THIS is how to setup Behringer FCB1010/Ableton/Looper
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:08 am
I can't believe no one has posted this before so, after searching and searching, and beating my head against it to figure it out, here is the way to setup the Behringer FCB1010 pedalboard to control ableton & the looper effect.
KEY POINT: Assign MIDI note values to be transmitted by the pedals, rather than control change (CC) values! If you assign CC values to control looper or other parts of ableton live, it freaks out and does unpredictable things. (at least in my experience) The correct way to setup the pedalboard is to dedicate a MIDI channel for this that you will not be using for anything else...then when you press a pedal, it transmits a note on that MIDI channel, such as C-2 (the lowest note available on a piano) or middle C (aka C3), and so on.
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SELECTING THE MIDI CHANNEL TO TRANSMIT YOUR CHANGES
1) As you power on the FCB1010, keep the DOWN footswitch pressed for a few seconds. This enters the Global Configuration menu, and will allow you to change the MIDI transmit channel. The DIRECT SELECT (green led) lights up.
2) Press the UP footswitch once to navigate to MIDI FUNCTION. The MIDI FUNCTION led will flash.
3) Press the 10/0 footswitch to select the MIDI Note Function. The red light for the footswitch you pressed will start to blink.
4) Press UP/ENTER to confirm your choice. The MIDI CHANNEL led will light up.
5) Choose the MIDI channel you desire by using the numerical footswitches. Enter a number that you do not anticipate using for anything else. Your selected number will be displayed.
6) Press UP/ENTER to confirm your choice.
7) Press and hold the DOWN/ESCAPE footswitch to save your changes
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PROGRAMMING A NOTE TO A FOOTSWITCH
1) Use the UP or DOWN footswitches to navigate to the bank you wish to use. You can change the settings for each of the 10 banks. In this example, let's select bank "00".
2) Press the footswitch that you wish to edit/assign. In this example, let's press the switch labeled "1". The light next to the footswitch will light up.
3) Press and hold the DOWN footswitch to enter preset programming mode. The green light labeled "SWITCH1/SWITCH2" will start flashing.
4) Press UP/ENTER to verify that you wish to edit this preset.
5) If your pedalboard features the factory defaults, the lights next to footswitches 1, 8, and 9 will be lit. Press and hold each of them to clear them. The lights will go off.
6) Press and hold the 10/0 footswitch, to tell the pedalboard that you are trying to assign a MIDI note value. The led lights up, indicating that you are choosing to assign a MIDI note.
7) Quickly press the 10/0 footswitch once to confirm your selection. The led will start blinking.
8) Use the numbered footswitches to enter the numerical value corresponding to the MIDI note you wish to assign. The values range from 0 to 127. For this example, press the "0" switch, which assigns the lowest note available. (C-2)
9) Confirm your selection by pressing the UP/ENTER footswitch.
10) Press and hold DOWN/ESCAPE to save your changes.
_____________
ASSIGNING THE PEDAL IN ABLETON LIVE
1) Click the MIDI button at the top right of the screen to enter MIDI Assign mode. All MIDI-assignable functions will now have a purple color superimposed over them.
2) Using your mouse, click on the function that you wish to control with the pedal you just setup. A border will appear around the purple overlay.
3) Press the footswitch/pedal to which you just assigned a MIDI note. You will see numbers/letters appear over the purple overlay.
4) Press the MIDI button once more to exit MIDI Assign mode.
_____________
Repeat the last 2 sections for any other pedals, and the corresponding functions that you wish to control.
KEY POINT: Assign MIDI note values to be transmitted by the pedals, rather than control change (CC) values! If you assign CC values to control looper or other parts of ableton live, it freaks out and does unpredictable things. (at least in my experience) The correct way to setup the pedalboard is to dedicate a MIDI channel for this that you will not be using for anything else...then when you press a pedal, it transmits a note on that MIDI channel, such as C-2 (the lowest note available on a piano) or middle C (aka C3), and so on.
_____________
SELECTING THE MIDI CHANNEL TO TRANSMIT YOUR CHANGES
1) As you power on the FCB1010, keep the DOWN footswitch pressed for a few seconds. This enters the Global Configuration menu, and will allow you to change the MIDI transmit channel. The DIRECT SELECT (green led) lights up.
2) Press the UP footswitch once to navigate to MIDI FUNCTION. The MIDI FUNCTION led will flash.
3) Press the 10/0 footswitch to select the MIDI Note Function. The red light for the footswitch you pressed will start to blink.
4) Press UP/ENTER to confirm your choice. The MIDI CHANNEL led will light up.
5) Choose the MIDI channel you desire by using the numerical footswitches. Enter a number that you do not anticipate using for anything else. Your selected number will be displayed.
6) Press UP/ENTER to confirm your choice.
7) Press and hold the DOWN/ESCAPE footswitch to save your changes
_____________
PROGRAMMING A NOTE TO A FOOTSWITCH
1) Use the UP or DOWN footswitches to navigate to the bank you wish to use. You can change the settings for each of the 10 banks. In this example, let's select bank "00".
2) Press the footswitch that you wish to edit/assign. In this example, let's press the switch labeled "1". The light next to the footswitch will light up.
3) Press and hold the DOWN footswitch to enter preset programming mode. The green light labeled "SWITCH1/SWITCH2" will start flashing.
4) Press UP/ENTER to verify that you wish to edit this preset.
5) If your pedalboard features the factory defaults, the lights next to footswitches 1, 8, and 9 will be lit. Press and hold each of them to clear them. The lights will go off.
6) Press and hold the 10/0 footswitch, to tell the pedalboard that you are trying to assign a MIDI note value. The led lights up, indicating that you are choosing to assign a MIDI note.
7) Quickly press the 10/0 footswitch once to confirm your selection. The led will start blinking.
8) Use the numbered footswitches to enter the numerical value corresponding to the MIDI note you wish to assign. The values range from 0 to 127. For this example, press the "0" switch, which assigns the lowest note available. (C-2)
9) Confirm your selection by pressing the UP/ENTER footswitch.
10) Press and hold DOWN/ESCAPE to save your changes.
_____________
ASSIGNING THE PEDAL IN ABLETON LIVE
1) Click the MIDI button at the top right of the screen to enter MIDI Assign mode. All MIDI-assignable functions will now have a purple color superimposed over them.
2) Using your mouse, click on the function that you wish to control with the pedal you just setup. A border will appear around the purple overlay.
3) Press the footswitch/pedal to which you just assigned a MIDI note. You will see numbers/letters appear over the purple overlay.
4) Press the MIDI button once more to exit MIDI Assign mode.
_____________
Repeat the last 2 sections for any other pedals, and the corresponding functions that you wish to control.