MP-201 as MIDI Pedal

[PHC]

I was going to buy a wah pedal for my LP, but since I'm thinking of getting a MP-201 in the near future I was wondering if MP-201 sends pedal position as midi CC so I can run a wah emulation in Logic?

[Mooguitar]

Yes you can send out any CC# as continuous info from the MP-201 footpedal, or from one of the four switches, toggled or latched.

[JES]

If I can piggypack, is there a way to program the buttons to have "banks" of MIDI messages, so that I could, say, arm different tracks in Live or trigger different events in the looper? Thanks.

[Mooguitar]

Hola.

First off, I have firmware 1.01, So -- you'd wanna research if the newest software goes further with some new functions, including a bunch that you can do sending MIDI into the MP-201. COnversion of Midi notes to CV, envelopes etc

http://www.moogmusic.com/controllers/?s ... t_id=21141

Each footswitch can be one of the following:
GATE (on/off momentary or latched)
LFO (on/off, you choose the waveform , freq etc)
EXPRESSION (switch enables the footpedal, which acts as a normal or inverted expression pedal)

Engaging that footswitch can also send AT THE SAME TIME one Program change, one CC# value, and bank change info, plus toggle the associated 1/4" jack

You have four of these footswitches that make up EACH patch - so simply going from say, PATCH 3 to PATCH 4 would get you four CC events and four PC# events at once.

So if I understand your question correctly, excuse me if I don't but --- YES, you could set up consecutive "patches" , each with all four switches "on", which each would send out FOUR CC#s, and FOUR program changes, all on the same MIDI channel.

But not stuff like NOTE ON, play/stop etc. What kind of MIDI messages do you need to send into your Ableton?? and how many at once.?

[JES]

Thanks for the reply. Ableton has MIDI learn, so it could be as simple as each of the 4 pedals being CC 1-4, and then CC5-8, etc, and assigning a variety of continuous values to the pedal in some situations. Basically, could I get it to behave a little like the Tech21 MIDI Moose, where there are simply banks of numbers? Is there software to program this (or do you use some kind of sysex editor?) or is it done in the pedal? the manual is really detailed, but what I'm looking for is actually a much simpler functionality. The reason I'm interested in this pedal when I could get something much cheaper is that I ALSO have a bunch of CV controlled pedals (Moog and others) and so it would be great to have MIDI foot control, MIDI to CV conversion and CV control all in one place. But I might be better off having different pedals for different purposes. . . .

[Mooguitar]

Hmm good questions.

1. I also love that you have the 4 CV outs. that really keeps this pedal very unique. BTW I use one of the outs to switch channels on a marshall amp. so I bet there are 100 uses for them..

2. AFAIK the Midi MOOSe just sends program change, right?? (I have a MIDI mouse, was actually just using THAT to switch patches on a device also connected to the MP201-- but NOT affect the 201. another useful trick for it)

So--you could program the MP201 and then just press one switch each to go UP or DOWN, sequentially.

The difference with the MOOSE, and a bummer on the 201, is that on the MOOSE/MOUSE or others you could go from say, program 1 to program 5 immediately. On the 201-- you MUST jump thru 1,2,3,4 and then land on 5. So - -workable but I do find that a limiting thing on some projects. Probably not cool to plug other products here but it;s the real world.. you might wanna compare your needs with the skill set of the ROland FC-300 or the similar Behringer midi pedal, both with 2 exp pedals, and prog'ble to send out midi notes, stop/start, MULTIPLE CC#s per switch etc . BUT NO CV, NO MIDI to CV, etc.

So -- I use both, depends on the usage I need. Ciao!

[JES]

Thanks. You're right. The Moose wouldn't work with Live -- it's not program changes that are needed but note change or CC information. In any event, if I can't program banks of ccs or note changes easily in the 201, I would probably be better off with something else for controlling Live.

[Mooguitar]

Stand by, you never know what is in the next Software upgrade.

But adding more CC#s seems like a real easy thing to do.

drag your laptop into a store and give it a try.