Part 1: Musicomlab EFX MKII Pedal and MIDI Switching System Demo

[weathervisuals]

Excellent video Bryan. I've never used MIDI before. So how many MIDI devices will this version of the MKII (I'm assuming it's version 1) control at one time? Is it two?

I get confused over PC's and CC".

[SuperNoobTroll]

you don't really put your rack on the floor to look like pedals, do you?

[bryanrtyler]

@SuperNoobTroll What do you mean? The pedalboard I used in this video was a rack/pedalboard hybrid that SKB put out many years ago- the SKB PS-100.

[SuperNoobTroll]

@bryanrtyler HAHA that's crazy I had no idea. Must have been from the 80's.

[OhSoInsane]

Hey Great Vid! Just a question, Can you put in a patch that has FX from loops 1-4 AND from loops 5-8 w/o creating them separately and combining them in a different patch (kind of like what you did)

[bryanrtyler]

@OhSoInsane I'm not sure I understand your question- if you're asking if you can combine all 8 loops into a single preset, then yes you can.

[OhSoInsane]

@bryanrtyler Yeah thats what I was asking. Basically, I read somewhere that you could only use effects from loops 1-4 for a preset or loops 5-8. What you did in the video was have one preset using a loop from 1-4 and another one using a loop from 5-8 and then you combined both presets into a third one. So I just wanted to know if creating the first 2 presets were necessary to get that third preset that has any loops between 1-8 turned on

[bryanrtyler]

@OhSoInsane Nope, not necessary. I'm not actually combining two presets to make a third one.  It's the same process to make a preset with any combination of loops- you can't make a preset by combining presets.

[OhSoInsane]

@bryanrtyler Fantastic! That makes me very happy. I am planning to get this unit to do this: Guitar -> In A -> 4 Analog Loops -> Out A -> Input on Amp -> Fx Send on Amp -> In B -> 5th Loop TC Nova System -> Out B -> Amp Return. I hope the device wouldn't color the tone too much with this "4CM-like-looping" setup :P

[OhSoInsane]

@bryanrtyler Have you ever tried this kind of setup? [From my last comment a couple of days ago]

[bryanrtyler]

@OhSoInsane Nope- I used it for more straight-ahead effects switching in front of my amp. Never involved my effects loop or used the amp switching functions, so I can't really comment on that.

[kugelblitz2001]

Great Demo, thanks!

[posiedonpowertrio]

If i were to have a GT-10, GR-20, and Eventide Time Factor, could i hook them all up MIDI and control them all so for the MKii's preset 2 lets say it turns on preset 12 in the GT-10, 3 on the GR-20, and preset 1 on the eventide. Is that how it works?

[bryanrtyler]

@posiedonpowertrio Yes. The latest version can send up to 5 MIDI program changes on up to 5 different channels simultaneously.

[Cyberbob182]

You're saying that we can control 8 pedals at maximum with that controler isn't it ?

Up to 8 different pedals ? Not more ?

[bryanrtyler]

@Cyberbob182 Up to eight different loops, yes. Each loop can contain more than one pedal, but the whole loop will be what turns on and off. So if you have three pedals in one of the loops, it would turn all three on and off, not each one individually.

[Cyberbob182]

@bryanrtyler What ? You mean that you have to make a special circuit ? You can't program the controler to control any pedal individually with another one ? You know, for example pedal 1 and 5 on on first swtich and then pedal 1 and 7 on another one ? You can't control individually 8 pedals which are put together on the same circuit ? oO

[bryanrtyler]

@Cyberbob182 Of course you can- I demonstrate that in the video. There are eight sets of ins and outs- these are called loops. You can stick one or more pedal in each of these eight loops, which can be switched on or off in any combination. Let's say you have a filter pedal and an octave pedal that you always run at the same time. I'm just saying that instead of putting each one in their own loops, you can put them both in one loop, so they always turn on and off together.

[bryanrtyler]

@somaAndi When you hit the switch again, it will go back to your global preset, which you can set to anything- most would choose to have no effects on so you can switch back to a clean sound, but you can have effects set for this global preset as well.

[bryanrtyler]

@somaAndi When you hit the switch again, it will go back to your "global" preset, which you can set to anything (most would choose to have no effects on so you can switch back to a clean sound, but you can have effects set for this global preset as well).

[yongling]

extremely useful vid. :)

[Benayrsty]

What are some other pedals similar to this, but with just the loops/banks feature, and not the midi and other stuff.

[bryanrtyler]

You can't add website addresses to the comments here, so shoot me an email and I'll send you a link to a list of them.

[BehrMartin]

Check out the MOEN GEC434 Looper

ATB Martin

[xyzjohnb]

Can you tell me the difference between a program change and control change? I just bought an EFX MKII but it's not the new version 3.0. So, like yours, it can only send 2 PCs instead of 5. I have three Eventide stompboxes that I would like the MKII to recall patches for. Each of the pedals will be in a loop. I don't know if I can use CCs to recall presets or if I have to use PCs. If I am limited to PCs I have one too many MIDI pedals to be able to control each with a different MIDI channel

[bryanrtyler]

PCs are basically like sending messages to change presets, and CCs are sent to change parameters of those presets, like volume, frequency, etc. Some devices let you use CCs like PCs. The CCs the Musicom sends out are global though, so whatever CC is sent is sent at all times, so you won't be able to use it like a PC. Continued...

