even use it in a dark dj booth without needing a Maglite torch hanging around your neck. LOL
The backlit LCD also shows the number of the controller that you're tweaking. You'll find this helpful in knowing what you're tweaking exactly.
Compared to the BCF 2000 ... the UC-33 has faders with a green light on the cap (telling you go ahead and use me), but... the faders are NOT motorized. The only positive thing about that is that it's not prone to malfunction... (some users of complained about faders that don't work on the BCF 2000 after a abusing it for a while)
All in all... it's a budget controller which can be found as a choice in the "factory presets" of "compatible controllers" for most software sequencers, for immediate integration into your setup.
There's one other MIDI controller that I would recommend that you check out is the Edirol M-16dx, which is pretty much a 3 in 1 Audio Interface, MIDI Controller and Mixer. It's hardly ever talked about, but I think it's a stunning piece of gear when you start to get into it's features. And being a product of Roland's sister company, Edirol, I'll give that better rating than M-audio or Behringer in terms of hardiness. (But that's a little biased review since it's something I'm just about to order).
Just to add one more thing about the UC-33... you can also use it as a 1 in 1 out MIDI interface... and use it even without a computer. It's got a power point to plug in an adapter (which is not provided when you buy the UC-33). So used as a standalone with hardware synthesizers/groove boxes, you can hook it up serially and control the parameters of BOTH of them using just the UC-33... but that would require a thorough understanding of MIDI functions. (a geek like ability to read MIDI implementation charts like a story book and smile in ecstasy)
I've seen them UC-33 at Resolution a year plus ago. Anyway, if you're really on a tight budget, a Korg nanokontrol would do the job well too.Kick alot of asses for such a budget and small equipment.
CONTROL SURFACE
