Connect Two MFC101 in Serie

rockhound252

rockhound252

Inspired
Hi all. I would like to know if it's possible to connect two MFC101 in serie for my sound engineer. I would like he was capable to control the MFC101 offstage, There's any option to do that?

Thanks for advance
 
I've never heard of anyone doing this. The MFC is primarily programmed to interface with the Axe Fx.

You could probably connect 2 MFC midi Out to a midi merge box and then connect that to the Axe Fx... Or connect one MFC with FASLink and Another with midi.

However, I don't think the two MFCs would stay in sync.

@Admin M@ could probably best advise on this.
 
That is a good question. I would think you could use faslink for the one you want the most control with and use total sync on that MFC. Then connect the other using midi mode not total sync, midi out of that MFC to midi in on the AFX. Don't know why that wouldn't work. You should also be able to use all the external expression pedals providing you aren't making adjustments on both at the same time. Quite a bit more setup would need to be done on the MFC connecting via midi.
 
unix-guy said:
I've never heard of anyone doing this.
Click to expand...

I know some artists who do this, especially the ones who roam around on stage. They can't all make it back in time to their controllers in time, so their guitar techs do double duty by also helping out with the switching. Since Fractal sells a lot of gear to pro artists I can see how this should be a feature for many of them. It's just that most of us here on the forum don't have guitar techs, let alone techs who help out with the switching.
 
clarky said:
would a MIDI hub work with both MFC's set to the same MIDI channel?
Click to expand...
I think you want a merge box, not a hub, because otherwise there could be conflicts between the two MFCs.

But as I mentioned above, I'm not sure how they would stay in sync.
 
They won't be in sync via midi. Hmmm then again I never did try an MFC with AFX II using midi for two way communication. I'm sure there are some threads from years back that cover this.
 
Seems complicated. Don’t know if the Axe would take 2 MFCs at once... but Cliff would know. If I wanted something like that, and it would be nice sometimes to free me up on stage... although I like controlling my own sound while playing. I would want the MFC on stage, then use the pedal inputs on the Axe FX and send those to the sound man to control whatever I need most for him to do... or visa versa. Just a thought.
 
Tom Morris said:
They won't be in sync via midi. Hmmm then again I never did try an MFC with AFX II using midi for two way communication. I'm sure there are some threads from years back that cover this.
Click to expand...

I'm no MIDI guru but I thought that if you connect a bunch of devices to a hub, if one device is transmitting stuff on a given channel, the other devices on the same channel will listen and react to it..

so with keys I could play a mother-keyboard on chan1 and have 2 synths also on chan1.. the synths will both play the notes and react to the controllers and program changes

thinking about the Axe..
if the Axe is on chan1 and I have an MFC on chan1 and a DAW on chan1, both the DAW and the MFC can tell the Axe to do stuff.
I thought [maybe wrongly] that MIDI is a fire and forget way of messaging.. so devices on the same channel do not 'know' about each other, they just react to messages received..
it a device is spitting out MTC [timing], I don't think there's a handshake. the other devices configured to listen to MTC will simply clock to that source. The source don't know what's out there listening to it, it just pumps out MTC.

the one thing that's different in the Axe though is that I don't think [you may want to check with FAS] that the Axe likes doing MIDI via the MIDI socket and the Ethernet socket at the same time. I think it's one or the other.
so for 2 MFC's to work with one Axe, you'd need to use the MIDI socket.

I'm now also wondering if a hub is even needed.
If the MFC and is actually an OUT/THRU you may even be able to make a chain [the Axe MIDI out is actually an OUT/THRU]
Axe out -> MFC1 in / MFC1 out -> MFC2 in / MFC2 out -> Axe in
I have a funny little memory saying that you don't really need a hub until your chain reaches between 6 and 8 MIDI devices on the same circuit before delays become noticeable.
in the setup above [I'm theorising and so possibly talking crap.. lol] a MIDI CC to change scene for example from MFC1 would take this path: MFC1 out -> MFC2 in / MFC2 out -> Axe in
the same message from MFC2 would go directly to the Axe
the Axe will have no idea which device sent the message, only that it received a CC message to change scene on the MIDI channel that it's listening to.
Note though [to restate this] the MIDI out on the MFC must be an out/thru, if it is not then a MIDI hub will be needed
 
clarky said:
I'm no MIDI guru but I thought that if you connect a bunch of devices to a hub, if one device is transmitting stuff on a given channel, the other devices on the same channel will listen and react to it..