[bryanrtyler]

The ver. 1.0 still sends out 2 PCs on 2 channels though, so all you have to do is set two of your Eventides to one MIDI channel, and then set your third Eventide to a different MIDI channel, and then set the Musicom to send out two PCs on one channel and one PC on a different channel (the same one you set your third eventide to). You should be fine.

[xyzjohnb]

However, without having a PC for each MIDI controlled pedal, when I transmit a PC, the two pedals that are on the same channel will change to the the same bank and preset on each pedal depending on the number 0-127 I have set for that preset on the EFX MKII. So if I wanted the two pedals in the signal path at the same time I would have to have the sounds I wanted out of both pedals saved to the the same bank and preset on each pedal correct? Continued...

[xyzjohnb]

For example, if I have the PC1 number set to 59, it is going to call up preset 30:2 on the Eventides on both pedals that are set to the same MIDI channel.  So, I would have to have both sounds I wanted on at the same time to be saved to preset 30:2 on both pedals correct? Thanks for your help.

[bryanrtyler]

Yes- it's not really an issue since all three of them are going to be in their own loops. Just have the Factors you don't want on switched off, and just line up the presets for when you want to run two or three of them simultaneously. Multiple program changes are more beneficial when you're running effects that aren't in loops, because the only way to switch them on and off is with program changes.

[xyzjohnb]

Awesome. Thank you so much for your insight.

[xyzjohnb]

One more question. Say I run all three Factors on a single PC and I have either two or three of them on simultaneously. How do I control which pedal's parameters are changed with the expressoin pedal via the expression pedal out of the EFX MKII?

[bryanrtyler]

I assume the exp. pedal out is limited to a single channel, so whatever parameters on either Factor that are set to the same channel as the exp. pedal will be what's changed (meaning if the exp. pedal is set to CC channel 7, it will change both pedals for whatever parameter is set on channel 7 for each of them). Using one pedal to send out multiple CCs (so it can be hooked up to multiple pedals and control one, the other, or both) is a pretty advanced MIDI function that not many units have.

[xyzjohnb]

So the CCs are what is utilized to use the expression pedal out via the EFX MKII? I think have a grasp on how to set up and program all the PCs, but I am confused as to how I use the expression pedal with the Musicom via the CCs. If you can, please try and give me an example of how I would program a preset on the EFX MKII to use the expression pedal with one of the Factor pedals (which are in loops 5, 6, and 7). Thanks again!

[bryanrtyler]

I never really used the exp. out on it, but I believe it was as simple as setting the CC channel on the EPL (expression pedal) out, and then selecting the same CC channel on your effect. The CC settings are global, so you wouldn't program anything different with your presets.

[xyzjohnb]

Okay, but the Musicom manual also tells me to set an EPL number 0-127. And I see nowhere in the Eventide manual how to set up a CC channel. The only thing I see is how to set the MIDI receive and transmit channels. I thought those would correspond only to the PC channel, but maybe it is for both the PC and CC. So as far as setting an EPL number, how would you guess that works? From what I read, I thought that you set your parameters on a Factor pedal with the expression pedal in CONTINUED..

[xyzjohnb]

the heel down position and then put the expression pedal in the toe down position and change whatever parameters you wanted and saved the preset. Then with the heel all the way down the CC number was 0 and toe all the way down was 127. But the Musicom wants me to set an EPL number. So I'm just really baffled as to how I run the expression pedal to control the Factor pedals via the Musicom.

[bryanrtyler]

The manual that came with mine (v. 1.0) has no mention of setting anything other than the CC channel- you may be looking at a newer manual than the one I have. I'm not sure the purpose of setting an EPL number- perhaps it is to set the minimum value of the sweep? Like if you set it to 40, the range of CC values the pedal sends out would be 40-127? I'm not sure. The Musicom builder has responded to a couple of emails I sent him in the past- I'd suggest shooting him a message to find out.

[scabs777]

how do you handle tap tempo with rig? If you don't have one how could you implement one?

[bryanrtyler]

I don't use a tap tempo currently. I have the option of running one straight into my Boss VF-1 (the unit I use for delay/modulation) if I needed one.

[scabs777]

do you know if it's possible to assign one of the switches a tap tempo function on the mk2?

[mudhooker]

im have too many questions..Im lost..all I hear is clicking.

[Paulg2uk]

Hi,

Great demo. I'm really interested in this product. I just wondered I'm using an RJM amp gizmo midi switcher at the moment to change channels on my amp along with my tc nova system and some stomp boxes. Can the Musicomlab EFX MKII control all of this and switch my amp channels too?

Many Thanks

Paul

[bryanrtyler]

It should do all of that fine. I haven't personally done any of the amp channel switching as I haven't had the need, so I would contact either RockBox (the US distributor) or Musicomlab if you want more info on how that function works.

[bscfo1]

Thanks! Great demo. I just found this product on a forum, I've never heard of it, but it seems perfect for me. I have a 6 channel guitar amp that use MIDI for switching channels. Can the EFX MKII switch all channels as saved patches along with all of my effects? Thanks.

[bryanrtyler]

Depends- does it take MIDI program changes to switch channels, or does it take MIDI control changes to switch them? If it uses program changes, then yes, you can save them in patches with all of the effects.