How do midi foot controllers work

Learn about different types of DAW Controllers in this guide. In the below photo, you can see a big difference in the features available in MIDI foot controllers. There is a big difference in the things you can do and control with a small foot controller compared to a massive foot controller with expression pedals.

Some MIDI foot controllers have inbuilt expression pedals while others allow you to connect an external expression pedal. If you only want to be able to switch between presets or turn effects on or off, you may not be interested in having an expression pedal.

For example, you can use an expression pedal to access wah sounds, control volume levels, or access whammy effects when combined with software such as AmpliTube or BIAS FX. There are a lot of effects that benefit from an expression pedal, so consider whether you may have a use for these effects now or in the future.

You can also use an expression pedal to dynamically control any effect parameter on the fly. For example, you can set the expression pedal to control the feedback setting on a delay pedal. Or you can set the expression pedal to control the gain of an overdrive pedal.

This means instead of only having your overdrive in either on or off states, you can smoothly adjust how much gain it has at any time by adjusting the expression pedal. You can gradually ramp up the gain during a solo, then lightly roll it off during softer parts.

Having the option to connect an expression pedal is far better than needing to buy a completely new controller. Before you buy a foot controller, take notice of what options you have for power so you know what to plan for with your rig.

There are three ways a MIDI controller can connect to other devices. Make sure you choose the right type of connection to suit your rig. Standard MIDI: these devices use one or two round jacks as shown in the below photo. If a guitar pedal has one or two of these jacks, it means you can control it in some way using a MIDI controller. Midi Foot Controllers are mainly used to switch guitar amp channels, changing effect settings or controlling your complete guitar rig.

MIDI is the global standard for transmitting notes and control commands to and from all kinds of electronic instruments and sound-processing equipment.

MIDI is a serial interface which transmits only control information — not audio data — between music instruments and devices. For example, if you connect a keyboard to a computer via MIDI, the computer — or the sequencer software — can play on the keyboard.

The sequencer tells the keyboard which key to play with what velocity. In other words, the computer is practically pressing the keys. The sound is not transmitted by MIDI, but is formed by the keyboard. It is of course also possible, to connect several devices. Besides notes, MIDI can also transmit all kinds of control commands. For example, a Midi foot controller selects a certain program number in which the required sound is stored. The subsequent notes are then played with the selected sound.

One other detraction from this unit is that a power adapter is not included, per the user manual:. Unfortunately, a power adapter is not included. It can run off batteries and depending on how you have it hooked up phantom power. But I'd be lying if I said this didn't bother me, especially when all the other units we've looked at come with their own power source. I should add, however, that I have seen unboxing photos of this unit with a Rocktron-branded power adapter. My assumption is that it's going to depend on who and where you buy from.

For example, when I bought my Line 6 DL4 delay off Amazon, it came with a power adapter and a converter, because the original jack was too small. The lack of a power adapter maybe , the switching limitations and once again the "clacking," which is an issue on this pedal as well. However, as was true with my previous highlights, the value of this controller is almost entirely contextual. For example, if you're in a situation where you only use a few different MIDI channels and you want to easily cycle through them, this is the cheapest and most ideally-fitted option for you.

Rocktron's MIDI Raider is one of the most expensive MIDI foot controller pedals available, and one of the largest, spanning a total of 18 different buttons and a 19 x 13 inch floor footprint. The Bank Mode has total presets, which can be setup as something like 24 banks of five presets with 10 'instant' switches.

Or, if you want things to be a little more straightforward, all 15 access switches can be used as 'Instant' switches. Usually, 15 different sounds is plenty, but that all depends on your playing style and what gear you're running. Thus, you can have a rack unit with several devices, that can all have their own MIDI channel. Image via Psychadeli TV. Then, with a pedal like the Nova Drive, you can cycle through presets from within just that pedal.

Cycle through presets for individual pedals within a single MIDI channel for a single pedal. Evidently, there is a notable learning curve for this controller. The user manual is a staggering though not unexpected 80 pages. Let's take a quick look at the specs, then go through some of the most crucial information covered in the manual.

What the user manual calls a "typical" setup is worth a look, just so you can get a feel for what kind of and how many cables you'll need. As you can see, your cabling needs will depend on how many expression pedals you want to use, whether either or both of them are actually volume pedals and how many MIDI-controllable devices you want to include.

Particularly if you're programming your MIDI Raider to control several different devices, and presets within those devices, you'll want to make sure to browse the next graphic. As much as I'm sure you don't want to, I would absolutely advise you to read the entire setup section of the manual. Your best bet is to read all of it. And I don't mean skim or just glance for a few minutes - actually sit down and read through it intently.

