The BCD3000 came in today. Finally, the score can be settled. If you’ve read my earlier posts, you’ll realize I’m not a huge fan of the Hercules, and for good reason. If you are like me, you’re an amateur DJ who’s looking to mix some songs here and there, DJ the occasional party, and in general get introduced to the whole “scene.”
I bought the DJ Console MK2 two years ago while I was still in college. I still had a Windows-based desktop PC back then, and yes, I lugged the damn thing around to my friends’ house parties and dutifully DJ’ed, to everyone’s delight. One year later, I saw the light, bought a MacBook, and waited three torturous months for Hercules to release Mac drivers for the DJ Console Mk2.
With a fresh copy of Traktor 3 in hand, I hooked up the Hercules, installed the .tks file and started jammin’. The Hercules was more geared towards VirtualDJ for PC – so the transition to Mac and Traktor was never really perfect. The joystick used to select songs in VirtualDJ couldn’t be used in Traktor without some tinkering. The same could be said for the jog wheels. While they rotate freely, they couldn’t be used for scratching in Traktor – not that you’d ever want to scratch without anything but time-coded vinyls, but that’s for a different post.
That was the software issue – the hardware issue stems from the relatively bad construction quality of the box itself. For around $250, depending where you look, the Hercules is a rip-off. Yeah, it has a built-in sound card but that doesn’t warrant the premium you pay for it, in my opinion. The casing is made out of plastic, the buttons are too small, too close together, and made of rubber (like buttons on a cheap calculator or remote control). They’re very prone to jamming (the bad kind of jamming) – after 2 years one of the Play/Pause buttons sticks. Not a good thing. On the plus side, the jog wheels are nice and big, rotate freely, and are raised relatively high from the control surface – but that’s about all it has going for it.
The Behringer BCD3000, on the other hand, is very sturdy – much larger, but way more solid with a metal frame. The button layout is more spaced out, with loop and re-loop controls, and bass/mid/treble knobs with kill switches. The best part is the buttons – they’re hard plastic like you’d find on real mixers and make a satisfying, responsive “click” when you depress them. Best of all, it’s only around $189-199 depending where you look. For $50 less than the Hercules you’re getting, in my opinion, a much better product.
That is to say if you’re DJ’ing on a Mac. On a PC, it could be a totally different issue. The extra coin spent on getting a MacBook over a Windows-based laptop was, yet again, justified after looking at the BCD3000 manual:
For Windows:
- Install the drivers
- Install the control software
- Restart your computer
- Plug it in
- Open up control software, configure it properly
- Start up Traktor
For Mac:
- Plug it in
Hurray for simplicity! Sorry for the shameless Mac plug.
yeah dude, i wish to buy a bcd3000 too… thanks for the tips, i’ll test soon!
I have recently purchased the BCD3000 and most dissapointed that i cannot get this console up and running with vista. Can anyone point me in the right the right direction
I had a Hercules (RUBBISH for all the reasons you said, plus I hated the raised jog wheels, they were too easy to move by accident)
I got a BCD2000 but got rid because of poor software that came with it (but thought the thing itself was great)
Then got a Total Control, still have it and it’s great but one button and left jog no longer works and I do not trust Numark enough to get another one so,,,
getting the BCD3000, can’t wait, I’m sure it will be great. ps – people who are about to mention the VCI-100, please don’t bother. Yes it has good touch sensative jog wheels, but unless you are going to be scratching they are not worh the money and the layout of the buttons is not as good as any of the others we have mentioned.
I’ve had the BCD3000 for about five months now, and to still be waiting for Vista drivers is disgusting… The ASIO drivers are awful, with most people on PC’s experiencing major drop-out problems… i can’t got for more than five minutes without the unit freezing! I would never dream of taking it to a gig…
I’m shocked at berhinger, i was brought up trusting them. But at the same time, I haven’t seen anything else to compete with it on a budget… (Numark sucks, and expensive by the time you’ve added the IO for audio, and as you’ve mentioned, Hurcules seems very tacky)
Love the hardware, hate the drivers. I don’t get the crash every five minutes because I did some usb power options fix a while back – but for some reason every time my screen turns off on my laptop, the driver crashes. Not an issue at gigs and such, but listening to music at night requires me to reroute my audio from the output of the bcd to the headphone jack. Still waiting for actual vista drivers…
How do you do the usb power option fix cause my laptop hangs while music is playing
Hi,
for the vista users out there:
You dont need to wait for the drivers to come out!
Simply install the current XP drivers in compatability mode!
The BCD3000 works like a dream on Vista business with Traktor.
For all of you who has problems with BCD3000 + Vista, install the drivers etc. in xp sp2 compatible mode. Also do this when you start up Traktor, it worked here
Behringer just released vista drivers.
I am runnig vista laptop with traktor 3.4.1 and BCD3000. Turn of f wifi and other non-essentials
For all who are having problems with drivers…BUY A MAC!
For all of you who would take this to a gig. I wouldnt imagine taking a PC where you have to hassle with drivers or the typically. “Oh man it WAS working at the house/studio/etc”, and have to loose your gig for the night because of a bad driver. Mac is the way to go, you dont even have to buy a MacBook pro. the regular mac has the same specs minus the video card. AS for the behringer hardware. It’s without a doubt unbeatable. Unless you have a real mixer.
Hey thanks for your great review. Like you, I used to lug my PC desktop along to parties, then used a laptop the Hercules. Had exactly same sticky play/pause button issue after 2 years. Have seen the light and got a Macbook and about to buy the BCD3000. Good to read to works seamlessly on a Mac!
Well, let me talk about my Hercules dj console…… I paid used stuff $275, 5 years ago. I used it sometimes but more frequently a few months ago. In the past, I had never problem to install, reiinstall, upgrade or downgrade (?!) (it’s happens sometimes!) the drivers but now, this f… machine stop responding! The only thing works is the latest driver and and the last version of purchased Virtual DJ. I talk to Hercules service and these guy are like robots: they always repeated the same words… plug and deplug, desinstall and reinstall… f… them all!! The service of Hercules is very sick and they don’t understand their products!!! Anyway, I must modifying the very bad rubber’s buttons (very hard to push, glitch and no click) to responding instantly. For the price, it’s a bullshit! Inside, it’s well-made but the too short screws quickly strips in plasic ! I hate it and think seriously of BDC3000!!!!!