BFD Comprehensive Setup Guide

[Sonnie Parker]

Hello fella BFD'ers and HT friends...

The website is up and running fine. There was a blurp for about 4-5 days when I changed my hosting. I apologize for the downtime. I in no way ever intend to do away with our site, unless of course it comes my time to move on to a better place. If someone wants to copy the site for archive or safe keeping in case something ever does happen, go right ahead, do whatever is needed. I certainly do not have any problems with this.

Thanks for the e-mails!

http://web.archive.org/web/20041010042824/http://www.snapbug.ws/bfd.htm

[Andrew Pratt]

Thanks Sonnie and its nice to hear from you again :T

[George Bellefontaine]

Hello, Sonnie my son.

[aud19]

Good to see ya Sonnie :T

Hey mod's, maybe make this a sticky?

[David Meek]

Okay, it's a sticky. Well, somebody made it a sticky.

Hey Sonnie, it's good to see you! :T Will you be staying for a while?

[Sonnie Parker]

Thanks for the greetings guys.

Hey daddy-George!

I'm gonna at least try and visit a little more often than I have been... not exactly sure how much that will be though. I've been doing some extensive research and writing that occupied much of free time. Although I still have lots more to do, at least it has slowed down some. Plus I need a break from it all along... short breaks... but breaks none the less.

[Bent]

Sonnie, this is more your home than mine - so do drop in as often as you can.

[PiDD]

Sonnie any thoughts of added an expanded explaination for PC control of the BFD though midi?

[Sonnie Parker]

Thanks Ben... I'm definitely going to try to drop in more often.

Rob... Yes, I have considered adding this, but... I haven't used it and haven't researched it to know enough to add anything. I never could get it to work for me. I mentioned to a few people that if they would write up a section on their use of it that I would add it and mention their name as the contributor. Unfortunately no one has been willing to do so.

Do you know how it works? Would you be willing to do a write up?

[Spearmint]

Hi Sonnie,

Your BFD pages are an absolute bible, and have been a great source of knowledge for me, for this I thank you and the other contributors :T

Regarding the software, it was the only way I used my BFD, and made life so easy. Sadly I no longer have the BFD and the DEQ2496 which replaced it does not have any software available at this time. I also run a DCX2496 and this does have software, can't understand Behringer regarding this...

Here are my settings of the BFD unit to get it to work via midi.

Page 14 Manual section 2.5

Hold in/out & store keys for about 2 seconds to enter midi setup, there are six pages here in/out moves forward, store moves backwards, and jog wheel changes settings....

These are my settings...

Page 1 = 1c
Page 2 = 1o
Page 3 = 4C
Page 4 = 3p
Page 5 = 0S
Page 6 = 0d

Once these are set the BFD runs a treat via software, especially good for those of us getting a little hard at seeing even with glasses on, the arms just aren’t long enough :B

Richard

[PiDD]

Hi Sonnie,

To say I am new to this is an understatment! I have your bible and will go through the config setups again (my brain popped at 'bandwidth' last go!)

I couldnt get the software to work under XP no matter what I did. This was confirmed by Berhinger support and they have to plans for upgrading it. So I installed Win98 on one PC and voila I am in control!

Unfortunately, our older Windows editors are not XP compatible. It has yet to be determined if they will be updated for this purpose. If they are, the latest version of the editor would be available immediately for free download from our website at www.behringer.com.

I like the software because of the graphic representation. Basically I can take my adj room measurements and somewhat inverse them and program the BFD. A good place to start anyway.

If it was only that easy!

So as you can tell I dont have the expertise to write anything but I am more than willing to help out in any way.

Rob

[Sonnie Parker]

Thanks Richard... although I think the problems lies in getting the BFD software working with the computer.

Rob... same here... if I remember now... XP was my problem too. LOL... bandwidth took me a while to comprehend. It seems there is no easy way to explain it other than with pictures.

One way to understand what it does is when you have taken your measurements and stored them into MS Excel and view the graph of your frequency line, then go back to one particular frequency that you adjusted and change the bandwidth setting.

