MIDI Foot Control Help

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:55 pm

Machinate, you've really got me going on this Ultimarc stuff now. I'm starting to wonder whether I can't build something to provide footswitches and a continuous expression pedal (or two) that sends MIDI. One of these would cover switches and analog:

http://www.ultimarc.com/a-pac1.html

But is there anyway to get Live to respond to a device recognized by Windows as a gamepad??

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:59 pm

Nevermind, just searched and found this:

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ht=gamepad

Ludicrously complicated on the software side, but apparently doable.

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 4:07 pm

Changed my order to an A-PAC. Sub Q, let us know how that iPac works out for you, and I'll keep you posted on my switches+analog effort.

SubQ · Post by **SubQ** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:11 pm

Okay, M, i'm ordering one tomorrow. Let's wait and see if I can pull this thing out by myself.

ian412 · Post by **ian412** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:26 pm

Since the I-Pac is actually a midi keyboard, can it have 56 switches?? Does anyone have a good source of switches to wire up to this thing?

Thanks for all of this great info. I am trying to get a setup that lets me switch through samples with my feet.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:32 pm

ian412 wrote:Since the I-Pac is actually a midi keyboard, can it have 56 switches?? Does anyone have a good source of switches to wire up to this thing?

http://tinyurl.com/ysfah9 ?
http://tinyurl.com/2bjr2j ?

Lots of choices on ebay - look for "stomp switch" "foot switch" etc and then sort by price.

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:16 pm

Or, if you don't want to get into the fabrication side of it, you can look for pedals like this:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--ROLFS5U

Cool because they're modular. Join as many as you like. Also available in dual pedal versions, and Behringer has an el cheapo copy version if you're not down on that sort of thing.

If I can get this aPac approach to work, I'll also be able to buy whatever used, outdated multi-effects units pop up on ebay, gut them, and wire them up to suit my needs.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:20 pm

I love the roland modular pedals, myself, but 25$/a pop? Might as well just buy an FCB1010 and save yourself the trouble.

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:13 pm

True re: price. Tinkering with something like this will yield more competetive results:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHAB200

But the FCB is just too freaking big (and not bus-powered) which is how I got into this whole thing in the first place.

I'm gonna wire an FB4 to double as a USB HID, adding a USB out, and TRS ins for an expression pedal and connection of three additional footswitches as needed. For the latter, I have this banging around, perfect extension for looping:

http://www.zzounds.com/item--DGTFS300

My biggest worry is that I won't get a fast stable conversion from HID to MIDI. Bomes etc add some lag that a straight keyboard solution (ie. via iPac) doesn't.

ian412 · Post by **ian412** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 11:42 pm

So those stomp switches that Machinate posted look like they need some type of board to connect them to?
http://tinyurl.com/2bjr2j

I have zero experience with wiring electronis & only minor soldering experience. I'm thinking about getting a bunch of these & created my own controller out of 10-15 of them, housed in sometime of box...probably wood.

If I am thinking correctly, I need a switch for each keystroke. And each keystroke will turn a clip on/off. I deal with a 10-15 clips at a time that need to be turned on & off.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:10 am

ian412 wrote:So those stomp switches that Machinate posted look like they need some type of board to connect them to?
http://tinyurl.com/2bjr2j

I have zero experience with wiring electronis & only minor soldering experience. I'm thinking about getting a bunch of these & created my own controller out of 10-15 of them, housed in sometime of box...probably wood.

They have nuts for fastening them to a small plate of metal - any old piece you simply drill a hole, stick them in there and tighten. Dead simple, even for a non-electrician.

ian412 wrote: If I am thinking correctly, I need a switch for each keystroke. And each keystroke will turn a clip on/off. I deal with a 10-15 clips at a time that need to be turned on & off.

At a time meaning in individual tracks? Because usually what helps keep midi/key assignments down is the Track Launch button that appears when entering assign mode.
For bigger looping setups scene up/down buttons plus track assign works best, I find: four tracks with 200 clips altogether comes to 6 assignments, etc.

ian412 · Post by **ian412** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:22 am

Machinate, that does sound right...and easier. I am just getting into live performance with Live, so the suggestions are great.

The FCB1010, can take care of this (scene up/down) then, correct? It seems the only thing people dislike about the 1010 is the fact that it isn't usb powered. Or maybe I am overlooking another flaw in it.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:33 am

there are a few things:

1: BIG.
2: Heavy
3: standard midi, which means it needs a power plug and a midi interface
4: the built-in psu is noisy

If I was to get a new foot pedal system today (I had an fcb1010 once) I would build it myself and get a lot more switches on a much smaller board.

dj superflat · Post by **dj superflat** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:40 pm

i like the yamaha mfc10, in part b/c you can run up to 5 expression pedals off of it (and it's builts like a tank and send CC, program, note, etc.).

mbenigni · Post by **mbenigni** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:47 pm

Got my A-PAC chip in the mail yesterday - good timing after that cool YouTube vid of the guy making a ribbon controller out of his driver's license. I was in a geek frenzy after seeing that.

I got as far as plugging it in and verifying that I could short out a couple of switches and watch the Control Panel's Game Controller setup screen respond in Windows. Tonight I'll try wiring up some potentiometers, and installing some Game Controller to MIDI conversion software, and see whether I can get talking to Live.

If that all pans out (LOL) then I have to decide whether to do a little project with an FB4 and outboard expression pedal, or the big project of converting a Native Instruments Rig Kontrol 2 to send Game Controller messages (to Live) in addition to the proprietary crap it sends (to Guitar Rig 2.)

I'll probably start with the FB4 (not so $$$ if I lose track of a glob of solder LOL) and then move up to the RK2 later, with a 2nd A-PAC. The RK2, with these mods, will be an incredible portable solution for performance, since it's also got instrument preamps, audio/digital and MIDI conversion, all bus-powered. Surprisingly, there's plenty of spare room in the chassis to mount the APAC and a USB hub if necessary.

My band just broke up (bummer) so it's nice I've got this nerd project to keep me busy for a spell.