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Midi footswitch question

NolefinityNolefinity
in Bugs
Hi, I’m considering getting a basic footswitch like the IK Blueboard. I’d love more switches but don’t want to pay a bunch.

Can someone tell me what options I have? Since that only has four buttons, I’m hoping that I could have:

1. One that starts recording in the next available loop slot (so after group one track one, if I click it again, it would go to group one track 2)

2. Next group (goes to next group with tracks on it), then, after this, if I hit the first button above, it would record track 1 in that group and so on.

3. Previous group

4. Start/stop song


Thoughts?

Comments

  • JackJack
    edited April 2020

    @Nolefinity said:
    Hi, I’m considering getting a basic footswitch like the IK Blueboard. I’d love more switches but don’t want to pay a bunch.

    Can someone tell me what options I have? Since that only has four buttons, I’m hoping that I could have:

    1. One that starts recording in the next available loop slot (so after group one track one, if I click it again, it would go to group one track 2)

    2. Next group (goes to next group with tracks on it), then, after this, if I hit the first button above, it would record track 1 in that group and so on.

    3. Previous group

    4. Start/stop song


    Thoughts?

    Hi,

    Have you looked into the Behringer FCB1010? Lots of pedals. It's wired midi so you would need a midi to usb and camera connection kit. If you want it to be wireless then it works great with the Yamaha BT01 Bluetooth MIDI adapter.

    The above setup is possible, you will need to use the "Record then Select Next" MIDI function in GTL. Make sure you set the "Confine to" option to "Selected Group" when setting it up. This will keep the recordings confined to the group you have selected.

    Cheers

  • NolefinityNolefinity
    Awesome answer, Jack. Thank you! Sounds like so much is possible in this app if you just keep digging.

    That’s really helpful.

    And about your first recommendation ... i’m open to getting the FCB1010, but it’s sort of surprising to me how expensive these foot pedals are and how you go from four buttons for $100 all the way up to like 15 buttons. No one makes an eight button one? I know that FCB is only 180, but it is also just sort of big and dated looking. The nektar one for about 230 is much more stylish.

    Just to help with my decision… Could you tell me what you’ve programmed all those FCB buttons to do?

    I assume things like ...

    Start record
    Stop record
    Overdubs
    Pan left
    Pan right
    Next track
    Next group
    Previous group
    Reverb off
    Track one in current group
    Track two in current group
    Etc

    And what about the expression pedals. Do those do anything on it?

    Thanks again!
  • JackJack
    edited April 2020
    Yep almost exactly as you suggested. I have the first for buttons on the bottom row programmed to record/overdub loops 1-4 in the selected group. Play/stop the group is button 5. Then the top row are global commands like multiply clock, play/stop all, select next/previous group etc.
  • NolefinityNolefinity
    Amazing, thank you so much. And thanks for an amazing app. I just made my first song, and it turned out incredible… Blending my fender Stratocaster, my novation keyboard and their groovebox app for the synth, and your drums. Tons of layers, tons of fun. I expect to post a video tomorrow.

    Appreciate it!
  • JackJack

    :) Amazing!

  • dubbylabbydubbylabby
    Blueboard has 4 footswitches+external inputs so 6.

    There is a gap as you pointed. I had considered build something and make the build blog but covid (and other projects) get in between...

  • mpickmpick

    Hello !

    Would it be possible to assign actions to pedal double-taps, as in a hardware looper (or Quantiloop) ?

    The present implementation is already really nice, I appreciate the flexibility and little well-thought shortcuts.

    I don’t really understand the « step » actions though, do they require two pedal presses or it’s just two actions sent rapidly one after the other ? (If so, at what pace ?) What would be a usage example ?

    Maybe off-topic, but I did not see where I could ask that : I would appreciate if you could invite me to the beta, as I would like to use the auto-tempo from the first loop :-)

    Thanks !

  • JackJack
    edited May 2020
    Hi @mpick,

    There’s no double tap but you can assign hold commands.

    The step actions are experimental. You can trigger up to 10 MIDI functions simultaneously or step through them in sequence, each tap triggering the next function.

    Thanks for offering to join the beta program, could you message me your email and I’ll send over the invite.

    Cheers
  • SimonSomeoneSimonSomeone

    In my set up I have 12 buttons assigned to GTL, out of a board I 'made' with 16 buttons. it's basically a Korg Nanopad encased in MDF.

    1. record/play master track loop 1 (for a guitar percussion track, often to set the tempo)
    2. record loop 1 group 1
    3. record loop 1 next group
    4. record loop 2 group 1
    5. record loop 2 next group
      (this means i can record a rhythm guitar loop for say pattern A using button 2, move straight to rhythm guitar for pattern B and pattern C using button 3 each time. Then button 4 record a bass part for Pattern A, and move straight to doing the same for pattern 2 and 3 using button 5. So it's a way of going in layers, horizontally you could say, for 2 or more patterns. Hitting button 2 will take me back to playing pattern 1)
    6. Record/play selected loop. this will exit recording on whatever loop I'm in and play it, or alternatively go into record on any selected loop
    7. play/stop group 1
    8. play/stop group 2
    9. play/stop group 3
    10. previous group
    11. next group
    12. next loop. These last 3 for navigation.

    I also got a bluetooth keyboard for other commands like delete, reset, play stop, soloing etc.

    Here's a pic of the pedal board if you're interested
    https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/comment/751325#Comment_751325

  • joshjosh

    What about the MeloAudio Midi Commander? 10 buttons for 150$. And it looks really cool.

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33016075193.html

  • SlimbeauxSlimbeaux

    @josh said:
    What about the MeloAudio Midi Commander? 10 buttons for 150$. And it looks really cool.

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33016075193.html

    I had one but returned it. It is not really a midi controller; the buttons "bounced" By that I mean if you pressed the button it was possible for the switch to actuate 2 or three times; sending multiple messages.

    I have a Nektar Pacer Pedal board. It has ten switches but I keep two of them to go up and down the presets. I am just learning GTL so I have one preset set for group commands and a second preset for loop commands. You can page through with the up/down switches or with the preset switch you can pick the preset you want. 24 presets in all.

    Slim

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