I’m new to programming the mc8-pro and wasn’t sure if this is possible. Short version: I want to have an expression pedal control multiple MIDI channels. And those MIDI channels would be enabled by different switches.
Long version: I’m controlling an Elektron Octatrack mk 2. Each of the 8 tracks are on their own midi channel. I’d like to control one/some/all of the tracks with an expression pedal. My thought was that I could have a page that enables control of each of the tracks. Then another button will control various track parameters (volume, LFO depth, or whatever), but only on the tracks that are selected with their buttons. Kind of like dynamically assigning a mix group in a DAW.
you can have a preset in message scroll mode, then just have it change between exp message 1, 2, 3 and so on. if you want a whole page, just use a toggle group to switch between different functions. i do this all the time
I think I have what you described working. The part I’m hung up on is selecting/deselecting various MIDI channels. I’d like to be able to adjust Volume for just channel 1, or 1-3, or 4/7/8, or just 8. Can I program it so I can dynamically choose the channels?
Then I’d use the Message Scroll to move between the parameters (Volume, Pan, LFO1 depth, or whatever) that I’m controlling.
So one problem you’ll run into is that you can’t do granular selection of EXP messages on the fly. What I mean by that is that You can create a “Select Exp Message” that selects messages 1 through 3, and those messages would correspond to volume control on channels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. BUT, you wouldn’t be able to, on the fly, just turn on Exp Message 1, then add 2, then add 3.
I’m not sure what to do here. I need the flexibility to dynamically set which MIDI channels are controlled by the expression pedal. Programming the permutations on the mc8-pro isn’t a realistic option for me.
The manual lists a “MIDI track mute” but I suspect that probably only mutes Note and related events, not the levels. Worth a try though I guess: Elektron Octatrack MIDI CCs and NRPNs
Kind of. You can set which MIDI channel each audio tracks responds to. If you chose the same channel then they’d respond in the same way. That could be useful in some cases.
If you can set the channnel via cc or sysex messages you could send the expression messages on one channel and set the tracks to that channel temporarily. Arming a track for expression control would be simply a matter of programming a preset that toggles the track from it’s original channel to the expression channel.
I’m new also @Bryan_T and still getting used to programming on the MC8 Pro. I thought that we could do this, or something close to it with a combination of toggle mode and shift state. That at least let’s a single aux switch cycle between three states.
I want to dedicate one or two switches on my MC8 Pro to toggling what a single expression pedal controls on different pedals / midi channels.
that’s possible. There are multiple ways to set something like this up. I’d recommend using ‘message scroll’. The issue of the op is that it isn’t possible to change what the expression pedal controls based on the state of other presets.
The op’s request is a sweet idea. I thought it was already possible with “select exp messages” which can control up to 16 midi messages at once with an expression pedal. Or conditional messaging like “If Preset A is ON → send this CC, else send that CC” which could also point to different midi channel’s CC.
It is possible to send different expression messages to different channels. But it has to be defined per preset. It is not possible to add or remove expression messages dynamically.
Given the amount of permutations possible in the op’s scenario it is simply not feasable to pre-programm all possible combinations.
Got it! Thanks for taking the time to explain. So if the op wanted to create a handful of pre-determined expression pedal combinations and cycle through them, that would be possible with select exp message. But what isn’t possible is the dynamic control they’re looking for.
This is great to know! Because you just explained what I want to do and now I know how to do it. Thanks for the help @GuitarWolf
This may or may not be directly useful to you, but use cases like this is why I always have an Empress Effects Zoia in my MIDI chain right after my MIDI controller, because it’s the most flexible device I have that has endlessly flexible MIDI programming (as well as great-sounding effects). In this case, I’d have Zoia filter the MIDI channels based on CCs sent from the Morningstar.
