laptop as controller for triaxis, other racks: info/advice?

[wardcheese]

I want to use a laptop to move through presets in real-time as I play. My fantasy is to hit a laptop button and all the rack gear would change instantly to their new settings. When I go to a new Triaxis setting, I also want the effects to change for a whole new package. The basic boxes are the Triaxis, a digitech GSP-2101, a TC Electronics M2000 reverb.

Questions:

Does software exist that will allow simultaneous live control of several boxes in a coordinated way like this?

Do i need a separate midi out for each box? Any qualitative difference between various midi/usb interfaces?

I'm real good with the analog technology, but I'm totally new to the midi, so don't worry about being too basic and hurting my feelings.

Thanks!

 

[msi]

It sounds like you want to play guitar and not worry about having to manually change patches. If this is what you wish, a sequencer is all you need. Reason, Abelton, cakewalk, or cubase are all options for doing this. And you really only need one midi interface. Each midi out has 16 channels that unique midi signals can be sent through. So you would set the triaxis to ch1, the fx unit to ch2, and so on. Then just put the patch change in the sequence for when you want it, and hit play. When the sequencer gets to that point it will send the patch change and change the patches. The catch with this is your playing needs to be spot on. If your even a tiny bit off, chances are it'll sound bad.

 

[t0aj15]

Why can't you just use a midi foot controller like the Ground Control Pro instead?

 

[wardcheese]

msi: you're on the right track, but I want to be able to trigger the changes by clicking buttons, much like you would with the Ground Control Pro, but on my laptop instead. I do a lot of improvising and would like to be able to make changes on impulse on the fly.

t0j15, the reason is that I don't have a functional pair of legs. I could just put the GCP on a stool, I suppose, but I already have the laptop.

 

[t0aj15]

Questions:

1).Does software exist that will allow simultaneous live control of several boxes in a coordinated way like this?

2).Do i need a separate midi out for each box? Any qualitative difference between various midi/usb interfaces?

Thanks!

1).I'm not aware of any. I think most manufactures figure that floor based Midi controllers are pretty much the standard, so even though I can see how this would be a benefit for you I don't know that there would be a large enough market for a company to develop that kind of software. In the end you may be better off just using a floor controller on a stool.

2).No you just daisy chain all the units together via midi cables and assign each unit a different midi channel.

 

[msi]

I don't think there is anything premade that will do that very easy. I know some midi keyboards can record midi sequences and playthem back similar to an arpeggio, but nothing compact. You could try taking a look at the MidiBox projects at www.ucapps.org. I'm sure with minimal fuss you could alter the project to do exactly what you want. The project is super adaptable, you just have to be willing to do some of the work yourself.