How To: Setting up the Behringer BCF2000 for Logic Express 7.2

Gahlord — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:36:33 +0000

I just got both the Behringer BCF2000 and Logic Express 7.2. This is, after a fair bit of consideration and contemplation, what I consider to be the first step up from GarageBand and: a Powerwave (for people who don’t have bands with drums) or a Firepod (for people who do have bands with drums).

Behringer makes decent gear at a great price. They save their money on documentation. You might as well put their manuals in the WC for better use. Which brings us to the How-To.
How to set up the BCF2000 to work well with Logic Express 7.2
Goal:

Make the BCF2000 do it’s best to emulate the Logic Control MIDI controller to the best of the BCF2000’s ability and as quickly as possible.

Before you proceed: This article is not for you if you have rotary knob BCR2000, but here’s a link

Got a BCR2000 (the one with knobs instead of faders)? Check out this link and maybe it will help you. I don’t have a BCR2000 so best to just comment over at the link for best results.

The system used to make this BCF2000/Logic Express How-To

Computer: G4 867mhz Powerbook (presumably “or better” but this is the machine I used).
OS: Mac OSX AKA Mac 10.4 AKA Tiger
Controller: BCF2000 running firmware 1.10 or better (this is what shipped with mine, ordered only a few days before this posting).
Software: Logic Express 7.2.0 (presumably “or better” I didn’t bother with software update so maybe there’s more fun to be had).

Other software/hardware configurations are at your own risk. Always backup. Give my lawyer a donut. Etc. etc.

The Meat: Set up the Behringer BCF2000 to emulate the Logic Control surface in Logic Express 7.2

The following steps are made as stupid-simple as possible. I will improve the list to include any information gleaned from comments so that this list will always be as bullet-proof as I can make it. If you are insulted by how stupid-simple I make the instructions: please keep in mind that I only write in English while for some readers English is not their native language. Please help me make these How-To articles even simpler and stupider (if you speak a non-English language check the article in a machine translator and report back, even). Then we can all get on with the business of making fun:

Set your Behringer BCF2000 to Logic Control Emulation mode

Assure normal operations of your computer (switched on, all firewire and usb ports work etc).
Plug in your Behringer BCF2000. Do not power it up.
On the Behringer BCF2000 there is a row of knobs on the top, immediately below this row of knobs are two rows of buttons. In the top row (closest to the knobs) press and hold the third-from-the-left button.
While continuing to hold the third-from-the-left button (just below the row of knobs), press the power-on button on the back of the Behringer BCF2000
As the Behringer BCF2000 boots up you should see “LC” in the LED panel. This stands for “Logic Control” and is a good sign. Your faders might move around a bit because they have that flying fader motorized control thing going. Don’t sweat. You’re halfway there.

Set up Audio/MIDI so you have the right ports to connect your Behringer BCF2000 to Logic Express 7.2

Now it’s time to check cabling. Make sure your Behringer BCF2000 is plugged into a USB port on your Macintosh.
All set? Great! Open the Audio/Midi Application and select the bar that says “Midi Devices”
Your Behringer BCF2000 should be showing up, give it a name: BCF2000, give it a manufacturer: Behringer, give it a device: BCF2000
Set the MIDI in and out to port 1
You’re set with Audio/Midi, get some coffee, tea, beer, water. etc.

Set up Logic Express 7.2 to use your Behringer BCF2000 as if it were a Logic Control

Fire up Logic Express 7.2 (if this is the first time you launch Logic Express just follow through and hopefully everything will work, if not, no worries, just continue on to the next step).
Go to the File>Preferences>Control Surfaces>Setup
From that bity-tiny menu choose New>Install
Choose “Scan”
Your “Logic Control” should be visible in that window.
You’ve set it all up. Rock on!

But wait, the Behringer BCF2000 is not really a Logic Control by a mile, what do the buttons and knobs do?

Download this document: Behringer BCF2000 Emulation Modes
Skip the standard foul and crummy documentation provided by Behringer, just go to Page 4. There you will see how to re-map the “Logic Control” surface parameters to the Behringer BCF2000. Please note the shift keys especially.

En Summa

The Behringer BCF2000 is not a Logic Control. You have to jump through some hoops to make it work, it won’t emulate all the features. But it will get you a good way there at way below the price. The documentation of the Behringer BCF2000 is crap. But if you follow the above How-To then you will at least get set up and going.

Someday you will want to get a real Logic Control. At which point eBay is there to take your Behringer BCF2000 from you (feel free to reference this How-To when you sell). Meanwhile you can make some great mixes.

Good luck and please comment with any mistakes/upgrades in my documentation above. I will keep it as up-to-date as I can so long as I own my Behringer BCF2000.

I made this How-To fairly quickly, would it help if I include Screenshots and photographs?

Further Links related to Logic Express and the Behringer BCF2000 Control Surface

Google search for “Buy BCF2000”

6 page review of the Behringer BCF2000 fom Sonic State

The surface that you wish you were really buying.

n0d3.org » Behringer BCF2000