[Ardour-Users] Using the BCF2000 MIDI ports

[Jonathan Stowe]

On Thu, 2007-09-20 at 09:14 +0200, John Anderson wrote:
> On Wed, 2007-09-19 at 21:52 +0100, Jonathan Stowe wrote:
> > On Wed, 2007-09-19 at 20:14 +0000, John Anderson wrote:
> > > Glad to hear it. How do you find the button mappings?
> > > 
> > 
> > The mappings are great, I'm meaning to create a diagram based on the
> > ones in the Behringer emulation modes document to make it easier to
> > visualize but I've developed a strong hatred for every piece of software
> > I've tried doing that with :-) I notice that Frontier have a nice
> > diagram on their web site illustrating the mappings for the Tranzport,
> > perhaps someone should suggest to Behringer that they do similar. 
> 
> Well, seeing as various people (including me) invented the mappings,
> Behringer wouldn't know about them ;-)
> 

Er quite, I was meaning that perhaps one of the Ardour developers should
contact Behringer with the details of the mappings :-O

> > > After futzing around quite a bit, I did the following:
> > > 
> > > - choose mcu as the MTC port in Windows/Preferences/MIDI
> > > 
> > > - Turn on trace output
> > > 
> > > - Turn on Options/Send MTC
> > > 
> > > and I see a bunch of sysex messages that don't belong to the BCF. I
> > > assume they're MTC messages.
> > > 
> > 
> > Right, this suggest then that you are using the alsa sequencer interface
> > rather than the raw interface as the mcu doesn't appear in the list in
> > the MIDI options page when using the raw interface (for me anyway.) I
> > guess this has been fixed since the documentation (which specifically
> > refers to the sequencer interface not working in 2.04) and I've been
> > tracking 2.0-ongoing so I'll give it a try.
> 
> Nope, I'm using alsa/raw. I've updated the docs to make it clear that
> alsa/sequencer are not working with the mackie code in 2.0-ongoing. It
> will take a while for the website to be updated.
> 

Okay. 

> > Yes, when pressing the button to put the BCF into LC mode on power-up
> > keep it pressed in and EG will appear in the display (Edit Global
> > settings) turning the leftmost VPOT changes the MIDI mode and I think it
> > should be set to U3, pressing "Exit" will save this setting and return
> > to LC mode. "aconnect -o" should now show three sequencer ports for the
> > BCF 2000.
> 
> Ah, OK. If I set the bcf to u3, and use qjackctl to connect ardour:seq
> to 1:BCF2000 MIDI 2, and tell Ardour to send MTC to seq, and I start the
> transport rolling, then the MIDI A light on the BCF starts flashing
> rapidly.
> 
> And if I put my nose really close to the MIDI A port on the back of the
> bcf, I can almost, but not quite, smell the midi messages drifting
> out :-p

:-) I can confirm that there is definitely MIDI time code going out of
the port on the BCF as I can hear some high frequency interference on
the audio when the transport is running where I have injudiciously put
the (quite expensive mind) MIDI cable next to a poorly shielded audio
cable.

However the drum machine he no start when I start the transport :-( I
think I might have to spend some quality time with the documentation for
the device as I thought I had it set up right :-\

Anyhow thanks for your help.

/J\
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