Ableton Forum

i use ableton for live performing with a Novation Remote SL as a midi controller. Being a guitar player, i dont always have a free hand and wish to use a midi foot controller. I own a Behringer FCB1010 which i cant begin to understand and have been wanting to get rid. Ableton's team tell me that the FCB1010 can be used and most other foot controllers only send out program change messages, which cannot be used in Live. What i really want is something that is easy to assign midi info to, (like the Remote SL) but for feet! i'd be happy to hear of anyone who successfully uses a foot controller!

mayboy wrote:i use ableton for live performing with a Novation Remote SL as a midi controller. Being a guitar player, i dont always have a free hand and wish to use a midi foot controller. I own a Behringer FCB1010 which i cant begin to understand and have been wanting to get rid. Ableton's team tell me that the FCB1010 can be used and most other foot controllers only send out program change messages, which cannot be used in Live. What i really want is something that is easy to assign midi info to, (like the Remote SL) but for feet! i'd be happy to hear of anyone who successfully uses a foot controller!

I use the FCB1010 w/ the Remote SL 25. I hook up the 1010 (MIDI out) into the MIDI in of the SL.

Once it's hooked up you have to send the right messages. Basically this means going into each bank and each pedal and assigning its value. I also turn off the expression pedals as I don't use them.

To do so simply go into the programming of the button you want to program. Once in there you'll see some lights on, turn all of them off except for pedal 6 (CC messages). Then you set the CC number and the velocity of that CC number (I choose 127). So for bank 00, pedal 1 I make the FCB1010 send out CC#1 at a velocity of 127.

Once all 100 (yes it takes forever) have been programmed you can use them to trigger clips, arm tracks, or the generic MIDI play/record.

FCB1010: There are software editors for both mac & pc - just google it.

iFCB is an editor for mac.

thanks for this info. it has been very useful and has helped me to get started with the FCB1010. I am a bit perplexed as to what CC numbers and velocity number to use for each preset but with trial and much error i can record and launch clips etc. A problem is turning a button off having already turned it on (ie muting a track or switching an effect on and off) Have you come across this? Thanks again for your help and best of luck with your own music making.

AceLuby wrote:

mayboy wrote:i use ableton for live performing with a Novation Remote SL as a midi controller. Being a guitar player, i dont always have a free hand and wish to use a midi foot controller. I own a Behringer FCB1010 which i cant begin to understand and have been wanting to get rid. Ableton's team tell me that the FCB1010 can be used and most other foot controllers only send out program change messages, which cannot be used in Live. What i really want is something that is easy to assign midi info to, (like the Remote SL) but for feet! i'd be happy to hear of anyone who successfully uses a foot controller!

I use the FCB1010 w/ the Remote SL 25. I hook up the 1010 (MIDI out) into the MIDI in of the SL.

Once it's hooked up you have to send the right messages. Basically this means going into each bank and each pedal and assigning its value. I also turn off the expression pedals as I don't use them.

To do so simply go into the programming of the button you want to program. Once in there you'll see some lights on, turn all of them off except for pedal 6 (CC messages). Then you set the CC number and the velocity of that CC number (I choose 127). So for bank 00, pedal 1 I make the FCB1010 send out CC#1 at a velocity of 127.

Once all 100 (yes it takes forever) have been programmed you can use them to trigger clips, arm tracks, or the generic MIDI play/record.

I just use notes from the FCB1010 to control Live. Actions like muting a track are toggle functions, so I hit the same button on my FCB to mute and unmute. Is that what you mean?

FWIW, If you want to use the FCB to control live's looper, you have to send midi notes messages instead of CCs.

thanks. some buttons toggle and some dont. i'm unsure as to whether or not i'm sending notes or CC messages. I'll sus it out eventually!

taximouse wrote:I just use notes from the FCB1010 to control Live. Actions like muting a track are toggle functions, so I hit the same button on my FCB to mute and unmute. Is that what you mean?

thanks. i'm still trying to understand MIDI and not sure how to assign the FCB1010 notes but i can get it to send CC messages. will sus it out eventually!

madlab wrote:FWIW, If you want to use the FCB to control live's looper, you have to send midi notes messages instead of CCs.

To know what kind of mesage you send out of the FCB, midi map a control and check in the mappings window what it is, or use something like Midi Monitor, if you're on a mac, to monitor your input from the FCB.

thanks. with a bit of trial and error, i'm getting there!

madlab wrote:To know what kind of mesage you send out of the FCB, midi map a control and check in the mappings window what it is, or use something like Midi Monitor, if you're on a mac, to monitor your input from the FCB.

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=fcb+1010

loads of info here ^^