Midi foot controller V floor MFX? How was it for you?

[SlimBagel]

Hi all,

So time and technology move on and floor MFX units pedals now seem to be replacing with dedicated midi foot controllers for more simple requirements. I plan to use my Triaxis as a pre-amp and the MFX for.... FX, with all amp and cab sims disabled.

I was about to buy an MFX and a Midi foot controller - reading around the forums floor some MFX today seem to have much more Midi capability than a few years ago and the ability to be programmed to control external devices.

If I use the 4 cable method with the Triaxis, a floor MFX, and the power amp, then I can save some cable mess/things to carry/weight... and some money by using the floor MFX for FX and its Midi out to control the Triaxis switching as well?

I'm looking for the 'stand on one button, change all settings on all devices' nirvana.

Models later than Boss GT-8, Zoom G5, G7, G9, even a Fender Mustang floor... they also seem to have OK effects and can have internal amps disabled, and all seem to have sufficient Midi output capability to support the Triaxis. If I need to add the odd dedicated pedal it is still possible.

Anybody else had a go at this with some success?

Thanks, P.

 

[elvis]

You can get a used G System for reasonable $$. It is the best floor FX unit you'll find. Includes amp control. You can also pull the controller out and rack mount it, with just an Ethernet cable between the floor and the rack. That is a sweet setup. Takes up to two expression pedals, plus switches up to 4 outboard effects (like gain pedals).

 

[SlimBagel]

Thanks, my original list is getting shorter all the time as I discover...


Fender Mustang Floor - out - effects loops is always 1st in the chain, so not flexible enough
Zoom g5 - out - no midi sockets
Zoom g7 - out - no effects loop at all
Boss ME-xx - out - no midi
T-Rex Soulmate - out - no midi
TC Electronic Nova - out - can't do 4CM
Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 - out - no midi
Roger Linn Design Adrenalinn III - don't think so
Line6 Pod things below 500 - out - no loop, no midi....
Line6 M9 - out - no midi
Vox tonelabs - out - no loop, no midi
Fractal FX-8 - out - not yet available/expensive
Digitech RP1000 - out - no midi
Rocktron Utopia G200 - has the correct sockets, but very little info available, and sadly no sales channel in Europe
Boss GP-10 - out - no loop, no midi, curious thing though
Roland GR55 - out - no loop

Line6 Pod HD500X - possible, but very limiting midi implementation
Line6 m13 - possible - but limited routing and no wah/vol pedal
Zoom G9 - possible - older unit - bigger than I was looking for

Boss GT-100 - looks good and has the most versatile routing out of the Boss family (GT-10, 8, 6)
The TC G system looks a good candidate, bigger and more sophisticated than I was originally thinking about, UK used prices look to be around $930 USD! :roll:

 

[MusicManJP6]

I'm in the same boat. Looking for a floor MFX that can do 4CM, amp channel switching via 1/4" cable, and a looper would be a nice feature as well. I used to use a BOSS GT-8, but the unity gain settings were a pain. The G-System is sweet, but more than I would prefer to pay for a unit like this. I'm sure it is one of the best available. The new Fractal FX-8 floor MFX would be my top pick if money were no obstacle, but that is not the case!

 

[SlimBagel]

The yellow brick road seems to be leading to
a Boss GT-100 as the most flexible Boss system,
Zoom g9 if I want cheapness,
or G if I'm feeling flush.
Considering Boss started supporting this with the GT-8 I'm surprised there isn't a bit more competition?

 

[ryjan]

The GT-100 is a winner. I'll be picking one up to use as a stand alone controller/FX unit for my Mark V:25.

 

[MusicManJP6]

The GT-100 is a winner. I'll be picking one up to use as a stand alone controller/FX unit for my Mark V:25.

Let us know how you get on with that unit! Looks to be a very good option.

 

[dbagchee]

The HD500 would win if it just had a relay switching jack! I think it has nicer FX than the Boss, but the Boss is still pretty good, plus you get the relay switching. TC has the primo FX but you pay the primo price for it

 

[elvis]

My experience with both Boss and Line 6 MFX is that it is very difficult to keep your tone. That's why I have a GS.

 

[MusicManJP6]

My experience with both Boss and Line 6 MFX is that it is very difficult to keep your tone. That's why I have a GS.

I've heard of some tone altering stories with the G system as well. Do you think this is the case or no?

 

[elvis]

The main cause of tone issues with the GS is if the amp has a high-impedance FX send (this is common, especially with Mesa amps). The GS has a quite low-impedance loop input, so you generally need a buffer between them.

It is also the case that the front-end of the GS has a little bit of noise. So if you have a very high gain amp (like Diezel), you will probably get unacceptable noise. This can be addressed by adding a low-noise buffer with gain (like a Sunday Driver) in front of the GS.

Also, the amp switching often has delay. So you will almost certainly want an Amp Gizmo.

Finally, there can be ground loops with other equipment (this is not a GS thing, it's true for every piece of equipment tied to AC mains). Might need a HUMX or HE-2 for that.

Thus, a GS requires as many as 4 outboard pieces of equipment to get off the ground. It is not an inexpensive route, for sure.

Once these are addressed, as necessary, I can't find a change in tone. I'm sure there must be at least a very subtle change, as it is a fairly complicated piece of machinery, and I'm sure somebody can hear the difference. But it's awfully good. By comparison, my HD500 sounds terrible.

Check out the GS forum, and grab a copy of Laird Williams's white paper. Everything you need to know is there.

 

[SlimBagel]

Wow, that's a lot of useful info thanks, and a great paper describing the issues, and also a lot of equipment to carry around too.
As I understand your post much of this additional stuff could be required for any floorFX to mitigate the issues described?
I'm now down to a GS is I'm up for spending, or GT-100 if I'm saving, and a rack with wheels if I need al the additionals

 

[Jackie]

Actually I have a BOSS GT-6 and it can control the TriAxis no problem, CC included.

And the FX on that unit are decent as well (you can turn everything off). I know there are MFX that have better FX, but these serve me just fine. I know there are also more transparent units, but I actually don't think the GT colours the tone that much, provided you set it up properly (which, as someone mentioned, can be a pain). I use the "LINE" output select and dime the output knob so it doesn't get bumped accidentally, then regulate the overall gain using the Patch Level - I made one patch at unity gain and copied it across the unit, so whenever I feel like adding effects, I just turn the FX loop on and the FX on and voila.

To me, this is the absolute smallest physical setup that enables effect use that I'm aware of. The MFX doubles as a MIDI footcontroller and it basically switches itself in/out of the circuit.

 

[elvis]

Wow, that's a lot of useful info thanks, and a great paper describing the issues, and also a lot of equipment to carry around too.
As I understand your post much of this additional stuff could be required for any floorFX to mitigate the issues described?
I'm now down to a GS is I'm up for spending, or GT-100 if I'm saving, and a rack with wheels if I need al the additionals

The buffer issue is something that depends on the unit. The GS comes from a long family of low-noise rack effects. Low impedance is the key to low noise. Many guitar FX units are higher impedance and a bit more compatible with high impedance FX sends, but it depends on the unit.

The noise issue is definitely likely to be true for pretty much any MFX. As is the ground loop issue.