Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

notoric · Post by **notoric** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 9:28 pm

Hi everybody,

I´m searching for a MIDI-Footcontroller to start/stop the clips in LIVE such as I would do with a MIDI-Keyboard. "Foot"controller because mainly I`m a guitarist and it`s not that easy to play guitar and in the same moment to press a keyboard key (looks kinda funny).

Searching the web I found several MIDI-Footcontrollers:
- FCB1010 by Behringer
- FC200 by Roland
- MF-1 & 2 by Nobels Electronic

Does anyone have any experiences with those MIDI-Controllers?
Is LIVE able to recieve MIDI sent by one of those Controllers? Anything that should be considered?

Thanks in advance, greetings from Munich, Germany

notoric

muser · Post by **muser** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 1:48 am

While I haven't used the exact models you mentioned, I'm currently using an ART X-15 MIDI foot controller with Live. I'm also a guitarist (among other things) and this setup works very well for me. You shouldn't have any problems with any of the controllers you mentioned. Live does a very good job of "learning" the MIDI input signals of any kind of MIDI controller you connect to it. Before you buy though, I would download a manual and have a look at the MIDI specifications. If all the foot controller does is send MIDI Program Change codes, that might be a problem. I haven't been able to use Program Change codes with Live. Anyone else who knows any different, please tell us. Any other kind of MIDI codes such as CC etc. will work with Live, and any controller that can send these codes will work (and most controllers should be able to send more than one kind of MIDI code). Good luck.

Tommy Genes · Post by **Tommy Genes** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 3:16 pm

muser wrote:I'm currently using an ART X-15 MIDI foot controller with Live.

I'm interested to hear you say this. I have an ART X-15 as well as a Digitech PMC-10 - truly the mack daddy of programmable foot controlers. (@notoric: you might try to find a PMC-10 on the used market if you can, but be warned, they are rare, and expensive when you can find them.)

Since the PMC-10 is, erm, somewhat delicate, I'd like to be able to gig with the X-15 instead. But the X-15 can not send MIDI NOTE messages, and I thought Live clips could only be triggered via notes.

Can Live V2 clips respond to CC on/off as well? Could V1.X do this but I was just clueless? Or are you using something like MIDIOx to map CC messages to notes?

-- T. G. --

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 8:52 pm

Tommy Genes wrote:
muser wrote:I'm currently using an ART X-15 MIDI foot controller with Live.
I'm interested to hear you say this. I have an ART X-15 as well as a Digitech PMC-10 - truly the mack daddy of programmable foot controlers. (@notoric: you might try to find a PMC-10 on the used market if you can, but be warned, they are rare, and expensive when you can find them.)

Since the PMC-10 is, erm, somewhat delicate, I'd like to be able to gig with the X-15 instead. But the X-15 can not send MIDI NOTE messages, and I thought Live clips could only be triggered via notes.

Can Live V2 clips respond to CC on/off as well? Could V1.X do this but I was just clueless? Or are you using something like MIDIOx to map CC messages to notes?

-- T. G. --

Hi Tommy,

I've gigged with the X-15 and it's rock solid, which is something I'm extremely grateful for. I'd definitely recommend it for live work.

You're right in saying the X-15 cannot send MIDI Note messages of either kind (On or Off). However, Live 2 (I don't know about 1.x) does respond to Control Change messages.

Make sure your X-15 is in Effects Mode. Put Live into MIDI learning mode (Command-M on a Mac) and click on a control in Live that you wish to program. Then, activate any of the buttons or pedals. Live will automatically sense the Control Change messages and map them.

The only inconvenience you'd have to deal with is that since in effects mode each numbered button on the X-15 has both On and Off states, you have to press each button twice when you want to do anything in order to return it to Off position after activating it.

Check out page 5 of your X-15 owner's manual for a great tip on programming the Bypass button, which is the only one that doesn't suffer from the inconvenience mentioned above. I hope this helps, if not you can email me.

muser · Post by **muser** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 8:54 pm

Whoops, I forgot to login before posting--the post above is by me, sorry for any confusion.

Tommy Genes · Post by **Tommy Genes** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 1:46 pm

muser wrote:You're right in saying the X-15 cannot send MIDI Note messages of either kind (On or Off). However, Live 2 (I don't know about 1.x) does respond to Control Change messages.

I haven't received my boxed copy of V2 yet, so I didn't know this. It's good to hear, though.

muser wrote:The only inconvenience you'd have to deal with is that since in effects mode each numbered button on the X-15 has both On and Off states, you have to press each button twice when you want to do anything in order to return it to Off position after activating it.