For example... let's say you set a filter up at 40hz with a bandwidth of 2/60 and a cut of 5 db. Input your measurements into Excel and view the graph. Print it out for reference. Then go back and change only the bandwidth setting of that one frequency at 40hz to 10/60. Take new measurements and input into Excel and view the new graph. Then you can see the difference of the bandwidth settings and how it effects your curve.

What you should learn is the the narrow bandwidth of 2/60 only effected the frequencies right near 40hz... while the 10/60 setting effected a wider range of frequencies around 40hz. Sometimes a wider bandwidth setting will effect a frequency a good ways on down or up in range. You might even go back and enter 30/60 just to see what effect it has.

Now... you can see this with the software but it is not as good as real life, although you can get an idea of what the effect will be.

Notice the first setting is 2/60... the second is 10/60... and the third is 50/60... (The settings are in red just below the graph... kinda hard to see.)





Always start with lower bandwidth settings and work upwards if needed.

[PiDD]

Thanks Sonnie, That is what I was doing but the results were confusing because I just used numbers that were too big. I will play with it this weekend and report back.

Thanks!
Rob

[Jack Keck]

PE is advertising a $25.00 rebate. I don't know if I'm giong to pull the trigger before 1/313 cuz I just built the sub, but I have looked at your site. I know I'll need one of these down the road.

Jack

[PiDD]

I had a chance to finally get the win98 pc finished up and tried the software. Besides being an old design and tough to enter values (hate the dial that you have to take from 500 to 20hz - 150ish)

Since it's visual it makes it much easier to understand. I will post some results later.

[PiDD]

Well I had some one on one time with the BFD.

Here are my first results from about an hour playing with it. I have to say that rogramming it with the PC really helped me.


Are these the kind of results I am looking for?

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Rob

[Sonnie Parker]

What sub are you using?

Post a graph of your adjustments... looks like you did a lot of boosting... not too good an idea, especially at the lower end.

If this sounds okay and is not putting any strain on your sub then it should be fine.

If you think it sounds boomy then you might want to start over and work on getting everything from 28-63hz down to about 84-85db. To do this... I'd try a filter at 32hz with some narrow bandwidths with a cut of around 12-13db. Start with 2/60 and move up to 4, 5, 6/60 until you see it start to effect 25hz... stop at the one that does not effect 25hz. You may have to insert a very narrow 1/60 and small cut at 28hz to finish leveling that out. See how much the cut at 32hz effects that peak at 45hz. You will probably end up needing a narrow cut at 45hz and maybe another not quite as narrow at 56hz.

You can also start at 45hz with a wider bw of say 10/60 and a cut of 18db... then start working on 32hz and others. This might be the better starting point after looking at it more... start with a 10/60 and narrow it up if it's making any frequency fall below 84db.

Lot's of measurements and trial and error. Once you see how the one or two filters are effecting things it will start to give you a more precise idea of what's happening.

You should be able to work this out to not have to boost any frequencies or at worst if you are looking to flatten it out to 20hz a small boost of 3-4db at 20hz with a narrow bw of 1/60 or 2/60 should do the trick after you make the rest of your adjustments... but make sure it's not straining your sub. Boosting that area at 100hz should not be a big deal... but I would only boost it up to the 84db.

I'm using the 84db as a mark to shoot far since your sub is flat there at 22-25hz.

[Spearmint]

Looks like the trusty BFD1124P has a replacement on the way...

It is the FBQ2496

The FBQ2496 is the fastest (>0.2 sec.) and the only 96 kHz Feedback Suppressor on the market. Using an ultra-fast feedback detection algorithm, it automatically and “intelligently” locates up to 20 feedback frequencies per channel and sets extremely narrow notch filters to “destroy” them, leaving the remainder of the signal virtually untouched. Easy does it: with the “Set-and-Forget” default setting plus the Panic button, your FEEDBACK DESTROYER can be up and running in no time! The auto mode continuously monitors the mix, resetting programmed filters automatically, while the manual mode allows individual setting of up to 40 fully parametric filters with frequency, bandwidth and gain adjustment. Open MIDI architecture means that future software updates and flexible communication with digital equipment are a no-brainer. With its various modes you can master just about any live sound situation or use it as a creative sound-shaping tool.

