What Midi Foot Controller do you guys use?

[Monsta-Tone]

I'm still up in the air, but very heavily leaning toward the G-Major 2.

What foot controller do you guys use?
How big is it?
Does it have Phantom Power?
How sturdy is it? Can it handle drinks, drunks, etc?


The setup that I prefer is:
5 Presets available on the bottom row
5 individual FX ON/OFF buttons (configurable to which FX I want)
Tap Tempo button
Bank Up/Down
Maybe an expression built in too.

 

[6L6C]

Hey Monsta it’s me again guess we are both home today.
My board of choice is the Rocktron All Access it will do everything you listed and more as you can see you can bank up and down and there are 15 control buttons, it also supports 2 real time controllers (volume pedals). This board can be configures a number of ways using, the buttons within rows 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 can be set to change programs or used for CC messages to say target that delay on your G-Major, if you set up some buttons for CC messages EACH button can also be set up for latching or monetary switching. All Access transmits on all 16 midi channels which others don’t right now I have Channel 1 for my amp switcher (not in photo)
Channel 2 for my audio switcher (for stomp boxes)
Channel 5 for my Axe FX
If I want say have program 6 to be amp switcher 3, audio looper 8 and Axe FX 56, no problem I do all of the programming (mapping) through the All Access takes a few seconds once you are use to it. With a budget unit you would have to go into each unit and tell it how to map, takes a little time.

If you wondering why I skipped channel 3&4 they were the channels I used for the GSP1101 and the Xpression with that setup I only used half of the GSP for effects before the preamp and the Xpression for the loop and could target individual effects of both units no problem (worked pretty well)

 

[Monsta-Tone]

Man that is a bad *** rig!!!!!!!!!

I've been looking at the All Access and the Ground Control Pro. Both of them look really nice, but I'm not sure I can come up with the scratch for either right now to tell you the truth.

 

[jaquetapus]

If you're looking in that price range, don't forget the Axess Electronics FX1

http://www.axess-electronics.com/sc/FX1-MIDI-Footcontroller-p-16138.html

That's what I'm saving for. Looks like the best one out there to me, and has a great editor program.

-dave

 

[MusicManJP6]

Man that is a bad *** rig!!!!!!!!!

+1!!!!!!!! Very clean and simple. I like that.

 

[6L6C]

Man that is a bad *** rig!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

I now kind of see what you are too. Basically a good effect processor that has switching abilities for your amp. You really don't need a crazy foot controller. Check this out. http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-FCB1010-MIDI-Footcontroller-?sku=182469

I am not familiar with all of the ins and outs but allot of people love them and you have two real time controllers the only thing I dont see is the ability to turn some of the buttons into instant access like the AA and the GCP but with a little creative programming on the processor of your choice you can still pull off the same thing.

When I was looking at the foot controllers on Musicians Friend I could not believe the price of the AA holy sh** I paid slighty over $600.00 for mine "new" in 97 or 98. It is a great controller but DAM. for that money I rather a FX1 http://www.axess-electronics.com/sc/FX1-MIDI-Footcontroller-p-16138.html
a bit more up to date and can be programmed with a laptop (makes things go way faster)
I"m a big fan of editing with a computer.

 

[6L6C]

Man that is a bad *** rig!!!!!!!!!

+1!!!!!!!! Very clean and simple. I like that.

Thank you

There is one thing that drove me a little nuts at first, I"m sure you get a chuckle!
Notice on the pedal tray that the connections from the pedals to the audio switcher are crossed, yep that's it!
I wish the the loop jacks where reversed so I could bring down the cables straight.

Another thing is that pedal tray my have a short life (but still not sure, time will tell), I have a fondness for those three pedals but that compressor, that's my baby. The 33 years I have been playing I have never found a compressor that I quiet like in a guitar rig rack and stomp till I found the Keeley. THEN I got the god dam Axe Fx :lol: does it just as well if not better in some respects and programmable to boot. Same for the flanger the Axe is just as good if not better programmable and be put in front or after the preamp. The BB is still kind of unique but even then the AFX has great sounding drive boxes.

