Ableton Forum

Hey Eeryone,
X-Mas is just around the corner. I am looking to add a new midi controller to the setup. I am looking at two models and wanted a few user opiniopns after researching.
I've come down to two the behringer BCR 2000 and the Novation Remote Zero.

both seem great. price difference is quite adifference.
from what I've heard both are great. I want versatility and ease of use.
anyone used both?
Opinions.

I currently have a Korg Microkontrol (so i already have keys) and this is my next addition.
I will be using this for both djing and production.

any other product suggestions are welcome too.

thanks much!

I'd vote for the BCR for DJ-ing - easy to set up, reliable and easy to see in the dark at most angles. Automap is great -when it works- in the studio. But I wouldn't want to use it on stage - you really need just one set of easy to see controls per function IMO. Which puts the BCR ahead for DJ-ing in my opinion. For the money the BCR just can't be beat.

really a tough choice.
if you think you'll still get worth the same amount of money, then go for the BCR and buy something else with the price difference.
the BCR is more than enough and has its good points (good visual feedback, knob position loaded with the set, lots of knobs, quite robust).

i don't use automap on my zeroSL, but i heard it's quite good (i can't fit it close to my desk).

The behringer is a bit bulky, and kind of ugly. Also, it needs an external power supply (right?), unlike the far sleeker novation. But yeah, the novation is quite a bit more expensive...

capo-wear-i wrote:I'd vote for the BCR for DJ-ing - easy to set up, reliable and easy to see in the dark at most angles. Automap is great -when it works- in the studio. But I wouldn't want to use it on stage - you really need just one set of easy to see controls per function IMO. Which puts the BCR ahead for DJ-ing in my opinion. For the money the BCR just can't be beat.

Well, you don't HAVE to use the automap function, there are a couple of ordinary templates included for dj-ing with Live, too. Never tried them myself, though.

Novation is a premium pro product.
Behringer makes things as inexpensively as possible.

BCR 2000 is an excellant product for the money. i've been abusing mine at gig's for 2 years with no issues...and no it doesn't have an external power supply!

can the behringer send out sysex comands (not just programm change)?


edit: I checked. it only sends/recieves sysex dumps, no way to program knobs to do sysex control..

lunabass wrote:BCR 2000 is an excellant product for the money. i've been abusing mine at gig's for 2 years with no issues...and no it doesn't have an external power supply!

Ah, i meant "external power supply" as in power cord (ie not usb powered), not as in "external adapter wall wart thingy".

BCR 2000 are great for the price and having endless knobs can be useful but you don't get a feel for the begining and end of the knobs.

thanks for all the comments. There is only about 90 bucks difference in the price from what i have found which isnt going to kill their bank for christmas. I orignally asked for the Novation, but she was reviewing the behringer online.

can you set up more than one template on either of them for the same live set (toggle between the two for more control while playing), or is this not allowed by them, or live?

thanks again everyone, this board is great.
by far my favorite forum working with music.
everyone is so helpful

michael

dphouse84 wrote:can you set up more than one template on either of them for the same live set (toggle between the two for more control while playing), or is this not allowed by them, or live?

that's the main reason why i don't use the BCR anymore: you can have several templates, but it's not really manageable: if you change the template, when you go back to the first one, the knobs don't update. so it's pretty useless.

the novation doesn't update at all. which in a way makes it more manageable: you can switch to any template, you just have to put the knobs and sliders correctly.

peeddrroo wrote:

dphouse84 wrote:can you set up more than one template on either of them for the same live set (toggle between the two for more control while playing), or is this not allowed by them, or live?

that's the main reason why i don't use the BCR anymore: you can have several templates, but it's not really manageable: if you change the template, when you go back to the first one, the knobs don't update. so it's pretty useless.

the novation doesn't update at all. which in a way makes it more manageable: you can switch to any template, you just have to put the knobs and sliders correctly.

both mine update, check your setup. REMOTE OUT does the trick.

if they were stolen I'd replace the BCR first. the SL is great for having a USB powered keyboard but on the BCR you can change presets in an instant and it's so damn versatile, the LEDs can be programmed in all kinds of modes. if I'm doing more note playing it's the SL, if I'm doing DJ style loop launching and automation, it's the BCR.

Tone Deft wrote:both mine update, check your setup. REMOTE OUT does the trick.

you mean without automap?

like: you map a knob on live to a knob on the SL using Ctrl-M, change the value in live and it will be updated on the SL?

i wrote to novation about that, and they answered me the SL was NOT supposed to get any midi feedback....
gonna try this....

pretty sure. I absolutely remember playing with them, watching them update, Live/BCR/SL all three GUIs. I can check later if it was automap, don't think so. TBH lately it's been mostly SL on the couch and not BCR in the studio so it's not real fresh in my memory.