BCR2000 resource packs

The zip files provided here each contain the following:

  • Overlays for SkinMan and ready to print.
  • Preset SysEx files for BC Manager or direct transfer to the BCR.
    • As it is not possible to tell the BCR how and where to include the MIDI channel number within the SysEx message, the byte containing the channel number must be hardcoded within the SysEx file. Refer to the ReplaceMIDIChannel_README textfile in the package for a search-replace string to change the MIDI channel to your needs.
  • BC Manager SysEx Definition File (if applicable)

You may use the content of the packages for your own purposes. For distribution, please link to this site.

Related posts:

Custom overlays for BCR

Proper overlays greatly increase usability of the device. You can visualize the controls much better as opposed to just text-labelling and thus bring you much closer to the device you are controlling with the BCR.

BCR2000_mKorg_ovly

The BCR2000 Templates document that you can find on the official downloads page contains simple overlays for control labelling. But I was looking for a way to create enhanced overlays that visualize the device being controlled rather than just labelling the controls.

Custom overlays with SkinMan

SkinMan is a freeware program for creating skins for audio plugins. I created templates for the upper and the lower sections of the BCR. SkinMan can be found here.
Download the SkinMan templates here.

The templates contain grouped elements of four basic types:

  • Background: The overall background of the overlay.
  • Cutouts: These should be left as they are, blank sections to be cut out of the printed layout. They represent the actual buttons and encoders on the device.
  • Labels: Editable primitives for the label background.
  • Label text: The text fields for each label.

To create your overlay, do the following:

  1. Download and install SkinMan
  2. Download the SkinMan Templates and open them in SkinMan.
  3. Design, hide, add or remove elements to your liking.
  4. When you´re finished, export the image via the File menu and print it out. I recommend to use good quality photo paper.
    Use DIN A4 (210 x 297 mm) as print size.

    alert Make sure to use borderless print setting, or the control cutouts will not fit!

  5. Cut out the cutouts (hence the name, right…) with a sharp cutter.
  6. For long term protection, laminate the overlay.
  7. Cut out the lamination foil again and you are done.

You may want to download one of the BCR sets below and use the contained overlay as an example.

BCR SysEx support

The BCR2000 SysEx capabilities are hardly covered by the official documentations and tools. I guess nowadays such controllers are mostly intended for use with software, to control DAWs and plugins. But they are equally ideal to control those 80’s to 90’s digital synths, which lack hardware controls but provide parameter setting via SysEx messages.

The BCR2000 is perfectly capable of that, but you have to know how to set it up. You can always use the learn function to assign a SysEx message to a control. If the SysEx message is simple, the BCR will perfectly recognize it. For proper setup however there is a perfect tool out there called BC Manager. It needs a while to get used to the interface, but you can edit and control every aspect of the device with it, send and receive data and manage multiple devices. A must-have for every BCR owner!

If you want more information on the SysEx capabilities of the BCR, check out the resources and links on the Mountain Utilities BCR/BCF page, too.

DW-8000 control via SysEx

The lack of hardware controls on the device can be overcome by using a MIDI controller capable of sending System Exclusive messages. Almost every parameter of the DW-8000 can be controlled via SysEx. Only the MIDI settings themselves and the arpeggiator are excluded.
I am using the Behringer BCR-2000 controller for realtime tweaking. If at all, the only setback is the coarse resolution of the parameters on the DW which does not even make use of the full MIDI value range of 128 steps. But the simple fact that it is fully controllable (other than its little brother, the DW-6000) totally makes it up to me.

KORG DW-8000 controlled by BCR2000 from MacroDX on Vimeo.