Any tips on gigging without a foot controller?

guitarjim

guitarjim

Experienced
Hey guys, my Axe-FX arrives on Tuesday and I'm on the wait list for an MFC. I don't want to have to wait until the MFC comes in before I can start gigging with the Axe because I'm sure my POD HD500 is going to sound woefully inadequate once I get my settings together on the Axe. Any tips on gigging with the Axe until the MFC comes in. I did get a couple of Boss pedals already and I have a small Midi Mate here.

Thanks for any advice you have.
 
I think some people here have used the HD 500 as a foot controller for the Axe. Mebee take a look in to that.
 
I presume you use the Midi Mate or some sort of midi control with the POD? You should still be able to do that with the Axe - even if you just use the thru midi connection on the POD and keep it in the rack with the Axe without using the outs from the POD (if they mate the offspring could be worth a fortune :) ).

The Axe is no different than all the other midi controllable units around as far as Midi PC messages go and will accept any Midi Controller so you'll be able to at the very least set up preset changing to keep you gigging while you wait for your MFC.
 
Boss foot switches?
Connect them to the rear and configure them in I/O > Pedal.
Easy way to switch between presets.
 
I'm in the same boat. Here's what I've been doing:

1) Using scenes. If I need to switch between different effects or amps, I'll save a few scenes in a preset. I still have to reach over and turn the "A" knob, but it works well enough for now.
2) If I don't need an expression pedal to control anything for a song, but need more immediate sound changes (like switching between clean and distortion), I plug in a piano sustain pedal from my keyboard, save two patches back to back, and set up the pedal to change patches between those two (i.e., limit the range start on patch 13 and end on patch 14, for example).
3) Using an analog volume pedal. I'm using an Ernie Pall volume pedal so I can use the Axe pedal jack for expression or patch changes.
 
There was a patch on the L6 patch exchange site that was for using an HD500 as a controller for the Axe FX
 
Also, there's a program I found on the forums here that's a virtual MIDI pedal board that will control the Axe via USB. You can switch patches easily and have up to four controllers for turning effects on or off. If you can have your laptop at ready disposal on stage, this could also be useful in conjunction with a physical expression pedal.
 
Thanks so much for the help. Looks like I have a number of options so that I can start using the Axe live right away. I hope those MFCs come in soon.
 
Poparad said:
I'm in the same boat. Here's what I've been doing:

1) Using scenes. If I need to switch between different effects or amps, I'll save a few scenes in a preset. I still have to reach over and turn the "A" knob, but it works well enough for now.
2) If I don't need an expression pedal to control anything for a song, but need more immediate sound changes (like switching between clean and distortion), I plug in a piano sustain pedal from my keyboard, save two patches back to back, and set up the pedal to change patches between those two (i.e., limit the range start on patch 13 and end on patch 14, for example).
Click to expand...

^
This works for me too while I wait for my MFC.

Also, check out this thread on using Line6 pedals to control the Axe:
http://forum.fractalaudio.com/other-midi-controllers/31044-pod-x3-live-midi-controller-axefx-questions.html
 
I looked through MIDImate manual. You could definitely set it up old school meaning with 5 presets on buttons 0-4 and specific effects on/off on buttons 5-9. Scenes won't work completely, because the control change messages only send values of 0 and 127 which correspond to scenes 1 and 8. You could use that to set up a kind of super x/y switch on one of the effects buttons.
 
Any tips on gigging without a foot controller?

Sure, couple fast midgets with work gloves. Done.
 
I use my HD500 as a controller for the Axe and it works fine. Certainly I want the MFC but until then I have relatively few complaints because its super easy to program and I'm a midi noob. I can use it for either scenes or preset changes.
 
barhrecords said:
I've done some gigs with one preset per song and no footswitch.

Use the gtr pickup selector, volume and tone controls and thats it.

Richard
Click to expand...

I'm actually doing that more and more these days. The Axe is so responsive to the volume knob that I spend quite a bit of time on my "crunch" channel and just clean it up using the volume knob. For instance, when we play "Tomorrow" by Silverchair, the other guitarist goes to clean for the verses and I clean up my crunch with the volume to just do the chord changes in the background. Then I get to swell up the distortion for the pre-chorus. There are probably 20 examples of this during a full bar show.
 
Sidivan said:
I'm actually doing that more and more these days. The Axe is so responsive to the volume knob that I spend quite a bit of time on my "crunch" channel and just clean it up using the volume knob. For instance, when we play "Tomorrow" by Silverchair, the other guitarist goes to clean for the verses and I clean up my crunch with the volume to just do the chord changes in the background. Then I get to swell up the distortion for the pre-chorus. There are probably 20 examples of this during a full bar show.
Click to expand...

I know its just psychological, but to me, it feels more bad @ss to "power up" using the gtr volume vs. hitting a footswitch.
 
When I first got my Axe fx, I couldn't afford the foot switch for it so I used a tech 21 midi mouse - it allows me to step up and down through the presets zero through 128 and it works like a charm.

It works with a standard five pin midi cable that can be run almost any length and runs on a nine volt battery so you don't need to worry about power either.

Now that I am talking about this, I think I am going to set up a small pedalboard with two expression pedals and the Midi mouse and I might start to just use that instead of my MFC 101........


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD and dragon dictation
 
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