I really love the MC8! (I use it with a eurorack modular synthesizer)
I have a suggestion that could make the expression pedals even more powerful:
-What if the expression value could be processed in two stages, you could call it ”input mapping” and ”output mapping”.
For example, ”input 0-64” (heel down-center) could be mapped to ”output” CC1 0-127 (or whatever cc message and range) and so on. Above input range it would send the output maximum, and below the output minimum.
This would make possible complex crossfading of messages over the range of each expression pedal.
The idea would be to send a couple of different cc values from a single pedal while being able to set where on the actual physical pedal range each cc range is located.
For example: sending one cc from heel to center position and another one from center to toe.
Effects or patches sometimes have relatively narrow ”sweet spots” and you might want to be able to distribute these more freely over the pedal range.
Of course the resolution of the ”output range” would be limited if you choose a very small ”input range” but that would not be a problem in most cases.
The idea is simple but perhaps a bit abstract, I hope this is not complete jibberish for you people!
I would be happy to explain the idea more or to have some criticism or whatever….
Lets say I for example want to play a piano sound with a string pad and a harp arpeggio and be able to live mix between these sounds with my pedal while I´m playing.
On the “input map” I would map cc7(volume) on midi channel 1 (the piano) to 64-100 and the output map 127-0.
In heel position the piano is on full volume (127), by center it starts fading.
In toe position it is completely muted.
For the next message the input map would be set from lets say 55-110 for cc7 of midi channel 2 (the strings), and the output map 0-127. So the strings would get volume 0 until somewhere right before center position (55), where they start to fade in.
The effect is that it crossfades (roughly) with the piano.
In a similar fasion I could set the input map for the harp volume from 75-127.
The effect would be that the harp totally replaces the piano as toe position is approached, while the strings are still att full volume.
Sorry for the sort of cliché example, but I chose it just for clarity!
The same kind of complex crossfading could be useful for guitar FX and synth modulation.
This is jus a basic idea, it can probably be refined in many ways.
