Simple MIDI Footcontroller with Exp Pdl Port

[ctc]

I love the Mesa Boogie Mark V footswitch, for my style of improvisation it provides me with all of the "on-the-fly" functionality I need for my amp.

The problem that I'm having is stepping through presets on my Eventide Timefactor which is mounted on top of my amp so that I can manually operate its knobs and change parameters "on-the-fly". I use a 3-button Digitech FS3X into the Timefactor's auxiliary port which gives me instant access to 6 of its features, and I use an Ernie Ball VP Junior into the Timefactor's expression port to control all sorts of parameters per preset. With this setup, there is no way to use my feet to step through the Timefactor's presets, so I'm taking a look at MIDI.

The Midi Xchange is small, rugged, phantom power capable, and simple to use. It has 2 expression pedal ports however they are both programmed with a "smart controller" feature which automatically reports the expression pedal's current position to every newly selected preset automatically modifying the preset's parameters and changing it's sound, which IMHO is not smart.

Does anyone know of another simple MIDI foot controller with similar features and a functional expression pedal port?

 

[ctc]

I have now auditioned both the Tech21 Midi Mouse and the Rocktron Midi Xchange. Both are small, rugged, 3-button MIDI footcontrollers that have phantom power capability and that work out-of-the-box with the Timefactor.

The midi mouse is gorgeous and at only half the size of the midi Xchange it can fit almost anywhere on my pedal board. It's super bright 3-character red LED is easy to see plus it's 3-button operation is whisper quiet. If you're style of playing simply requires stepping up or down through sequentially arranged program changes, this footcontroller is for you as it does that incredibly well. However, it's small form factor comes at a cost in that the effective distance between its buttons is 1-3/4" (as measured parallel to the front of the unit) resulting in too many unintended button pushes during a jam session. Also I find it's active/search button functionality to be unintuitive also resulting in unintended button pushes. Additionally it's fast scrolling feature is much too fast for me to be able to stop any closer than within 3 or 4 numbers of the desired program change. I end up fiddling with the up and down buttons instead of playing my part.

The midi Xchange offers nearly mistakeless simple bank and select functionality and its ability to toggle back and forth between the last two used presets is brilliant! If your playing style requires jumping around non-sequentially arranged program changes, this footcontroller is for you as it does that incredibly well. On the other hand it looks as though it fell off the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, it's gargantuan size prevents it from easily fitting into my pedal layout, and the snap of its buttons produces an audible click that can clearly be heard at moderate playing volumes.

For my style of on-the-fly improvisation, the Midi Xchange is the better of the two.

 

[golfnguitarz]

Good info, thanks. I have a ModFactor on the way and wondered about getting one of those Digitech footswitches or going the midi route. I really don't like that there is no bank down on any of their pedals, but everyone says they are among the best sounding around.

Heh, heh! Saw you over at the Eventide forums, thought it was the same poster!!

 

[ctc]

Good info, thanks. I have a ModFactor on the way and wondered about getting one of those Digitech footswitches or going the midi route. I really don't like that there is no bank down on any of their pedals, but everyone says they are among the best sounding around.

I love the sound on the TimeFactor. You can program the auxiliary switch to bank down, however you cannot program it to select a preset. With a midi footcontroller you will be able to use Program Changes to select the Factor's presets, and use Continuous Controllers with an IA switch to change banks, but you can't program an IA switch to select "Bank Preset 1" or "Bank Preset 2".