Midi foot Controller, is there a need?

[computo]

I dont assume you are "against" me.

I assume from your comments, that you dont have much of an idea about this topic.

I wait, eagerly, to see your 24 button board that costs, looks and weighs less than the FCB.

I wish you all the luck.

Your point about the bank switch? what does that have to do with anything?

You are saying that multiple banks are useless? or an annoyance?

Im waiting with baited breath to even see the plans.

[hansje]

Ok, chill guys. You're both absolutely right.

If you combine the fcb1010 with bidule or max or whatever, it is absolutely cool.

On the other hand, if you need to program it, it sucks big time.
Behringers cost-efficiency has even fucked up the sysex beyond repair.

What we (or at least: I) need, Machinate, is not another floorboard, but just a dirt cheap midi interface: A box with 24 (or more) jack inputs that will connect whatever switch you wanna use and send 24 predefined CCs into a usb-port.

If the price is right, you have already sold one.

[hambone1]

With Conny's help, I've figured out the basics of Plogue Bidule.

And I'm no geekboffin. If I can figure it out, anyone can! Combined with any MIDI controller, Bidule can probably do just about anything you can think of involving not only MIDI manipulation but audio, too.

Sometimes you just gotta think outside the box...

[Martyn]

With Conny's help, I've figured out the basics of Plogue Bidule.

And I'm no geekboffin. If I can figure it out, anyone can! Combined with any MIDI controller, Bidule can probably do just about anything you can think of involving not only MIDI manipulation but audio, too.

Sometimes you just gotta think outside the box...

I had a feeling it might, I've tried getting into it a few times but just seem to end up staring at lots of obscure menu items with my eyes glazing over. It's things like this (especially Max & PD) that I try to steer clear of because they tend to make me feel old and very stupid

I guess I'll have to give Bidule another go. I tried PD , you might as well ask me to build a fusion reactor out of a couple of cerial packets and a roll of sticky-backed-plastic.

[quandry]

I too agree that the FCB 1010 is NOT overpriced--feel free to post a link to a midi foot controller anywhere near that price for the features...There are many that have FEWER features for hundreds more. I have had nothing but great performance from mine from 4 years of giggin', and have programmed it fairly easily on its own, and the software editors make it a breeze now. I too wished there were more cc/s initially, but as others have mentioned, you have to get creative. For instance, in one band I use a 1010 bank to control an electrix filter factory--by using a whole 1010 bank, I get lots of control at my feet--one patch might map the exp. pedals to filter freq. and res., while another maps them to distortion level or lfo rate etc. I.e. by using a whole bank to give you a range of controls over an effect or unit you can get way more mileage than trying to cram everything into one patch, which is impossible. Also, apps like Bomes' midi translator, midi ox/yoke, and bidule can take one incoming midi signal and make a bunch of things happen from it. Creativity is key to midi footboard sucess. Again, there is nothing even close to the features of the 1010 for the price, period.

Ryan

[computo]

PD is a lot easier, if you learn the ideas through max. PD is basically a refined version of max, so all of the concepts are the same. PD simply doesnt have the documentation or tutorials that Max has. also there is a brilliant mailinglist with some of the brightest minds in computer audio, so you can always ask the best.

I suggest doing the month demo of max, and then move over to PD. It might help.

I agree with hansje, some sort of patchbay-looking device that you can patch pedals, buttons, or any cv device into.

However, I think the FCB sysex is practically useless in respect to what we've been discussing. And no. programming for yourself is thinking for yourself. Its working toward a solution that is specific to your needs, and that is neccesary whether you are building a MIDI device with an onboard chip, or writing code in Max, PD, or Bidule. You cant get around that part of building something for yourself. Software or hardware, you'll have to program something.

[thelocalhost]

hansje,

What do you want to control via midi in Live/Reason?

[hansje]

What I want is to give the other people on stage their own control buttons.
A footswitch here, a drum trigger there, etc.
All simple diy affairs. Just as much as they need.

I'll still use the fcb, but I'm a bit tired of thinking about other peoples effects and stuff while playing.
It's complicated enough as it is.

[SoutherlyBuster]

Just found this old link, great read. The FCB1010 foot controller is not the issue, I have one (sure it has it's problems, which UNO corrects). The problem is with Ableton when you do not have Max. You can program the FCB1010 nicely, but not all of what you typically want/need to do for a live performance is mappable in Ableton without Max, like make the default cursor position in one of the clips in the session view (if you select clips via UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT etc.). Max is expensive and would solve these problems (I assume). But for the Ableton software development team to add some more short cuts, be it computer keyboard short cuts or directly midi mappable, that would be great and solve a lot of the problems the original poster and for me would solve. From my understanding Ableton Live was designed based around a keyboard player, not a musician that plays an instrument that occupies both hands (like, Guitar, Violin) where the additional controls (like to control Ableton) must be done with your feet -- but when a lot of the core functionality for control of Ableton rely on a mouse, this is where the problem lies.

Or am I missing some thing?

If some one has a solution to this without purchasing Max, I am sure a lot of people would be interested. By the way I am using the Lite edition of Ableton.

PS. Perhaps I have found the solution "Creating your own Control Script"
https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/artic ... ace-script
It is a simple text file. Let's see how this pans out .

Found this from a hardware manufacture of looper pedals to control Ableton Live without the need to have Max, quote "Max for Live isn’t required, meaning any edition of Live will work. (It uses a standard Live Control Script to communicate with Live.)" For those that are interested see:
https://cdm.link/2018/11/datalooper-ableton-live-foot/


PSS. Well the eternal optimist I am! Sadly the Creating your own Control Script via the UserConfiguration.txt file offers nothing new. So if you can not map functionality via: 1) standard midi mapping or 2) has a computer keyboard short cut; then the UserConfiguration.txt file can not do it either .

Hmm back to the drawing board.

Anyone else with ideas?

[Tone Deft]

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[SoutherlyBuster]

Tone Deft,
Ha ha. Thanks for the post. Before I bought the FCB1010 foot controller, I reviewed several other units (all online). The SoftStep was a high contender, there were a few problems which made me not opt for it:
1) No local store stocks them, so could not try one out and the import duties here in New Zealand make it even more expensive.
2) The expression controller as I have been told by other Violinists, is that it is not like a conventional expression pedal which as absolute control, rather it is like a TV remote: press down on it and it increments the CC values (pressing harder does not make it go faster -- not useful!), pressing it back on it decrements the CC values. So I felt this was not going to work for me.
3) Price was more than the FCB1010.

Now whether the SoftStep has managed to have the controls I need, ie to select a clip within a track, select which track, delete a clip, record to a clip, play a clip, stop a clip; apart from the easy stuff like send CC's is unknown for me.

Perhaps your experience of the SoftStep may change my mind?