Behringer LC2412 - help please

[Bruff]

I'm trying to make an LC2412 do very basic stuff, but I can't, and would be grateful for any help.

 

In attempting to record a state, I do the following (channel numbers and levels are just examples, it's the same with all channels on the same bank, and any level above zero):

 

Live mode on

Preset 8 selected (for example - it's the same with any preset)

Channel 4 fader at 50%

select "upper"

Channel 19 fader at 50%

(now I want to record this state as bank 8, memory 1):

select "memory" - at this point channel 4 (or anything on the upper bank) GOES OUT, and can't be recalled.

 

If I reverse the sequence, i.e. set the upper bank first, then it's that bank which is killed by selecting "memory"

 

It seems that not only will it only record the currently selected bank, but it kills the other one. This was not pleasing the company during the dress rehearsal!

 

This has the feel of a desk fault, but I've got two of them side-by-side (not linked, one's a backup) and they both behave the same.

 

OK, I know I must be missing something obvious, but I can't find it.

 

And another thing - how do you clear a single memory? having a blackout on stage and recording this on the required memory only works if I do it twice - once with "upper" selected, and once without. Possibly related to my first problem?

 

TIA,

Steve.

[Crew.Steve]

I'm trying to make an LC2412 do very basic stuff, but I can't, and would be grateful for any help.

 

I don't know if you have it, but the manual may be downloaded here

 

There is a programmers' maxim: All software problems are hardware, and vice versa.

 

Good luck

[Bruff]

I'm trying to make an LC2412 do very basic stuff, but I can't, and would be grateful for any help.

 

I don't know if you have it, but the manual may be downloaded here

 

There is a programmers' maxim: All software problems are hardware, and vice versa.

 

Good luck

 

I do have the (awful) manual, thanks - but can't find anything in it to help me.

[DavidLee]

It's finally hit home that this console is utter crap! I've been banging my head against metaphorical hard objects for nearly a year trying to get Behringer to fix other firmware problems (the dreaded unwanted channel output syndrome) but wasn't aware of these horrors! (So far the LC2412 that I bought has only been used for 12-channel scenes in a small venue or as 24 channel single preset with ch 13-24 programmed into memories in bank 1 for focusing when I couldn't be bothered to get out a real console).

 

Don't waste your time trying to get any sense from the Behringer support muppets but send a strong complaint direct to Andy Cullen - Senior Customer Supporter - at Andrew.Cullen@behringer.com

 

In the meantime some workarounds...

 

The behaviour isn't quite as you describe it - it's actually rather worse. When you hit the "Memory" key the desk forgets the entire preset that you have set up and reverts to the physical settings of the A faders - including the effect of the "Upper" key. This is contrary to the description in the manual and appears to be due to a firmware fault.

 

However you can set up your preset AFTER you have entered Memory mode, using the "Upper" key to switch between channels 1-12 and 13-24, and you shouldn't have any problems. In other words just leave the desk in "Memory" mode whilst plotting and don't "Quit" until you have finished. You can still add memories to the scene (saving using Soft B key ("ALL") rather than Soft A ("Preset")) although channels added in this way do not affect the green monitor LEDs in memory mode and a further bug appears to disable the B faders when in Upper mode - memory outputs are held constant whilst the Upper key is depressed.

 

Another workaround is to program in "Preview" mode. This is intended for editing memories but can be used for building from scratch. Select "Live" to see the output on the stage and press the "Preview" key. Then select the Bank using the Up/Down keys and a memory using its flash key WITH ITS B-FADER AT ZERO and then press "Modify" (Soft B). Now the contents of the memory can be adjusted using the A preset faders together with the Upper key - but remember that an A fader will only "pick-up" a channel when you match the fader and programmed levels. Thus if you are building a scene from scratch and have set channel 6 to say 50% before entering Upper mode then the A-6 fader will have no effect at all until you return it to zero, whereupon it will seize control of channel 18, leaving channel 6 at 50%. When you are happy with the scene press "Enter" (Soft A). You must make sure that either the memory B-Fader for the memory you are working on or the B Master Fader is at zero when editing in preview mode since it will "hang on" to its programming until you have entered the result and reduced the fader level to zero and if the fader is up it will continue to output its original levels and you will not see the results of your edits on the output.

 

Hope that's clear enough and helpful.

 

David

 

 

Edit:

 

Regarding clearing memories - bizarrely it seems that settings made to preset A whilst in Memory mode are remembered when you Quit. Thus next time you return to memory mode those channels not selected by the setting of the Upper key retain the values that they had previously. To workaround press the Upper key once you have re-entered memory mode and than cancel any channels appearing on the Green LED monitors by raising the corresponding A-Fader to match levels and then returning to zero - you can grab all the faders at once and cancel them together. Once you have cleared down the presets in this way you can then store the blackout state in as many memories as you choose.

 

D

[Bruff]

Thank you - that is SO helpful - and in good time for me to put something together for the first performance tomorrow!

 

So it wasn't me being stupid - the desk really is truly horrible. I've finally found something which outranks the Green Ginger Microfile 40 in my list of awful desks.

 

I can't imagine that complaining to Behringer will do any good - they don't have an R&D department as such, do they? Not necessary for copying other peoples designs. In this case, very badly- I'll be astonished if the MA original is anywhere near as awful as the LC2412.

 

Thanks again,

 

Steve.

[DavidLee]

So it wasn't me being stupid - the desk really is truly horrible. I've finally found something which outranks the Green Ginger Microfile 40 in my list of awful desks.

 

I can't imagine that complaining to Behringer will do any good - they don't have an R&D department as such, do they? Not necessary for copying other peoples designs. In this case, very badly- I'll be astonished if the MA original is anywhere near as awful as the LC2412.

It's nothing like as expensive either! The guys at Treppendorf will now give you one for only £126.63, compared with £797.30 for an MA Lightcommander. The Behringer LC2412 may be irritating as hell but you can't beat it for value for money if you're seriously short of cash.

 

Please do send your (polite) comments to Andy Cullen at Behringer - he has been trying to get problems sorted out on this console and the more reasonable customer complaints that he has in his hand the more chance he will have to get something done.

 

Hope the performance goes well.

 

David