FC-12 Setup that would make you forget a 21 Switch layout

[josephyballew]

I just thought of a set up that would make everyone happy having fewer switches.

Bank switches up and down far left.

Tap (hold tune) and function switches far right

The 8 switches in the middle set to scenes.

The function switch shows 11 stomps

The bank swtiches shows 8 presets.
As soon as you press a preset it goes there and changes to scenes automatically to scene 1 or the way you have the scenes saved.

What I had said before would not work well. I set my Helix up like this and it worked like a champ.
I will like this better than having 21 switches now. Also use the midi mapping to line up presets on 1-16 with the user bank 401-416 for 16 good presets. Some may need more presets.

 

[Randalljax]

I just thought of a set up that would make everyone happy having fewer switches.

Bank switches up and down far left.

Tap (hold tune) and function switches far right

1st row four switches left for presets, Scenes or Channels each switch toggles between two (presets, scenes, or channels). When you press one of the other switches it sends off to the prior switch. Also since the LCDs are so small that when you do toggle,the text also changes to show what other (preset , scene, or channel) you are on. This way 4 switches controls (8 presets or 8 scenes, or Channels).

2nd row four switches does the same for presets, scenes, or channels and toggles also.

The function switch at the far right could be for stomps

This way you would have the power of a 21 button controller. I seen this on the Mastermind Gt, but on the LCDs, it had both functions because of the big size. You could change that to change text when you press the button along with the switch state.

With this layout, I would not want a 21 switch controller. 12 switch would be perfect.
Also since most do not want to program this, make several setups variations.
I would want presets on the bottom row and scenes on the top, with the function doing stomps.
This will give me 8 presets only pressing one switch, 8 scenes only pressing one switch, and two presses for stomps. It would also be good to change all the switches except the functions switch to stomps, giving you 11 stomps to select. This my friends would be the holy grail controller.

I think that's exactly what most people would do use the layout button .to load page 2 with the 8 stomps, looper perhaps.
that my helix set up and it works great with that unit , I would use similar set up on Fractal

 

[Tahoebrian5]

I’ve suggested before, but my ideal is scenes along the bottom row, IAs on the top, ias change depending on what scene is active so you have different effects available for your clean scene for example, then another set of ias for your lead scene, etc.

It sounds like the proposed layouts will allow this provided we can trigger a layout change on scene change.

 

[Dr. Dipwad]

Well, the thing to remember about the FC-12 is: There are jacks for attaching pairs external switches (which are inexpensive to obtain).

So, please remember that the FC-12 is actually (well, potentially) an FC-16.

The only downside to the external footswitches is that they lack LEDs and scribble strips. Consequently, they are best used for functions which don't benefit from any kind of visible "status indicator."

My own plan is to use the twelve onboard footswitches solely for things that you toggle on/off (e.g. stomps, IAs) and change during the song (e.g. scenes), or things which require a special visual indicator (e.g. tap tempo). That way, the scribble-strips and LEDs are always showing me my current stomps, my current scene, my current tempo, etc.

But I'll use my four external footswitches for things like paging and program up/down. (I use one program per song, and arrange them into Sets; so this basically moving from one song to the next in a Set.)

I don't expect to miss the 21 switches of the MFC at all, once that's set up. (And I'll be grateful for having fewer rows of switches, and wider gaps between one switch and the next, because that'll help me avoid the accidental-triggering my big feet often produced with the MFC!)

 

[unix-guy]

I don't think multiple switches each toggling between two scenes is a good use case.

Imagine this:

Button 1: scene 1/2
Button 2: scene 3/4
Button 3: scene 5/6
Button 4: scene 7/8

Now assume I am on scene 1 and want to get to scene 4.

I've got to change to scene 3 and then toggle to scene 4. That is two button presses and two sound changes to get where I want. Doesn't work so well within a song.

Same applies to presets or channels.

I think if you use scenes, and only use preset changes between songs, it makes more sense to make a 2nd layout for both preset changes and bank changes.

Make that layout accessible via a press and hold switch, so it doesn't occupy a "primary" switch function. Bring it up only when needed.

Also, you've not mentioned anything about press and hold switch use.

Between press and press/hold (aka, long press) the FC-12 is already capable of 24 single button press operations.

 

[josephyballew]

I don't think multiple switches each toggling between two scenes is a good use case.

Imagine this:

Button 1: scene 1/2
Button 2: scene 3/4
Button 3: scene 5/6
Button 4: scene 7/8

Now assume I am on scene 1 and want to get to scene 4.

I've got to change to scene 3 and then toggle to scene 4. That is two button presses and two sound changes to get where I want. Doesn't work so well within a song.

Same applies to presets or channels.

I think if you use scenes, and only use preset changes between songs, it makes more sense to make a 2nd layout for both preset changes and bank changes.

Make that layout accessible via a press and hold switch, so it doesn't occupy a "primary" switch function. Bring it up only when needed.

Also, you've not mentioned anything about press and hold switch use.

Between press and press/hold (aka, long press) the FC-12 is already capable of 24 single button press operations.

Great point. I definitely do don't want a scene to be two button pushes. Maybe having two function switches, one for scenes and the other for stomps. I am just trying to have 8 presets, or 8 scenes. or 11 stomps after you press a function switch.

 

[unix-guy]

Great point. I definitely do don't want a scene to be two button pushes. Maybe having two function switches, one for scenes and the other for stomps. I am just trying to have 8 presets, or 8 scenes. or 11 stomps after you press a function switch.

My plan is to have my primary layout include 8 scenes, plus tap tempo and a few key IAs. These will all use press function of the buttons.

Most likely the tap tempo button will use the hold function for tuner.

Another button will use hold change to a second layout allowing for a bank of 10 presets plus bank up/down.

Possibly a 3rd layout (again via hold) will have less used IAs.

I'm almost always changing stuff with scenes.

I don't want the option to accidentally change banks or presets mid song.

 

[josephyballew]

My plan is to have my primary layout include 8 scenes, plus tap tempo and a few key IAs. These will all use press function of the buttons.

Most likely the tap tempo button will use the hold function for tuner.

Another button will use hold change to a second layout allowing for a bank of 10 presets plus bank up/down.

Possibly a 3rd layout (again via hold) will have less used IAs.

I'm almost always changing stuff with scenes.

I don't want the option to accidentally change banks or presets mid song.

The only way I could get my Helix to work maybe the best way on the FC-12. I set up the mid switches to scenes with those 8 switches. The Function switch takes you to stomps. If you want presets press the bank switch and that will show 8 presets. This is the only thing I could get to work and keep the stomping to a minimum. I went ahead and changed the initial thread for this.

 

[Admin M@]

All, please wait until you have the FC in your hands before you post wishes about it. What you wish for may or may not already be possible, or, when you experience the product, you may find that your musical needs are better served by the creative use of what's on offer than they are by trying to steer a train.