[Sonnie Parker]

It appears the only difference for sub eq'ing will be 40 filters instead of 24 and the $200 price tag. The operation should be basically the same. I don't think any improvement in quality is much good since we are using it on the lower frequencies.

[Bruce]

Quoted by PiDD
I had a chance to finally get the win98 pc finished up and tried the software.

I'd be interested in your MIDI settings on the PC.

What kind of MIDI interface are you using? USB? Serial? Parallel?

What kind of MIDI driver did you install?

What BFD do you have? 1124 or 1100?

[PiDD]

What kind of MIDI interface are you using? USB? Serial? Parallel?

I am using the joystick port on a motherboard.

What kind of MIDI driver did you install?

What was installed with the motherboards sound drivers.

What BFD do you have? 1124 or 1100?

I have the 1124.

There isnt too much to it.

1. Install win98
2. install your midi device (mobo, sound cards, other)
3. plug in your midi cable tot he joystick port
4. plug the midi-in to the midi-out of the BFD
5. plug the midi-out to the midi-in of the BFD
6. press the IN/OUT and the STORE keys
- 3c
- 0o
- 3C
- 3P
- 1S
- 0d

I hope that works for you.

[Bruce]

PiDD,

Thanks for the info. I'm actually using a "Portman PC/P" MIDI adapter for the parallel port with a BFD 1100, because my notebook doesn't have a joystick port.

My only control of the BFD 1100 is to receive some info on the PC screen and toggle one of the control lights on the BFD (I forget which one since I haven't tried in a year). Essentially I can't seem to get proper bi-directional control.

What version of the BFD software you are running on your PC?

[PiDD]

Maybe some of the above settign will help out with bi-direction info?

I am using version 2 of the BFD1100 program.

[Bruce]

PiDD,

I am using version 2 of the BFD1100 program.

Here is my dilema: where did you find version 2?

I looked on the Behringer website today and here is a reference to the only link I found for downloadable software for any of the feedback destroyer products (1100 or 1124):

FEEDBACK DESTROYER DSP1100P Design
Remote Control for DSP1100P
Version . . . 1.0 beta 1
Date . . . . 28/10, 1998
Size . . . . 188 KB

This is what I've been trying to get to work for a couple years now, unsucessfully.

Send me a private email here and we can talk, thanks.

[Spearmint]

PiDD,



Here is my dilema: where did you find version 2?

I looked on the Behringer website today and here is a reference to the only link I found for downloadable software for any of the feedback destroyer products (1100 or 1124):

FEEDBACK DESTROYER DSP1100P Design
Remote Control for DSP1100P
Version . . . 1.0 beta 1
Date . . . . 28/10, 1998
Size . . . . 188 KB

This is what I've been trying to get to work for a couple years now, unsucessfully.

Send me a private email here and we can talk, thanks.

Hi Bruce,

Ver 1 worked well for me also, although the later version of the program did work better, with things like the SPL meters working on the software etc.

You can download the updated version from Sonnie's site.

Richard

[Bruce]

Richard,

Thanks for the link.

I guess I mistook the information in the "Setup.ini" file for this version that says "AppName=Equalizer Design for DSP8024P" as the program for a different product (thought they must have been mixed up) and thus didn't install it. Sounds like I goofed and will need give this version a try on my DSP 1100P.

[Wayne E]

Looks like the trusty BFD1124P has a replacement on the way...

It is the FBQ2496

You know, to this date, the 1124P is still available. I'm glad Behringer didn't pull the 1124P from production as it is still an ouststanding value. When I picked up my 1124P from my local Guitar Center last week, they indicated there was no sign of the 1124P being pulled.

Thanks again, Sonny, for the great guide.