Ableton Forum

I already know that most people use FCB 1010 to control Live. I thought that in my case ( I really don't want to spend time in programming and messing with midi), all I need at the moment is to control (by a foot pedal) the clip's ( any clip's) rec/launch button. Could I do that using just one simple midi foot switch? If yes , which one?

OK, not sure what you mean by "most people use the FCB 1010 to control Live" - most people seem to use a huge range of midi controllers to control Live. (Or maybe you meant that people who use the FCB are mostly using it to control Live?)

In any case, I have never used the FCB but I just looked at the website promo page for it, and it looks to me like you've got 10 foot switches which look like they are just midi buttons- you press the button, it sends the "on" or "off" message.

And yes, you can control the rec/launch function, as well as any other function in Live that you choose (pretty much), simply...just read the section in the manual...its short.

You can get various editors for the FCB to make editing it easier.

For your problem you could try building your own.

Ok, obviously I didn't make myself clear... I try to avoid byuing FCB, I am asking if I can control any clip's rec/launch button with one simple midi foot switch.
Well I believe now I can as long as the specific clip is activated(selected)
So another nice idea comes up. I'd like to have a floor rack with another 4 midi foot swithes put in a "cross-like" scheme to help[ me navigate between the clips hands free. Any idea which floor rack could offer this?

Another question: I have only one midi input on my soundcard where the midi keyboard is connected. What can I do now that I need to connect the foot pedals?

Err.... FCB?

Not sure if you can get a single MIDI foot switch, probably. Or as I said build your own.

I'm hopefully going to get a soundcard for my laptop soon and it'll probably have 1 MIDI input which i'll plug the FCB into, and the MIDI keyboard/controller can be plugged in via USB.

I understood your question only after I responded, sorry.

I don't know what foot switch exactly would be best for you, as I don't use them. But you are right that you can launch the currently selected clip with a midi button/switch.

I order to get the midi from your switch to your computer, there are a few options. First, your keyboard likely has another midi port just for this purpose - daisy chaining devices. Second, most foot pedals seem to use an analog connector 1/4" jack type; the FCB seems to have that as well, next to the midi ports. There is often a plug for this on keyboards or other gear. Don't really know exactly how that works as I don't use foot pedals like I said. Third, you can always buy an inexpensive USB to Midi converter.

But really, it seems like the FCB has everything you need (as long as you can plug it into your keyboard), and it can't be that expensive...its Behringer!

Hi!

If you want an "one pedal" Controller to save money, you can also get cheap used controllers with more pedals. I just bought a digitech controll 7 for 30 Euros, which has 5 pedals and 2 to change banks. Programming it is very easy with "bomes midi-translator", which translates the incoming Midi signal from the floorboard into keystrokes.
I needed help to get Miditranslator work, but if you got it, it doesn`t take long time to program it!

And for your second problem: Buy a Midi to usb cable, http://www.thomann.de/de/swissonic_midi ... r_id=25293

for example, or buy a Midicontroller like the uc-33, which has a seperate Midi in an gives you the possibility to controll other things in live whith your hands...

Greetings from Germany,

Sven[/url]

Thanks everybody
I connected my midi keyboard on USB port . I already have this foot switch http://www.guitar-parts.com/product_pics/61c.jpg which only has 1/4 jack type connector , it comes from a Marshall guitar amplifier, and surprisingly it works!!
Now my problem is how I can use this switch to control every clip's launch button, (when the slot is selected of course)???? (exactly what the Return button of the computer keyboard does)

1. download "midi-ox" (google)
2. download "bomes miditransator http://www.bome.com
3. select the midi port, where your pedal is connected in both programs as input.
4. select "midimapper" as output in both programs.
5. Program the things you want to do in live with the "key funktion"
6. push the "add" button in bomes midi translator and name it like you want.
7. select the new translator and push "edit"
8. go to the "incoming" - folder and push "capture midi"
9. push the pedalkey. You should now see some letters and numbers
10. go to the "outgoing"-folder and select "key-stroke"
11. type in the keys you defined in live.
12. push "apply" and "close"

Now the controller should do whatever you want to do!

Have fun and greetings from Germany,

Sven[/url]

Sven, my man you are wonderful!
I've always been thinking of moving to Germany...
Thanks
Greetings from Greece

What about my other idea of moving between the slots using pedals similar to the arrow keys of the computer keyboard?
Hey you guys guitarists...
Can anyone suggest a foot pedal rack like the old ones that had this cross-style switches?Or have I seen it in a dream?Or in a videogame?

Sven , the trick you described works BUT...
As I said before, I have connected the foot switch into the midi keyboard's 1/4 jack input, and the keyboard itself is plugged in a USB input. When I want to loop in Ableton using the foot switch I have to leave the Midi-Ox and Bones translator activated, right? BUT it is not possible to use the midi keyboard to play music at the same time because this particular USB port is configured as an input for the controller that sends the clip/rec launch message. What is the alternative connections I make ?

Normally both should work!

I can imagine two problems:

1. Did you activate the keyboard for both, Track AND remote,

2. did you activate the right midi in in the Track?

With your other problem, I don`t know what you exactly what you mean with "cross like", but you can experiment with the "follow actions" you can program in the "launch" window that opens, when you push the "L" - Button on the left side at the bottom.

So far, mail if it still doesn`t work,

Sven

Yes I have activated both remote and track, in the active devices input tab.
"Remote control surfaces" tab has nothing to do with what I am trying, right?

As I told you the keyboard is plugged into a USB input.
First I open Midi-Ox and Bones, do what you described in steps 3-5 and finally I open Live.
Are there maybe some more settings I should do in Midi-Ox (connections or something?...)

This is the message that comes in Live's preferences dialog: " The midi device ??????? ???USB could not be activated. It may be in use by another application"

But this message comes out also in Midi-Ox if I have already opened Bones or Live or both.
On the other hand, if I first open Midi-Ox and then Bones it is not possible to select the midi in and midi out "USB device" (even if I select them the program's selection stays "none" for both in and out.

jendask wrote:What about my other idea of moving between the slots using pedals similar to the arrow keys of the computer keyboard?
Hey you guys guitarists...
Can anyone suggest a foot pedal rack like the old ones that had this cross-style switches?Or have I seen it in a dream?Or in a videogame?

Hi jendask,

The pedal you're describing sounds like the old Line 6 Floorboard. It connects to either the Pod or Pod Pro via a cat5 (rj45) network cable. It preseded the current method of USB. I use mine with a Pod Pro and bring the midi out into an open port on my system. It gives me nine banks of four preset on each bank (36 presets). So I can select 1-1 (bank 1 preset 1) and if my next preset is 4-2 (bank 4 preset 2) and I use it during the chorus parts I can click up to bank 4 using the up/down bank selector foot switch at any time and then when the chorus starts boom I click the footswitch for preset 2. Its the same as triggering clips in session view using the cursor and return keys but you only have 36 "clips" that you can trigger however you must have one of the fore mentioned midi tools like Bomes Midi Translator which then listens to the midi in from the Line 6 device and translates it into either an altered midi message or a keystroke messge that your computer will respond to. There's actually 36 program change values, seven control change values plus two linear encoders (vol/wah pedals) which are all mappable. I have also been able to send complete sysex messages to devices that require sysex as opposed to program change but only midi-ox supports reading large sysex files from disk.

Anyway - FYI!

Chris