Is anyone use a McMillen 12 Step to control an Axe FXII?

Hugomack

Hugomack

Experienced
I'm looking for a light-weight alternative controller for my FXII - acoustic gigs and for flying. Is anyone using the Keith McMillen 12 Step? If so, I'd be very grateful for a dialogue in how you're doing this.

I'm guessing the USB connection won't transmit midi data to the Axe, and it would need a midi interface. But does the USB power up a 12 Step?
 
No, direct USB connection KMI-AXE won't work. You need the little midi box from KMI. It has standard MIDI I/O, so you can connect your MIDI cables.
The KMI is USB powered and comes with a power suply with USB connector. But you can't use the USB B connector of the AXE for this, AFAIK it supports no power (o.k., correct me, if I'm wrong). On the KMI website they have an AXE sysex file, it comes with 10 stomp boxes and 10 program change buttons. But if you know how to program that beast, you can do what you want with it :)
 
Thanks 1vl. I worked out the need for the midi box, and one is arriving later today! I missed the Axe sysex file on the KMI site - but can't find it. Could you please let me have a link?

I'll report back on how all this goes. It's not going to replace the MFC, but a lightweight beer-proof alternative will be welcome.
 
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oops, it was a bit late yesterday, sorry for a mistake: The SoftStep has the Axe-sysex file.
But I looked up the 12step manual: In the software editor you can set the midi messages, you want to send out to the axe. Of course the 12steps sends Midi notes (that you don't need for the axe, but hey, why not add a synth with it?) and in the so called "modlines" you can set some global parameters (like midi channel...) and individual CCs for the buttons. This is what you need with the Axe. Just look up the desired Midi CC messages in yeks wiki.
Ok, never tried it, but that's my understanding.
 
It seems I bought the wrong one, and that the Soft Step is what I should have got... :-( I could change patches using the 12 Step, and assign only one set of velocities to be played the same for each ofthe 12 "note" keys as they're only really assignable as notes....
 
I have a friend who is having great success with the SoftStep + AxeFX combo. He's a pretty advanced technology user, so I'm not surprised it's working well for him. He did the programming from scratch and said it took about one day to get everything set up the way he wanted, mostly due to fairly complex multi-axis controller assignment.
 
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