Hi everyone, I’m trying to figure out the most efficient way to do this:
I have 7 controllable pedals connected to my FC8 (Strymon Compadre, CB Pre AMp MKII, Eventide Modfactor, CB Gen Loss MKII, CB Mood, Eventide Timefactor, Strymon BigSky - MIDI Channels 1-7).
When moving between presets, for example A to C, then F to D, etc. some of my pedals remain ON from the previous preset. Is there a way that all pedals can revert back to an OFF state when I “leave” the preset for another?
Currently, I have made a template that I call ‘Home Base’ that essentially turns OFF all pedals - either through PC or CC depending upon the pedal, and this takes away 7 of my 16 MIDI messages immediately for any preset. Then I build rest of the preset by sending new messages turning ON the pedals I want for that particular preset and with what is left over, EXP messages, etc…
Surely, there is a better way and I’m just overlooking it?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Cheers from Nashville.
Bryan
Hi… I would recommend trying one of these messages per preset…
I hate to be the “dim” guy, I’m new to programming MIDI pedalboards, but would you mind explaining this a bit more? The manual leaves me with more questions than answers. I’m pouring over the forum but not having any luck, just going down different rabbit holes.
I’m trying to get “snapshot” like behaviors. For example snapshot 1 (overdrive, trem, and delay) snapshot 2 (vibrato, reverb, and compression) right now I’m having to program 6 messages to turn all the pedals OFF at the beginning of each snapshot and then build the remainder of the snapshot with only the pedals i want for that particular snapshot. Is this best way? Seems really inefficient.
Thanks again for your time - i’ve read several of your other post and they’ve been helpful in other areas!
Hi, that is what I am doing as well. I have all of the Boss 500 in the FX Loop of my Amp on a separat board and use the MC as an remote control. Most of the parameters of the 500 can be set up to be controlled via midi by use of an expression pedal. That’s why this approach is feasable in the first place. If you just have fixed presets which you want to use in different combinations you’ll end up with sounds that are far from optimal. I do it this way only for experimenting, writing an jamming. For live purposes I go with a library of sounds with fixed combinations. That’s less flexible but much easier to handle.
If I get right what you want to be able to do, I would build a template on the MC which bypasses all of your pedals and store it on a preset wich isn’t used anyway. You can program an ‘engage preset’ command which points at this template on each of your presets. That would reduce the number of messages you have to program each time.
Ah true, what I’ve suggested might not work… could possibly toggle a pedal off when not required.
So to store many messages that turn off many pedals, but only use one message to invoke that, this should work:
- Toggle Mode on.
- Pick a Preset and messages that you’re not using, somewhere “out of the way” like messages 11 to 16, Preset V. Program those up with your messages to turn off your six pedals.
(you can copy this Preset V to all banks with a triple-click once it’s programmed in one bank)
- Then when you want to call that, add this message as Msg1 (example from my MC6):
- Then add your Position 1 messages to engage the pedals required for that preset.
- Then add a Position 2 message to again Trigger Msg11-16 from Preset V.
I think that should mean:
- When you press a switch, first ALL pedals will be bypassed.
- …and then the pedals you want will engage.
- Then when you press again, all pedals will be bypassed.
Worth a try?
Other things that can speed up programming: have a blank Preset setup somewhere that’s got all of your “usual” messages preformed in their usual locations. Then you can copy that when setting up a new preset, saves some clicks each time.
I’ve created macros for engaging states that require a sequence of commands. I store these macros in banks/presets that I would not normally call by button press during play. I then add these presets as a step in the presets I engage/disengage by button press. For example: there are several steps to turning off my Strymon Volante that includes turning off sound-on-sound mode. I created a macro preset on preset Q of bank 30. This is a preset I cannot call directly via a button press. I then call this preset “on first engage” in an “intro” preset for a song.
1 Like
Thanks guys, I’ve been trying your suggestions. Currently on preset V in Bank 1 have copied my a “Home Base” preset (essentially 7 CC/PC messages bypassing all pedals) then creating a “toggle message” from preset V at message 1 of preset A, then adding my pc/cc messages to turn on whatever pedals i want in preset A. I’m trying to save my “toggle” capabilities for other things like boost on/off, delay mix up/down, etc. See any faults with this logic?
Cheers
Nope. But it sounds like you may benefit from some aux switches. I have a 3-button attached to one of the aux ports that provides 5 basic functions. You may want a couple of those.
