Need your advice. Have an SL25... should I keep it??

alin55 · Post by **alin55** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:49 pm

DeadlyKungFu wrote:
DJLethalRush wrote:What do you mean automap on the BCR? Sorry to be thick - but.. what? Preset 1 on my BCR does nothing in Live.
Live 6 will support BCR automap on Preset 1 of the default BCR presets. Overall the bang for the buck ratio on the BCR is about 3,392,781. On the SL it's an 8. SL is cool, BCR is brilliant.

Does this go for the BCF too??

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:51 pm

alin55 wrote:
DeadlyKungFu wrote:
DJLethalRush wrote:What do you mean automap on the BCR? Sorry to be thick - but.. what? Preset 1 on my BCR does nothing in Live.
Live 6 will support BCR automap on Preset 1 of the default BCR presets. Overall the bang for the buck ratio on the BCR is about 3,392,781. On the SL it's an 8. SL is cool, BCR is brilliant.
Does this go for the BCF too??

I don't see why not. The BCR usually gets more attention, that's all.

alin55 · Post by **alin55** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 6:11 pm

DeadlyKungFu wrote:
alin55 wrote:
DeadlyKungFu wrote: Live 6 will support BCR automap on Preset 1 of the default BCR presets. Overall the bang for the buck ratio on the BCR is about 3,392,781. On the SL it's an 8. SL is cool, BCR is brilliant.
Does this go for the BCF too??
I don't see why not. The BCR usually gets more attention, that's all.

Thats great news if it happens!!

DJLethalRush · Post by **DJLethalRush** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:22 am

yeah well, the SL just went back today. I got a padKontrol instead of it, and a BCF2000 is on it's way.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to update the firmware on the BCR2000 using a mac. hm

gaspode · Post by **gaspode** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:40 am

Hey... to the bcr2000 users, how do you guys know what all of your knobs and switches have auto mapped to? On the sl 25 and the lcd it isn't too hard to figure out, but I'd imagine either you need to get used to the automapping on the bcr2000 or you just have so many knobs that you just put a sticker on top of each one as you assign it... just curious though as it looks very useful, but perhaps a little overwhelming...

gotta like the rotary encoders though!

Bong Sau · Post by **Bong Sau** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:46 pm

The BCR2000 is only £99 now....i'm thinking of trying one alongside my SL25. Anyone else tried this?

debu · Post by **debu** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:53 pm

I haven't tried the automapping with 6 but I just added the bcr to my 25 sl and I'm ready to ditch the remote.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:00 pm

I just wish you could get the BCR knobs to 'turn' faster

Takes like 1.5 rotations to get the full parameter range.

rikhyray · Post by **rikhyray** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:31 pm

SL-great idea, but after few months of expecting that the bugs will be fixed, I gave up ( since I am performer I just cannot afford that "this time it does not work" surprises that in studio do not matter that much), dont believe it will ever workproperly,Novation does not take it seriously enough. only the keys are nice , everything else chepo, inaccurate, wrongly placed- you hurt your fingers hitting the pads since they are so close to the sharp edged pots , waiting for custom made controller from Doepfer parts. Novation joined M audio on my "never ever again" list.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:29 am

Why do you guys like the BCR over the SL so much? I have a BCR, but was going to get an SL zero this weekend as I'd think it would be easier to use with the LCDs telling you what is what.

So, why so adament about the BCR being better?

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 12:44 am

Tarekith wrote:Why do you guys like the BCr ove the SL so much? I havea BCR, but was going to get an SL zero this weekend as I'd think it would be easier to use wioh the LCDs telling you what is what.

So, why so adament about the BCR being better?

The BCR is so damn inexpensive and it works. With BCR automap in Live 6, the BCR will blow up even bigger, I love mine. I've got a bunch of homebrewed presets but there's 1 I use all the time.

The SL was overpromised, but with Live 6 the improvements to knob pickup, knob scaling and improved device mapping (eg the on/off button is no longer mapped <totally annoying>) really improve the device considerably.

I dig the SL for being a USB powered keyboard with automapping. It's nice to click on a vst and dig into the parameters right away. Not so good are the small LCD screens, 2 or more rows would be nice. I have the SL25, I no keyboard player but the 2 octaves feel limiting, but a bigger SL wouldn't be as convenient to carry around, not that the SL is all that small. The drum pads are stiff, not a lot of feel and the combination of endless and not-endless encoders is an odd choice, make them all endless.

I dig the BCR for being a solid little box with gobs of knobs and I can change presets instantly. If I lost both I'd buy another BCR in a heartbeat, the SL would be lower on the list. The LEDs on the BCR track beautifully.

I also don't know if there's a USB keyboard that feels as good as the SL.

The BCR is easily the best bang for the buck music thing I've ever bought, I highly recommend them.

I would disagree with most of the negative press in this thread. The build quality isn't solid but it's mostly stuff like knobs that could be pulled off, early units that shipped mis-wired and some software issues that now seem to be cleared up, eg use a VSTs for a while, then all of a sudden automap stops, that seems to be cleared up. I hated the way the faders would jump, turn a fader all the way up, switch to send mode, turn a send down, go back to fader mode and the moment you touch the fader it jumps to 0.

If you're on the fence, try both with Live 6, that's where it's all headed anyway. There are also a boatload of new controllers supported by Live 6, you should look into them (I have no idea which ones are better alternatives.)

hth.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:43 am

Well, like I've said, I have a BCR and have been a huge supporter of it in the past. The way the top 8 encoders work is the way ALL midi controllers should work (ie, you can switch presets, and when you go back, the original values are remembered).

My only real complaints have been that the knobs take more thana full rotation to access all 128 values, making things like quick filter tweaks hard to execute. And the slightly cheap feel. Sounds bad, but I make enough money at the day job that i don't mind paying more for solid gear that i know will last me a good long time and feel nice and smooth.

I like the automap idea in version 6, but would think it would be hard to know what the BCR knobs are assigned to each time you switch devices or racks, etc. Where as the SL can literally display what the mapped parameters are, and according to the SOS review I read, is quite nice feeling. I don't need keys at all, I have my Virus TI for that, so I'll only be getting the Zero version of the SL.

Hmm, guess I might just have to get it and give it a try to compare directly.