• ports: 8 (for eight fader/slider, cascadable with additional devices)
• port type: 3,4 mm mono jack
• PC-port: USB (also several devices on one PC, e.g. with USB-hub)
• electricity supply: is being supplied with power via USB, no power supply necessary
• grounding via knurled screw, like on mixers or turntables
• system requirements: IBM compatible PC with Windows 2000/XP, at least 1 free USB-port

The FCU-8 is your "third hand". While you are holding the microphone in one hand and operate the controller on the mixer to adjust the volume down, the FCU-8 automatically stops the currently playing song.
If you slide the fader after your moderation, the song starts automatically from the last set point (cue point). Furthermore, Alcatech will offer, unlikely conventional faderstart boxes, to optionally pause the song instead of starting it from the last set position.

Conclusion: The FCU-8 represents an interface to the digital music world and is designed for the use on the computer. Our fader start box can be used for BPM Studio and also for every other software.
Are you a developer or programmer of music software? You receive all necessary specifications that your own software needs to work with our FCU-8 on request to: support@alcatech.de.

Examples for the practical use:

1. The radio station
You sure know the situation when listening to the radio, that in the middle of the song an important traffic notification is being announced and the currently playing song is being stopped. When the moderator has finished his announcement and the traffic notification has been faded out again, the title plays exactly from that position where it has been stopped before. That effect is being realized via a so called “fader starter”, like e.g. the FCU-8.

2. The Party-DJ
Every party DJ, who is working active with his audience makes a lot of moderations in one evening or even has playful activities with the audience. In doing so he always has to operate the controllers on the mixer and at the same time permanently stop and start the music. A fader starter like the FCU-8 makes his work a lot easier and gives him a better timing, without disturbing breaks.

3. The sound studio
The mixer in a sound studio has generally a dozen controllers and not just 2 till 6 like the DJ mixer. With it the musicians divide effects, instruments and singing in single sound tracks. The mixing and managing of most of those sound tracks is a lot easier with the fader starter, only that way full supervision over every single track can be achieved. To control 16, 32, 64, … sound tracks several FCU-8 can be connected to one computer. Thus the FCU-8 becomes an essential assistant in the digital sound studio.

Connection & Functionality:
For the operation of the fader start box a standard mixer that supports the feature fade-start is necessary. Connect the fader start box via 3,4 mm mono jack cable with the corresponding ports on your mixer. Additionally connect the device ground of the fader start box with the ground port of the mixer.

By closing contact S1 the player is starting. By closing contact S2 the player is being stopped again. In the options of BPM Studio the start and stop feature can be activated and deactivated separately.