Usine and BFC 2000 : patches or workspaces ?

[daviche]

Hello guys,
I've made my first gigs using in a basic way Usine, everything worked fine, but I have a question for you, experts :

I've got a BFC 2000, that I would like tu use to have a simple and direct acces to the parameters i need to control on stage. Here is what I want to do :

Program 1 on the BFC : for the electric guitar, with access to various plugs, and master level.

Program 2 on the BFC : for the classical guitar. I need to assign some parameters to various eqs, reverb level, output volume etc...

Program 3 on the BFC : 12 strings guitars, just like the classical one but with different settings.

So the question is : how can I teach the BFC to load the electric guitar patch when I press Program 1, the classical guitar patch when I press program 2, and so on ?

Is it better to use 3 different workspaces ?

That's all for the moment, but I'll have a thousand more questions afterwards.

Than you !

David

[bsork]

Hello davidche,

if I understand you correctly, you have made a single workspace containing all the patches for the various setups that you need. If that is the case, I think the easiest way for changing between the setups would be to use the Conductor and make as many "snapshots" or "scenes" as you need. If you also turn off any unused tracks/channels in the various snapshots, you'll save CPU.

I don't have the BCF, but I suspect that it defaults to sending a MIDI Program Change message when you switch between presets/programs - if not, it can surely be programmed to do so.

In the Global Remote (Ctrl-F4), you can assign the Program Changes to the Conductor buttons 0 to 20. Of course you can also use Control Change messages you want.

If your machine can handle it there's no need for separate workspaces, and if you have enough control using the BCF, you might not have to touch the computer at all during the gig.

Hope this is of any help.

[daviche]

Thanks ! I was thinking about using the conductor, but at the moment I don't understand well how to program it. I'll try to apply your suggestion.

DC

[Vincent]

Hi daviche.

I'm afraid that with three workspaces, you'll not be able to play (or let play) the three guitars together. Maybe should you leave your three patches on three tracks?
The matter is to be able, with your BCF2000, to have access with prog 1 to Guit 1, prog 2 to guit 2, and so on.
Would it be possible to make Prog 1 send CC on Midi Chnl 1, Prog 2 on Midi Chnl 2 and so on? And make Usine's Track 1 receive only Chn1 and so on...
Or, in a track receiving all channels, using a Math/Compare module on the incoming CC# and, with Events Control/Block (or Pass) modules, affect CC# 0 to 42 to your Guit 1 patch, CC# 43 to 84 to your Guit 2 patch and CC# 85 to 127 to tour Guit 3 patch? Or with a Channel filter VST...
Your guitar patches could be sub-patches or patches in other tracks with midi busses.
Many solutions for sure.

I don't know the BCF2000 but here will you be answered by killers who use it, I'm thinking to Senso himself but he's not alone!

I hope I'm not too confuse!

[bsork]

The Conductor is quite straight forward actually: If you use the Preset Manager in the patches, the Conductor does almost the same on a workspace level. It will store most visible parameters - you can check by using the right mouse button and see whether the control can not be stored by the Conductor.

BTW, if you use the Preset Manager, it isn't stored in the scenes. You'll have to connect another module like a fader or a combo box to the num inlet, and select the presets that way before the snapshot/scene is created ("append") or updated ("rewrite").

[senso]

Another alternative should be to create 3 lines of patches on the grid respectively for electric, acoustic, 12strings.
Then switch between them.

The conductor as a drawback
If you make changes on the workspace, the will be lost after the recall (set to the original values)

With the 3 lines of patches, you will retrieve the controls at the position of the last use.

So, if you plan to modify a lot your patches in live, this solution is the best.

As I can remember, the BCF2000 doesn't send any information when you change the program number.
So you can't use it to switch between your settings.
Use a computer keyboard key ("A" for 1 "Z" for 2 and so on) ?

[daviche]

Ok, I think senso's suggestion might be the easiest way. But I still don't understand how I can make a snapshot of a patch, to be managed by the conductor. I think I missed something...

By the way, Olivier, the problem I had with midi came from the Motu : using a Midisport Uno everything is fine !

[daviche]

Wow, I feel really stupid : I just can't get what I need, and I'm sure it's easy to set ! The problem with Senso's suggestion is that the electric guitar and the acoustic guitars outputs are not the same (not the same amps), so I need to have different patches (am I wrong ?).
And by the way, what about vst forms ? Is it possible to make appear only the plugs's forms concerned by the active patch ?

[bmoussay]

Hi davidche,


"The problem with Senso's suggestion is that the electric guitar and the acoustic guitars outputs are not the same (not the same amps), so I need to have different patches (am I wrong ?)."

Actually you can have more than one audio output in one patch using the "additionnal audio out" modules.

"And by the way, what about vst forms ? Is it possible to make appear only the plugs's forms concerned by the active patch ?"

You can use a "patch active" module plugged into the "form visible " inlet of the vst plug.

"Ok, I think senso's suggestion might be the easiest way. But I still don't understand how I can make a snapshot of a patch, to be managed by the conductor. I think I missed something..."

I think too, to make a snapshot of a patch use a "preset" module in the patch, connect a fader to its "num" inlet, set everything in your patch, then store one/several presets, then click append in the conductor.
Don't forget that the preset module only recalls visible parameters (i.e. faders switches etc... that you have created).

Hope it can help,

Rgds,

B.

[bsork]

The Preset Manager stores most of the parameters and values in a patch, while the Conductor only stores visible parameters (as far as I can tell).

Which values that are not stored in the preset, I'm not sure. A short test shows that eg the array (size and values) and the two variable modules are stored, but not the two synchro modules. (The latter maybe because I asked for something like that once....)

Maybe Olivier can enlighten us a little?

[Vincent]

Which values that are not stored in the preset, I'm not sure.

Well, I'm not sure either... but it works fine in a sub-patch with an Array Editor, AFAIK. Also works fine for VST's parameters. Does it works for everything? I would answer YES.
So... Olivier could surely help us with that point!

[daviche]

Thank you guys, but for it's not working as I wish (or don't know yet how to apply your suggestions).
Actually, I've got so much music to write now, that I'll have to use Usine in a basic way until there will be time to really work on it.

So, see you soon !

DC

[Vincent]

Daviche, you come back here whenever you want and we'll try to help you build your live workspace. I'm sure it'll not be so difficult.

I am wondering...
Would you guys be interested in training courses? That could be interesting to see how other are used to patch in Usine and to share tricks to make it easy...

[daviche]

You bet ! I would love to work with experienced people on Usine, I'm sure I could learn a lot, and pretty faster.

Whenever you want.

David