So setting this up with two sets of programs one set with the pedal tray (AFX in the loop only) and the other set using the AFX with the 4CM and just go from there. Being a guitar play from the eighties I dont think my vanity alone will allow me to get rid of the pedal tray but there again I can still have another set of programs useing the tray and the AFX 4CM

 

[MesaGod666]

Mesa Abacus. It has phantom power...it's huge, and it's awesome.

 

[joe web]

two options:

the cheap one:
behringer FCB1010 plus $15 for the UnO Eprom to get a real stompbox mode for this controller. so you can set it up like 5 presets plus 5 instant access switches.
you get two expressionpedals onboard, can download a free PC-editor and you can mod it to phantom power.
i´ve done this all, works great as you get used to it. while using the FCB1010 i did the midimapping with the g-major and the IPS33B.

right now i´m using the All Access as well.
it´s a real powerful unit with a lot of options. i wanted to have the FX-1 but AE couldn´t tell me any date of delivery....they even hadn´t enough parts to build as much units as were ordered.
so i decided to go with the AA and i paid about $790.- for the black limited edition.

so this is my actual floorboard:

and this is the rig i control with it:

 

[Monsta-Tone]

**** Joe, how often do you move that stuff?

Looks awesome!

 

[Danjel]

I love the simplicity of the ABACUS with my TriAxis rig, but now that I am selling it, I need a switch that controlls only my G-Major since it has analog switcher for my Marshall heads built in. I will probably be looking towards the All Access... Looks killer!

 

[joe web]

**** Joe, how often do you move that stuff?

Looks awesome!

sadly not so often at the moment. about five times a year.

 

[infrared72]

My midi foot controller is an older Ground Control unit, probably their first generation. It seems to do everything I need it to, and I believe it supports two volume pedals for real-time controls. I think it also has support for the GCX as well, so you could use the top row of switches in a stomp box like mode. It supports phantom powering using a 7 pin midi cable also, and it's decent sized with good buttons for selecting your patches. For something inexpensive, I think it's a pretty good route. You can get these usually for $100 or less on ebay.


-PT

 

[t0aj15]

Ground Control Pro user here.

 

[reilly]

I use a Ground Control Pro as well

 

[crane]

I use an ART X-15 (2 expression pedals). It big, heavy (won't move when you press on it), quite indestructible and seems to like beer
It has no phantom power but I've build one with a 7-pins midi cable, derivation 2 wires at the end of the cable for powering the pedalboard.

 

[Decca]

I use a Johnston J-12 controlling my 2101.
A very good combination as th J-12 is much better built than the Digitech controller.

Decca

 

[lord of the strings]

I use the ground controll pro and also the Roland FC300 that it`s so cool midi controller.
much much better that the behringer one!

 

[guyfromfl]

GCX&Ground control... wouldn't have it any other way...

well, maybe a bradshaw..

 

[scottkahn]

If you're looking at a foot controller that costs over $500, perhaps you should consider getting the TC Electronic G-System.

It's the most amazing controller I've had the pleasure of using, and it has totally changed the way I use rack systems.

My rig has never been simpler, yet can do anything I ask of it. I have pedals hidden behind the blank rack panel. Those are in audio loops in the RJM Music RG-16, running in front of the amp's input. The brain of the G-System is in the rack. The G-System is in the FX loop of my Road King II head.

From the G-System foot controller, I can change sounds on my amp, in the loops, and FX presets in the G-System. I can step on the Boost button on the G-System and have it activate my head's analog solo/boost. I can step on its Loop 1 button and have it activate the first audio loop in the RG-16. I step on the Reverb button and it turns on the Reverb in the head instead of in an effects block. And all the lights on the G-System correspond to what's actually going on in the rig. And there is virtually NO programming effort required to make it all work. The G-System has a great visual editor for Mac and Windows where you can easily customize its functionality (like making the loop buttons send MIDI CC messages to the RG-16 instead of using the G-System audio loops, for example).

Scott