UC33e vs BCR2000

[braj]

My BCR2000 is taking forever to ship and while I wait I thought I'd look into alternatives. Can anyone comment how the BCR2000 compares with the UC33e? Thanks.

[Sleepwalker]

Well, im happy with the behringer. I like that the knobs have leds, to inticate where you are, like the nord lead 3. The first row of 8 rotary knobs on the top of it also have a push funtion, witch can come in handy on some soft synths.

If anything, its a bit big. However the power suply is built inside the box, and thats a plus.

It can keep 32 presets. And the controllers can be set to bouth absolute and relative.

[braj]

Sleepwalker: Yeah, I'm stoked about the BCR2000, but actually getting the thing is taking a while and I was thinking the UC33e would have both knobs, buttons, and sliders and was possibly a worthy alternative

Does anyone have the UC33e and T2? How do they work together?

[pethu]

Sleepwalker: Yeah, I'm stoked about the BCR2000, but actually getting the thing is taking a while and I was thinking the UC33e would have both knobs, buttons, and sliders and was possibly a worthy alternative

Does anyone have the UC33e and T2? How do they work together?

<EDIT> See haydxn's sticky post regarding MMC for more FF / REW info... but please check out Bome's MIDI translator as indicated below as a more user-friendly alternative to midi-ox!! </EDIT>

The UC-33e is a nice piece of kit, though I have found it a bit too cumbersome to use for synth programming. So, it has been sitting idle here for a while waiting to act as a control surface in T2.

I've started on a template for using the UC-33e as an 8-channel mixer, master fader and transport control. I am still waiting for my proper T2 copy, so I haven't really used it practically yet.

Assigning UC-33e sliders and knobs to volume, pan and send amounts works flawlessly.

The only thing in the transport control I can get going directly between the UC-33e and T2 using MMC are the play and stop functions: I don't know if this is a T2 limitation, or something to do with bogus MMC commands from the UC-33e buttons. The T2 documentation does vaguely state that only partial MMC support is implemented in the current version... Any way, additional controller code automation for the transport controls in T2, in addition to MMC, would be a welcome improvement.

However, Putting Bome's MIDI Translator in between UC-33 and T2, you can translate any MIDI data into simulated keyboard keypressess. This way, I have direct access to play, pause, home, record, abort, and marker functions from the UC-33e keypad.

(http://www.bome.com/midi/translator/ -- a useful utility for anyone that needs to stretch the functionality of MIDI!)

In both T1 and T2, the FF and Rewind keys, "<<" and ">>", seem to have a logic all of their own - they won't accept simulated keypresses, and looking in T2 I can't see them listed as mappable keys either. So no FF or Rewind from the controller as of yet...

PS: The interface of the Enigma controller set-up program is a bit of a nightmare. Luckily, you don't have to use it -- if you're only making one or two UC-33 controller maps of your own, you'll probably save time by doing them directly on the UC-33.

[SaviorNeeded]

pethu--if you're interested, I can control << and >> in T2 with MMC from my Novation Remote 25. However, they only move to the next grid line, so if I'm zoomed in--it's an all day thing to get to one end or the other!

braj, I only have a UC16, but I like it fine.

Tom

[pethu]

pethu--if you're interested, I can control << and >> in T2 with MMC from my Novation Remote 25. However, they only move to the next grid line, so if I'm zoomed in--it's an all day thing to get to one end or the other!

braj, I only have a UC16, but I like it fine.

Tom

Yep, read haydxn's post and made an edit to my post above - quite possible there is a "nudge" that I missed since I was looking for a scroll!

[theshaggyfreak]

<EDIT> See haydxn's sticky post regarding MMC for more FF / REW info... but please check out Bome's MIDI translator as indicated below as a more user-friendly alternative to midi-ox!! </EDIT>

The UC-33e is a nice piece of kit, though I have found it a bit too cumbersome to use for synth programming. So, it has been sitting idle here for a while waiting to act as a control surface in T2.

I could really use some guidance on getting the uc-33 set up. I can do the volume and such, but the rest is alien to me.

[pethu]

<EDIT> See haydxn's sticky post regarding MMC for more FF / REW info... but please check out Bome's MIDI translator as indicated below as a more user-friendly alternative to midi-ox!! </EDIT>

The UC-33e is a nice piece of kit, though I have found it a bit too cumbersome to use for synth programming. So, it has been sitting idle here for a while waiting to act as a control surface in T2.

I could really use some guidance on getting the uc-33 set up. I can do the volume and such, but the rest is alien to me.

I'll see if I can come up with a small tutorial shortly...

[theshaggyfreak]

I'll see if I can come up with a small tutorial shortly...

That would be great!

[LBN]

I didn't care for the build quality of the UC-33. It felt too "plasticky" for my tastes. It offers a lot of functionality but the sliders felt like they would snap off in my fingers. Also, the position indicator on the knob is just an enlarged ridge the same color as the rest of the knob which makes it difficult to see in low-light conditions (like my studio) unless you get right over it. The BCR really gets points here for its LEDs.

I now have an Evolution MK-461C keyboard controller which has a lot of the same functionality - and problems - as the UC-33. I'm thinking about buying a BCR2000 to supplement it. Who can say no to 24 endless rotary encoders?

[theshaggyfreak]

I would have gotten a BCR2000, but I got my uc-33 for free pretty much. I traded an extra audio buddy (that I wasn't using) for it.

[braj]

I really want to make up my mind but I'm having mixed feelings I'd like to have faders, and the UC33e has templates for Reason, Live, and more. The Behringer has more total controllers, but many are buttons and I'm not sure how many buttons I could actually use at a time in Tracktion. The UC33e is more expensive, which is a consideration.

I'm going to make a decision tonight, so any advice in the next several hours would be helpful.

[pethu]

Can't help much more, I'm afraid, except for posting a "how I did the button mapping" in a separate post. Haven't really used other controllers much.

Apart from that: Yes, it is plastic. Like it or not... I agree that the knob arrows are too indistinct, but either you need to look at the screen to make sure the right thing is happening anyway, or you should not care what the position is and just listen to the result...

On the other hand, the faders have nice little green leds in the middle, which gives a cosy feeling in a dark studio...

Overall, the BCR looks sturdier (and with more nice leds!), but it seems the on-board display on the UC-33e is more comprehensive.

Oh yes, two good things: The UC-33e draws all power from the USB port - just one blessed cable to handle. And it contains a secondary standard MIDI port, but so does the BCR2000 from what I've just read...

[bighorse]

Oh yes, two good things: The UC-33e draws all power from the USB port - just one blessed cable to handle. And it contains a secondary standard MIDI port, but so does the BCR2000 from what I've just read...

I've got a BCF2000 and there is a limitation with the MIDI port on it: it doesn't appear to be a 'separate' port - it just mixes whatever MIDI is coming in, with the MIDI from the BCF (or in your case, BCR). This might not be an issue depending on how you want to use the port, but it has caused me problems before.

[djsubject]

midi cc 60 on a rotary controller comming in as mcu mode is scroll

in this zip i have a list of some of the mappings for mcu mode

http://skirize.bounceme.net/MCU.zip