so with keys I could play a mother-keyboard on chan1 and have 2 synths also on chan1.. the synths will both play the notes and react to the controllers and program changes

thinking about the Axe..
if the Axe is on chan1 and I have an MFC on chan1 and a DAW on chan1, both the DAW and the MFC can tell the Axe to do stuff.
I thought [maybe wrongly] that MIDI is a fire and forget way of messaging.. so devices on the same channel do not 'know' about each other, they just react to messages received..
it a device is spitting out MTC [timing], I don't think there's a handshake. the other devices configured to listen to MTC will simply clock to that source. The source don't know what's out there listening to it, it just pumps out MTC.

the one thing that's different in the Axe though is that I don't think [you may want to check with FAS] that the Axe likes doing MIDI via the MIDI socket and the Ethernet socket at the same time. I think it's one or the other.
so for 2 MFC's to work with one Axe, you'd need to use the MIDI socket.

I'm now also wondering if a hub is even needed.
If the MFC and is actually an OUT/THRU you may even be able to make a chain [the Axe MIDI out is actually an OUT/THRU]
Axe out -> MFC1 in / MFC1 out -> MFC2 in / MFC2 out -> Axe in
I have a funny little memory saying that you don't really need a hub until your chain reaches between 6 and 8 MIDI devices on the same circuit before delays become noticeable.
in the setup above [I'm theorising and so possibly talking crap.. lol] a MIDI CC to change scene for example from MFC1 would take this path: MFC1 out -> MFC2 in / MFC2 out -> Axe in
the same message from MFC2 would go directly to the Axe
the Axe will have no idea which device sent the message, only that it received a CC message to change scene on the MIDI channel that it's listening to.
Note though [to restate this] the MIDI out on the MFC must be an out/thru, if it is not then a MIDI hub will be needed
Click to expand...
I don't know if that will work because one MFC will send OUTPUT intended for the Axe Fx to the other MFC as well.... And I don't think the other MFC will like that ;)
 
unix-guy said:
I don't know if that will work because one MFC will send OUTPUT intended for the Axe Fx to the other MFC as well.... And I don't think the other MFC will like that ;)
Click to expand...
I think a reasonable experiment would be:

Axe-II / MFC and DAW all together..
get the DAW to spit out MIDI.. PGM change, MIDI CC to change scenes and essentially to wiggle the XP's via a DAW
in principle that'd be no different to having multiple MIDI controllers..

this prevents the MFC from reacting to incoming PGM change messages
EDIT : MIDI : PAGE (4x)

MFC-101 MIDI Receive (“Rx”) Channel is used to specify the channel on which the MFC-101 will respond to MIDI program change messages received at its MIDI IN port, if this feature is enabled (see below)

-------

the bit that could get a bit weird is if an XP connected to the MFC is heel down, a different MIDI controller wiggles its equivalent XP.. to somewhere not heel down.. then when the guitarist wiggles his own XP there would be a sudden jump in the CC value and so prevent smooth tone transition changes..
I guess the solution could be something like..
2 MFC's but the specific functionality used is preplanned by the tech and guitarist whereby:
tech handles preset and scene changes
guitarist handles ad-hoc real-time stuff like XP / XS / punching in/out individual effects
so essentially you plan the performance and divvy up the tasks between guitarist and tech..

If I were playing live with a DAW I imagine I'd do the same..
allow the DAW to switch presets / scenes at specific moments within the song..
but I'd handle XP wiggling for on stage control over the wah, volume pedal, tone morphing etc...
and if she hits fan live.. I can always stomp on any MFC switch and the Axe will react to it.. so I can always override the DAW in real-time
 
Buf if i connect the second MFC to the fisrt MFC midi out wouldn't it work? Voodoo lab's pedalboard works fine with this system... Or another option is connecting the second MFC to the input midi from AXE but i think it's not possible to select both systems simultaneous..
 
MFC doesn't have MIDI thru function. The only thing it responds to at MIDI In is PCs for remote MFC preset selection.
 
Can't do this with an MFC-101. The Axe-Fx III and the FC-X controllers are specifically designed to allow this. ;)
 
rockhound252 said:
Hi all. I would like to know if it's possible to connect two MFC101 in serie for my sound engineer. I would like he was capable to control the MFC101 offstage, There's any option to do that?

Thanks for advance
Click to expand...

I do this every night. Connect the onstage board to the Axe FX via Cat5 or Faslink as usual, then connect the offstage board to the onstage board via midi. There are a few specific settings that need changing to make it solid but yes it works.
 
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