Anyone use this expression pedal with the Axe?

I bought one and I'll let you know what I think when I receive it this week. I have high hopes - since I am using the Rocktron Hex controller and I have several issues with it - mainly that I like to turn stuff off with a toe down switch like a regular wah pedal and also I can not get used to having only 2/3 use of the pedal sweep. I have never been able to get full pedal range out of the Hex controller and I am hoping that this pedal with the switch will remedy that issue.
 
spakuloid said:
I bought one and I'll let you know what I think when I receive it this week. I have high hopes - since I am using the Rocktron Hex controller and I have several issues with it - mainly that I like to turn stuff off with a toe down switch like a regular wah pedal and also I can not get used to having only 2/3 use of the pedal sweep. I have never been able to get full pedal range out of the Hex controller and I am hoping that this pedal with the switch will remedy that issue.
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Great thanks Spak. id love to know because i want to order one too. what are you using it with? Id be using it with a Midimate. Hopefully plugging directly into the midimate and using it that way. insted of running another cord to the back of the Axe. I asked him about the midimate and he said it should work fine with it.
 
Just keep in mind that the Midimate only supports one external controller; this type of pedal actually needs two controller inputs - one for the pedal and one for the switch.

You can still operate it as pedal only (or switch only!) though into the Midimate, or have full use by running one cable to the MM and one to the AxeFx, or by running both cables into the Axe instead.

Another possibility is to make a single cable up with 1 stereo connector and 1 mono connector on each end. This way you can have one single cable that carries both the switch signal and the expression signal back to the Axe. You'll need some sort of 5-conductor cable for this... StarQuad type mic cable works well (although a bit fiddly to work with and you need a multimeter to ensure you've picked matching wires at each end!) This is probably the neatest solution as the Midimate on it's own just can't accept more than one controller.

:cool:

Chris
 
Midi Mate for now - and yeah - I am aware that the stereo cable goes to the pedal input on the midi mate and I will run a regular mono cable back to the Axe FX for the switch. If we don't get an update on the MFC controller in the next week or so I'll probably have to buy a Liquid Foot because the Midi Mate is not cutting it for me.
 
Hi thanks all for the info. i was just going to use it as a wah for now anyway, going into the Midimate. What would you use the latch part of the pedal for? turning another effect on and off?
 
I'm using it to turn on and off the Wah - or whatever it is programmed to be (CC) per patch. I can't get the full sweep of the pedal using auto-engage. the whole bottom part of the sweep is missing - it is basically half a pedal - hopefully the switch alleviates that. Also I like off to be off - not accidentally hit on by shaking or bumping.
 
No - I've got a Hex and a Roland Midi Controller - and they both lose the bottom of the pedal sweep to varying degrees running into the Midi Mate.
 
Have you tried the pedal directly into the back of the AxeFX, just to see if it'll work that way? If it does, then it's a calibration issue with the Midimate. If it doesn't, then the pedal itself has issues.
 
Thanks Spak. Ya thats how i would like to use it as well. probably not auto engage, but with the switch. Let me know what you think i want to get one asap.

Todd
 
Another way to check the calibration with the Midimate...

- go into controller edit
- go to PEDL and make a note of the setting (as you'll need to come back to this when you finish)
- move the pedal. You should see it move from 0-127
- take the setting back to the one you noted above and exit from edit mode

This simply shows that the pedal is working ok into the Midimate, although there's no actual way to calibrate with the Midimate the way the Axe can.

It will also give you a very good indication of any wierd behaviour associated with the tip/ring connectors on the stereo cable needing to be reversed. (Which is actually a good thing to check anyway in cases like this as it's a fairly common problem).

Chris
 
So I received the pedal today and I am happy with it - great work - well put together- solid - THOUGH I do not know how to configure it properly with the midi mate and Axe. No matter how I set it up I get auto engage action and switch does nothing OR I get a switch on/off and no wah action - just set in one place. So some part in the midi set up chain is missing.

I have the Stereo cable from PEDAL OUT into the Midi mate.

I have a mono cable from SWITCH OUT (on pedal) into PEDAL 1 (on the Axe).

I turned off auto engage feature in the WAH block and have SOURCE set to EXTERNAL 1

PEDAL 1 is set to LATCHING on Pedal 1 Type page in Axe I/O

Wahwah1 bypass is set to PEDAL 1 in the axe I/O

Pedal CONTROLLER ASSIGNMENT (midi mate) is set to 10

RATE is set to 3 (Midi Mate)

Midi mate Pedal CC sweep is 0 -124 - not - 0 - 127 but I can't imagine that has anything to do with this.

When I sweep the pedal - there is definitely a Midi Message going to the Axe - but the Modifier on the Wah page is not moving.

With this setup the Switch turns the Wah off and on - but no pedal sweep.

What am I missing?
 
Couple of things to check:

- On the Axe IO menu, check that EXTERNAL1 is picking up from 10 (i.e. the controller number you've used above). You might also be able to get it to learn, but I'm away from the Axe at the moment and I can't remember the steps.

- On the Midimate, in edit and under the Midi menu, go to 'PEDC' and check that this has got a midi channel associated with it (preferably the same midi channel you use for everything else on the Midimate).

You should be there then! The 0-124 reading is a good sign and actually pretty good for the rack and pinion type pedals.

Chris
 
That was it. EXTERNAL 1 was set to PEDAL 1 - so when I switched it to 10 - everything works perfectly now.

Thank you very much. And you all should buy this pedal. Full sweep - just like a dunlop cry baby. Great for Whammy's and CC's on trem speed, delay etc... Now I can sell my Hex.
 
spakuloid said:
That was it. EXTERNAL 1 was set to PEDAL 1 - so when I switched it to 10 - everything works perfectly now.

Thank you very much. And you all should buy this pedal. Full sweep - just like a dunlop cry baby. Great for Whammy's and CC's on trem speed, delay etc... Now I can sell my Hex.
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Or put the hex in the Axe's second backpanel input and control something else. Volume. Solo Boost. Delay level.
Are you having other troubles with the pedal? Do you have a multi meter to check resistance in the pot?
 
I go lean and mean - 1 EXP pedal is enough for me. I am sure the Hex works fine - I bought it new. I think I had the reverse polarity issue when running it into the Midi Mate. My main issue was auto engage cutting off the entire bottom 1/3 sweep of the pedal no matter what I did or where I put the Hex. When not using auto engage - the Hex pedal right into the Axe works fine. But I need a switch. I could have used switch #9 on the Midi Mate - but then I am tap dancing to use it. I also have a Roland EXP pedal with no reverse polarity issue - so I know it was not just the Hex. It is auto-engage. Plus I lose that 9 switch as a tap tempo delay or whatever. The new pedal works like it should - 100% sweep - and it feels EXACTLY like a dunlop cry baby. I am recommending it to everyone who like the toe down ON/OFF switch.
 
Great.. thanks Spak for the info. Im going to get one. Did you have to specify anything when ordering it? I noticed you could ask for both jacks on the left side of the pedal or get the "R" option toggle to reverse the polarity. i am going to be using it with a Midimate like you. etc.. thanks
 
Well I got both jacks on the left since one day I'll be ditching the Midi Mate and run both lines into a floor controller instead of one all the way back to the axe. Get the polarity switch because you never know what cables you have or how the Midi Mate will react... If it doesn't sound right but it is working - it is most likely the polarity - flip it.

I should clean up my notes and re-post this for anyone who needs a "baby steps through the midi-mate setup" roadmap. And I know that I will probably need it should I have to set things up all over again. ;)
 
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