Ah, now I remember. I had looked into MIDI mapping before, but it might have been this PUSH ON/PUSH OFF issue that kept me from looking into it further. Maybe I'll take it up again, especially considering the following...

muser wrote:Check out page 5 of your X-15 owner's manual for a great tip on programming the Bypass button, which is the only one that doesn't suffer from the inconvenience mentioned above.

-- T. G. --

Kerrydan · Post by **Kerrydan** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:13 pm

Hi Tommy, (et al.)

Another solution you could consider, if your foot pedal doesn't send the right kind of MIDI messages, is this little app:
Bome's MIDI Translator --> http://www.bome.com/

It's postcardware, so might as well be free.

In a nutshell, you can pipe MIDI in and out of it using virtual MIDI cables (like Hubi's or MIDIYoke), and program it to translate any incoming MIDI message into any other type of MIDI message, with all the modifications you could desire.

Use it to translate that Program Change into a CC, for example, or even a MIDI note.

Hope this helps,
-Kerrydan
(who wishes he owned a MIDI pedal)

notoric · Post by **notoric** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 8:53 pm

Hi everybody,

thanks to everyone for your ideas and support

Besides from the generic MIDI-Footcontrollers there seems to be another possibility: Bass-Footcontroller used for Organs. Have a glance at:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/detail ... did=PK%2D7

Does anyone have experience with that?

Greetings from Munich, Germany

notoric

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 3:09 pm

I recently purchased the - FCB1010 by Behringer and am very pleased. You can assign the buttons for MIDI notes or program changes.

I am a drummer and am using it for scene changes. It came out of the box transmitting program change, but with a little help from the manual, I was able to change each of pedals to send different midi notes. Then you just go through the usual midi assignment through Live.

BTW... If you are using OSX and a variety of MIDI devices, try MIDI monitor. It gives realtime data of what coremidi data both in and out. For a MIDI moron like me, it helps me tremendously when setting up devices showing what midi signal, note, channel, etc. Save TONS of time.

http://www.snoize.com/[/url]

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 5:25 pm

[quote="Anonymous"]...
It came out of the box transmitting program change, but with a little help from the manual, I was able to change each of pedals to send different midi notes. ...
quote]

That seems to be the most interesting part, because reading the manual it appeared as if only two of the footswitches were able to send midi-note-messages. But, reading your statement, the Behringer reallys seems to be best choice (at least for me...)

Thanks a lot, guest.
But how about experiences with the topic I wrote in my last thread? Anyone?

Greetings, notoric

notoric · Post by **notoric** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 5:26 pm

Somehow the Quote-Thing didn`t work properly...

notoric

Tommy Genes · Post by **Tommy Genes** » Sun Feb 02, 2003 3:40 am

notoric wrote:Besides from the generic MIDI-Footcontrollers there seems to be another possibility: Bass-Footcontroller used for Organs. Have a glance at:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/detail ... did=PK%2D7

Does anyone have experience with that?

I'm afraid I don't have any experience to offer, but if you are looking at the Roland organ pedal route, you might also check this one out. It seems even more flexible.

http://www.rolandus.com/products/detail ... rodID=PK-5

-- T. G. --

sinceare · Post by **sinceare** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 2:45 pm

okay, I have the Roland Pk-5 midi foot controller and would like to know how to make the PK-5 start and stop the transport controls on Live or any other sequencing software like DP4. The PK-5 can send Cc (control change) messages. I just don't know how to set this up in the Live software. I know this post seems kinda vauge. But basically what I want to do is start and stop my different sequences or songs and also be able to select a different sequence all using the foot controller. I am an acoustic guitar player and this would be very useful in live gig situations.

thanks in advance

eisnein · Post by **eisnein** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 3:22 pm

hello-

i am a bassplayer and i have been using the Berhinger FCB1010 for a couple of years for controlling various programs and hardware and find it to be wonderful. Rock solid contruction and easy to program.

i think someone said it already, but there are a ton of midi conversion utility programs out there (most shareware) that convert CC or anything else to note on/off.

the only problem is finding enough time to sit down and explore all the different possiblities of live with a foot controller!

good luck and have fun.

elijah

The Hulk · Post by **The Hulk** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 3:38 pm

Yea, FCB1010 is the way to go. Cheap and when it finally clicks, easy to program. I know i was one of the culprits who just couldn't figure the thing out. Once you understand all the aspects of what MIDI is and does the thing is a synch to program.

Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Re: Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Re: Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Re: Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Re: Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Re: Using MIDI-Footcontroller with LIVE?

Behringer Foot controller

Re: Behringer Foot controller

Can Roland PK-5 start and stop Live or other sequencer?