McMillen SoftStep Midi Foot Controller is Finally Available!

[sinceare]

Got my SoftStep this past Tuesday (11/2/2010)- Rediculously light weight and portable. I'm still trying to get the software figured out though. Coming from the Behringer FCB1010 where you program everything on the device, setting up the SoftStep is a little different since you set it up using the supplied SoftStep software and you need to set the output of the your midi commands to use the software IAC Driver Bus on your Mac (if using a Mac, not sure what to do on Windows). Anyway still trying to get it figure out but it seems to be quite robust.




E.

[dave999z]

Been thinking of getting one of those for my guitar rig since they were announced (like a year before they started shipping). Right now I only have two CC pedals, one set to master volume and the other set to effect wet/dry mix. I'd like to have more CC control of other effects parameters.

So, you can use the computer software to program the footcontroller, but then you can unhook it from the computer and just use it as a standalone midi controller, right? Actually, if it has default MIDI parameters that it uses for pgm change, cc, etc., that would do fine. Everything in my guitar rack has midi learn, so I don't really need to custom program it.

Can it be powered by a 7-pin midi cable?

[chapelier fou]

Question : how easy is it to accidentaly to, let's say, push button 1 when pushing button 6 ?
I mean, i use a yamaha MFC10, and, on stage, i can feel the buttons with my foot, without looking at them and without pushing them.

[longjohnmike]

Hey Sinceare,

I'm curious how you went about learning how to program your FCB 1010? I bought one used and the instructions I found for it seem ridiculously complicated. Or am I just making it out to be that way?
-Mike

[sinceare]

Been thinking of getting one of those for my guitar rig since they were announced (like a year before they started shipping). Right now I only have two CC pedals, one set to master volume and the other set to effect wet/dry mix. I'd like to have more CC control of other effects parameters.

So, you can use the computer software to program the footcontroller, but then you can unhook it from the computer and just use it as a standalone midi controller, right? Actually, if it has default MIDI parameters that it uses for pgm change, cc, etc., that would do fine. Everything in my guitar rack has midi learn, so I don't really need to custom program it.

Can it be powered by a 7-pin midi cable?

Right out of the box, No, you can not power it with a 7-pin midi cable because it is not designed with a Midi Port only a USB port. Right out of the box it is designed to work with a computer and can only be programmed with a computer. But you can use it with existing MIDI gear if you purchase their Midi Expander: http://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/s ... pander.php

You still need to program it with the software on a computer. But then you can use it with your other gear using the Midi Expander. Whether or not the Midi Expander can be power with a 7-pin cable, I'm not sure. But at least the SoftStep is bus powered through USB.

[sinceare]

Hey Sinceare,

I'm curious how you went about learning how to program your FCB 1010? I bought one used and the instructions I found for it seem ridiculously complicated. Or am I just making it out to be that way?
-Mike

Hey Mike,

No, everything is complicated to me, LOL - it took me a while to understand the whole MIDI thing in general and I'm still learning. But I learned the FCB 1010 by reading the manual over and over and Googling what certain things meant. If you have something specific you are trying to do then I "may" be able to help you out.

E.

[sinceare]

Question : how easy is it to accidentaly to, let's say, push button 1 when pushing button 6 ?
I mean, i use a yamaha MFC10, and, on stage, i can feel the buttons with my foot, without looking at them and without pushing them.

In my opinion, so far, the SoftStep was designed pretty well in that keys have enough space between them. And if you have big feet like me, it's seems as though the primary key you are trying to hit get's selected, not an adjacent key that you partially touched while stepping on your target key.

E.

[chapelier fou]

Thank you. Difficult to make an opinion without trying, though...

[sinceare]

Thank you. Difficult to make an opinion without trying, though...

fumble feet are the least of my concerns, right now. I'm having the hardest time getting the thing programmed, whewww! lol

E.

[naburo]

well, I ordered a softstep a few weeks ago
and now i can´t wait till this thing arrives, to work with this pedal .

I used a Yamaha Footpedal, but somehow I didn´t like it.

cheers

[sinceare]

well, I ordered a softstep a few weeks ago
and now i can´t wait till this thing arrives, to work with this pedal .

I used a Yamaha Footpedal, but somehow I didn´t like it.

cheers

I seem to be having the hardest time and have already emailed Jon over at Keith McMillen. So when you get yours and get it figured out, please impart some knowledge on me, lol.

E.

[EliotShort]

Hey Sinceare,

I'm curious how you went about learning how to program your FCB 1010? I bought one used and the instructions I found for it seem ridiculously complicated. Or am I just making it out to be that way?
-Mike

I had the weirdest experience with the FCB1010.
Totally felt like giving up with it when I first got it, but pushed on through.
Now it's like I can't understand why I ever found it complicated.

I think it's like learning someone else's language and a good way to get your head around basic midi.
Once you've got the hang of it, it all seems so intuitive. Also helps if you have iFCB1010 (http://www.wabbitwanch.com/iFCB.html)
Also check out http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Behringer_ ... MIDI_Pedal

[LoopStationZebra]

Absolutely unusable software. WRETCHED.

Tons of time getting presets established, you go to a different scene and then come back, and many of your presets are screwed up. Names have changed, presets for one pedal are suddenly showing up in a different pedal, parameters are changed. Complete nightmare. Tons of programming time lost.

What a shame, because the thing had such amazing promise.

Completely unreliable, though. God forbid you get those horrid preset changes during a gig...

[Machinesworking]

Personally the thing is just way too small. I'm already sort of annoyed that the Rig Kontrol 3 I have is the exact same size as the Rig Kontrol 2, with 2 extra switches, so everything is slightly tighter.

Still the distance seems more than on the SoftStep.

[LoopStationZebra]

I was surprised how usable it was from an interface design standpoint. The small size concerned me but isn't a problem. The fact that it's actually PADS you are pressing on is cool. It feels great. The MIDI routing and options and level of customization is better than practically any controller I've ever seen; regardless of type.

Too bad all of that potential is rendered useless because of the software.

I'm really pissed about this. More pissed than I've ever been about a piece of gear that didn't work, lol. Probably because foot controllers are truly YEARS behind everything else. We've got half a million fucking faders and whatnot on the market, but less than 5 truly acceptable MIDI foot controllers.