On Enter Bank => Engage Preset => Long Press Release doesn´t work?

Morningstar Gear MC Pro Series MIDI Controller
1

Hi

I´ve set up on my MC8 Pro, so that On Enter Bank has a message that will Engage Preset with its designated Long Press Release action… but it doesn´t ever transmit this when changing banks back and forth.

However, if I test the functionality on the preset (engage preset) itself, it does transmit the message and I can see my (Bananana Effects) Quimera pedal respond to the command…

Morningstar_MC8PRO_Bank_Backup_CLN template_20260721_194051.json (89.7 KB)

Bananana Effects has unfortunately made an very un-intuitive way of recalling presets on the Quimera, which involves the need of sending: CC0 (0 - 2) + CC32 (127) + PC# (0 - 127)…

2

Hi,
You could just send the plain CCs and PCs on enter instead.
The CC messages are ‘bank change’ messages (msb + lsb). Usually you don’t have to send those every time unless you want to go above 127. Don’t know for sure, though, I don’t own a quimera (yet).
How is the tracking of the quimera. It is a cool pedal but bad tracking would be a dealbreaker for me.

3

Yes, I know that. And it seems that that is what I have to do unfortunately. So lot of tedious manual adjustment awaits (no triple paste available in bank settings).

The idea of Engage Preset of a ‘remote switch’ and its long press release structure, does work with my H9 though. So it’s a bummer that Quimera (nor Source Audio Ultrawave) doesn’t accept it.

Unfortunately… you actually HAVE to send all three commands to Quimera. It isn’t obvious from their promo video nor from the manual: it only has 9 presets (3 switches x 3 banks), each per switch (designated L, C and R). Some kind of ‘live’ friendliness idea or something. But you are able to save 128 sounds, that you then can assign to 9 ‘preset slots’ or something (yeah… I don’t get it either).

And via MIDI you are then able to (re)assign sounds to the presets ‘on the fly’, hence the need for CC0 (0 - 2 = L - R) + CC32 ( = any of the 3 preset slots per switch? I don’t know… it isn’t mentioned in the manual and it even works with value 127) + PC# (0 - 127 = 1 - 128 sounds).

BUT… (and this is a severely big one)…

If the switch (L, C or R) is ACTIVE the PC# and sound change is instant, given that you addressed it correctly with your CC0 command. If the switch/pedal is bypassed, then it assigns it to the switch designated while the pedal is still in bypass.

The catch I hear you ask?

Well… you CAN’T use any CC# to activate/de-activate the Quimera from its bypass mode, meaning you literally have to physically press any of the switch on it. And even more stupid, to change ‘bank’ (of the 3 presets): you’ll have to press L + R. Try that with your feet. Or heck, why not try it if you’re playing keys with both hands?

So a ‘workaround’ is to ALWAYS have the Quimera ON in one specific switch, NEVER touch it whatsoever and only use MIDI to change preset/sound (on that switch) as if it actually were capable of it as any other pedal made 2026. And then use a CC# controlling its wet mix to ‘simulate’ bypass ON/OFF.

Tracking is probably ok, once you set its sensivity (and key?), have some decent clean signal in to it and not playing sloppy. I haven’t had much time with it yet, due to the situation of having to try to compensate for stupidly bad logic regarding presets/sounds. I did experience lots of glitches in the beginning but it went better after putting an compressor in front of it and adjusting the sensitivity.

My plan is foremost to have it always tracking the chord/notes, and in combination with a Blokas Midihub try to ‘clean up’ eventual glitches by having it rule it to specific key/scale. As well as being creative what it (Midihub) will manipulate from my guitar playing into synth ‘playing’ while I… uhm… play guitar. Will be fun in theory at least.

4

I’ve seen a guy on youtube using the quimera’s tracking to play a meris enzo via the midi out of the quimera. He said the quimera would track way better. My plan was it to use this feature to trigger samples of a 1010 tangerine which runs into a sa c4. The c4’s tracking is not that great, worse than of any of the ehx pedals I’ve tried. But playing clean samples into it improves it’s performance a lot. Would be cool if I could use the quimera to play the tangerine with a guitar. I’d use my gt core to mix all of this and add some fx.

5

That sounds doable and a cool setup to try!
Yeah, I´ve seen that video too. My plan is kinda similar:

Guitar to MIDI/synth:
Source Audio Atlas I/O 1 => Quimera => (MIDI) CME H12/MidiHub => (no audio into) Enzo X
Quimera Wet (in parallell with) Enzo X => Source Audio Ultrawave => H9 => 1 of 4 channel (stereo) mixer (the stereo out from mixer) => Walrus Audio Stereo Canvas DI => PA.

At the same time, if wanted/needed:
1010 Blackbox 1 & 2 Out => 2 of 4 channel (stereo) mixer => Walrus Audio Stereo Canvas DI => PA

CMEH12/MidiHub (MIDI) <=> Blackbox

Guitar (dual mono)
Quimera Dry Out => signal splitter => (MIDI controlled) ABY => Guitar rig (Axe Fx 2)
Source Audio Atlas I/O 2 => 1010 Blackbox 3 Out => ReAmp => (MIDI controlled) ABY => Guitar rig

In theory, I can with this setup always play the guitar rig (via Quimera dry out + signal splitter).
While at the same time, choose to sample my guitar playing into the Blackbox, and then send/repeat that into the MIDI controlled ABY into the second half of the dual mono guitar rig.
So it´s either me playing the whole dual mono guitar rig OR me + (Blackbox) ‘looper’ are playing each half of it…

While at the same time have the MIDI output from the Quimera, feed into the CME H12 + MidiHub. CME H12 is for distribution back and forth of MIDI to all pedals (that are just for the floor ‘synth rig’) as well as MIDI notes to Enzo X and/or Quimera (it can actually have Local Midi Off = kinda awesome). Where I can choose if I want the notes to be manipulated by the MidiHub before reaching Enzo X and/or Quimera.
Also, the Blackbox should be able to provide MIDI notes if I sometimes don´t want them to follow my guitar playing, but still want some synth sounds going on. While also being able to provide samples/sounds via its other outputs…

So MC8 Pro (Bank), loads the preset of my Axe Fx 2 and also send the PC# for the pedals of the ‘synth rig’. Where each MC8 Pro Bank, as well as each Axe Fx 2 preset is for just one song ( = no audio drop out).

Each Bank on their Page 1 is prepared in one switch/preset to step thru the Scenes of my Axe Fx 2 ( = song structure). The page 2 of each MC8 Pro Bank, provides direct access to the (Axe Fx) Scenes ( = thus I can improvise and not be stucked to the song structure of the Bank/Preset loaded). And page 3 of each MC8 Pro Bank, also gives me access to value scroll PC#/CC# to each ‘synth rig’ pedal ( = thus manipulating them on the fly if wanted/needed for any song).

Somewhere in there, I hope to also fit in the ‘scenes’ of the Blackbox so that they´re tied to the song structure… but it is unfortunately kinda rudimentary of what MIDI control it allows. So it might not be possible. We´ll see.
Also my hopes are that the drummer in my band will provide some MIDI Clock + MIDI notes from his drum setup, so he can actually trigger different samples/sounds from the Blackbox as well. And likewise, the Blackbox might in turn be able to trigger his drum module sounds as well.

Super complex. And a work in progress. But I never thought that the ‘synth rig’ pedals would give me so much trouble in how I´d like to control them. I mean, the oldest is the H9 (gen 1)…

6

That’s massive. Good luck setting this up! Don’t forget to make music, though :wink:

7

Thanks! Yeah, that is the main plan and what I really long for… one day, my friend… one day…