I’m super happy with my MC6 Pro (and ML10X). Sometimes, I’d like to set my pedalboard on a desk so I can easily twiddle all the knobs on my Chase Bliss pedals and my Meris Mercury. But, even when the pedalboard is on my desk, I’ll also want to have foot access to my Chase Bliss Blooper (looper pedal).
An obvious solution is to add an auxiliary MIDI foot switch to sit on the floor (e.g., this one), as detailed in this Morningstar video: “Add more Switches to your Morningstar MIDI Controller”.
But,… I’m wondering if it would work to somehow add an MC3 (to sit on the floor), feeding MIDI signals to my MC6 Pro (which is mounted on my pedalboard and connected to all my pedals and my ML10X). It seems like this might give me more flexibility (to change various pedal settings, ML10X settings, etc., while I’m playing) than “just” using an aux foot switch.
Another thought: I currently have a MIDI expression pedal mounted on my pedalboard. But if I go the MC3 route, I might add a second expression pedal to sit on the floor (plugged into the MC3), to easily foot-control MIDI parameters on the Blooper, etc.
I’m just exploring ideas here, and have not thought this through. But toward that end, a few questions…
If I go the Aux pedal route (vs. the MC3):
- I’ve got my MC6 Pro to accept tap tempo on one of its switches. Could I set this up to work from the aux foot switch as well?
Or, if I go the MC3 route (vs. the Aux pedal):
- I’m assuming it would make sense to have MIDI Out from an MC3 to MIDI In on my MC6 Pro. Would a TRS cable connecting Omniports work for this? (Other options?)
- Would it be possible to send a signal from the MC3 to change banks in the MC6 Pro?
- If an Omniport-to-Omniport TRS connection does make sense, could I also send bank change messages from the MC6 Pro to the MC3?
- Are there other complexities (or opportunities) I should be considering?
Any ideas – or cautions – would be appreciated.
The mc6 pro can easily do any of those things. If you want to use an aux (2 or 3 button) you can set the omni port to that in the editor. If I am assigning a “permanent” function to my aux switch, I will use the last three presets of every bank and have them be the same messages across each bank per Preset letter. Easy, just start with one bank. Make the functions on the presets and set the omniport to those preset. Then if you want it on every bank just copy the preset and click paste 3x fast. It will copy to every bank.If its a 2 button foot switch you can get the T+R switch to trigger by hitting both switches at once.
You can do this same thing if you have a ladder switch, but you either have to buy or make one… But the same setup is needed (with calibration of ladder switches). Same process with presets. You can also set them to whatever you want…
However with the MC3 it is a different process. You will use a USB B to C cable and plug the mc3 into the HOST usb c port of the MC6 pro. You will need to do your programming on the MC3 as if it is ready to speak to the pedal over midi. The MC6 is basically going to act as a midi thru. Make sure your thru settings are set properly. If your pedal is on the DIN midi OUT of the mc6 make sure the routing of HOST USB IN is checked in the DIN MIDI OUT of the pref pane.
I have mine set up similarly but im using a softstep 3 instead of another morningstar pedal. But its the same… I need to program my second midi controller so it sends the messages you want to get to the pedal and the MC6 will just route them for you…
Hope that helps.
> Blockquote
1 Like
Many thanks, @SparkleBear! That’s super helpful!!
Although your copy/paste suggestion for an Aux switch seems pretty straightforward, I like the idea of having independent control of stuff from an MC3, being able to change banks on it (if I want), potentially plugging a second expression pedal into it (for the floor) if I want, potentially controlling Logic Pro from it (which I can do from my MC6 Pro), etc.
Two things I’m not completely following in your response:
- You said: “… and the MC6 will just route them for you…” If the MC6 is providing MIDI through (which makes complete sense to me), then I don’t need to do any explicit “routing” on the MC6 via its editor, right? I just need to program the channels and messages I want to control from the MC3 on its editor, and the MC6 Pro is just a MIDI pass-through for those signals – correct?
- Not sure what you’re showing in the top half of your screenshot. The bottom half shows MIDI through to DIN5 checked, which I’d need, too, as all my MIDI is going out of my MC6 Pro from its DIN5 port. So I get that. (I’m using only one of my MC6 Pro’s Omniports, for an expression pedal.) But what about the top half of your screenshot? If you’re using a Softstep 3, vs. an Aux switch, what’s the significance of your Omniport 4 / Aux switch settings?
Again, many thanks for all the great info!
The top graphic is just showing you the aux switch implementation. If you’re using the MC3, you can ignore that part.
Yes, you are correct … all the programming for the MC 3 messages will happen on the MC3. However, you just must double check your routing settings on the MC6 to ensure both that the signal entering the host port is not creating feedback loops; and second, that you are indeed set up to pass the incoming USB host midi signal to the appropriate DIN5 output. It may or may not be defaultly set up that way.
One more thing to note is that since your MC 6 will be receiving data, you will need to make sure that the MC 3 is sending on a channel that is not controlling the MC 6. If the MC 3 is sending CC and PC on, for example channel one, and the MC 6 is set to be controlled on channel one; then it will start Bank jumping and preset, firing, etc. etc. when it receives MC3 messages …Not what we want. So, just have your channels straightened out. You can actually call up banks on the floor unit from the desk unit and vice versa.
1 Like