Once you do that, the Raider interface will seem a lot more "human" and easier to navigate. The setup section spans 18 pages. Assuming you have multiple devices to control, here's how I would approach setup:. Once that's done you'll be able to cycle through your different devices and presets to get a feel for how you might use the pedal on a "typical day. It should be clear that the MIDI Raider is uniquely qualified to run a larger and more diverse swath of processors, pedals or a combination of both, even if we're just talking about the surface of its capability.

Since the Raider is so expensive, make sure you'll take advantage of its ability to control so many different units and avoid it for smaller rigs that don't need to be centralized. Since most professional guitar players have robust live setups, they often take advantage of MIDI foot controllers, setup on stage, to make adjustments in rackmounted processors or pedals that are stored off-stage.

Often combined with patch or loop systems for individual pedals, professional guitarists or their techs can control an entire array of effects from one centralized location.

I find it helpful and interesting to browse their setups. You get a feel for how everything is hooked up, how it all functions as a whole and what the final product will look like.

We'll get all our diagrams from guitar. Since this diagram was built, Stephen Carpenter's rig has changed quite a bit, as he's removed almost all his pedals in favor of a larger MIDI foot controller that houses all of his effects digitally. If you look at the full diagram from , you can see why he made the change. That red dotted line you see is the output from the MIDI board, which then runs into a Marshall preamp. This is the same idea, in that it allows Carpenter to link up multiple devices to be controlled by one MIDI floor pedal.

From way back in , Simon Rowe's rig gives us a wonderfully simple example of how you might setup a MIDI controller. For most of us, this is a great example of what we're likely to start with when we get into MIDI-controlled effects.

His MIDI foot controller is also quite simple, as he's using an old Boss design that cycles through preset patches on the Quadraverb. It's simple, easy to setup, easy to use and has a minimal learning curve. Besides, it's sometimes nice to know that even some of the high-profile guys use simpler rigs. When applied to a guitar rig, MIDI controllers especially the larger ones are designed to centralize control.

However, we've also seen that this doesn't necessarily mean that your rig must be complex or large. If you ever find yourself using or buying a rackmounted effects processor like the G-Major or the Behringer Virtualizer , you should pair that unit with a MIDI controller right away. Even if you're only using the one processor, there are usually a ton of different effects to cycle through and you don't want to do that by hand.

So, don't assume that just because your rig is small or you're only wanting to control one processor that you should wait on a MIDI foot controller. If you have anything in rack form, pair it with a MIDI controller.

At that point, you need to answer a question of scope, specifically, "How much do I plan to expand my rig in the future, and how much of it do I want to be controlled by a MIDI pedal? The answer to this question will determine whether you buy something larger and more complex like the Ground Control, or whether you setup your rig more like Simon Rowe's with a simple MIDI foot controller and just a few effects. Deciding when and if you need the MIDI controller should depend on the answers to these questions.

And to finish on a logical note, those who play live will likely have an expanded use for this type of setup. Leave it in the comments section below or find us on Twitter to share. Technical questions about the gear should be specified in the comments section of this page so others, who might have similar questions can benefit as well. Image Courtesy of Kemper Amps.

You can shoot him an email to get in touch. All Well built and easy to program. The MC8 is just fantastic! There is a new version coming out soon with discrete high definition colour screens.

Cannot say enough good about the MC8 I purchased. Checked it out and it looks great. Thanks for sharing, Bob. Thank you Bobby and the rest of the folks in this web page. My goal is to integrate both the head and effects in both units simultaneously with out having to use the GAFC controller that comes with the head.

Thanks again and have a great day. In the Command Center menu of the Helix you can view an overview of all the switches. Highlight a switch and the control knobs will show:. I found this great video that shows a quick way to get set up, I hope this helps with it! Let me know how you get on! Having some trouble with my Hughes and Kettner Access preamp.

Hope you can help. It sounds like you might need a more versatile MIDI controller. What would be the difference between the processors changing and the presets changing? Not sure I totally get the distinction there. Thank you so much for your reply. So this is the reason. I have 14 guitars, each very different, some have active PU some have passive. Would truly simplify managing sounds for live and recording. In the manual it looks as if I can do this See page on the manual -Link provided below.

Really appreciate your advice. Great article! I got the musicomlab 62m lite 6 patches and 6 midi devices.

Do I need a relay box, like one from midi solutions or M-audio? Or can I just run off the musicomlab?