Is page 155 in the manual the only way to connect a expression pedal?

H Smith

Inspired
No 4: Do I have to use a external conroller? It that the same as midicontroller??
I have bought the EP-1 and I`m lost.

I want to test it with connecting it directly to the axe before trying to set it up with the ground control
Step 2d, move the pedal , nothing happens..
 
But do anyone know how to connect it via ground control pro?? Is there settings on both gcp and the axeII? I have a patch with wah block but don`t know how to assign the pedal via the gcp to control wah
 
I got it working with the GCP for one patch, but not any else. Any clue why that is? The wah block is in the patches
 
All the patches have to have whatever you are trying to control assigned to that pedal. With my setup, it is external 1.
 
First of all, are you using the right cable? It should be a TRS(i.e. 1/4" Stereo) into the Ground Control Pro and the Axe FX, and the pedal has to be passive. Refer to the pedal manual to see whether can use a 1/4" Stereo-Stereo and 1/4" Mono-Stereo.
 
First of all, are you using the right cable? It should be a TRS(i.e. 1/4" Stereo) into the Ground Control Pro and the Axe FX, and the pedal has to be passive. Refer to the pedal manual to see whether can use a 1/4" Stereo-Stereo and 1/4" Mono-Stereo.

Yes, a new Misiion EP-1 and TRS cable arrived yesterday and I was very keen to make it work immidietly...and I got it to work with one patch, Mark Day day patch, but that was mayby a coincident? I`ve tried other patches with wah blocks, but with no luck. So I wonder where to make the right settings. Is both the GCP and the expression pedal EXT1? Is it the setting in the wah block itself that counts?
 
I dont have a GCP, but this article helped me to set up my EP-1 with the pedal jack on the back of the Axe-Fx II.

Pedal jack - Axe-Fx II Wiki

Maybe there's more info in the Wiki.


Yes I have that but

Assign External 1 to control the Wah.
  1. Press LAYOUT to view the grid.
  2. Select or insert a WAH block.
  3. Press EDIT to open its edit menu.
  4. Find and select the CONTROL parameter.
  5. Press ENTER to view the MODIFIER screen.
  6. Change the SOURCE to EXT 1. Test the pedal to see the dot on the screen moves. If it doesn’t move, check the above steps again, starting from #1, or try a different pedal/cable.
No 6, I can`t find EXT1 in the Source?? Does it say something else?

And is this wiki article just for connecting the expression pedal directly into the axe. What I need is something when connecting it via GCP end midicable
 
take a look in the I/O: CTRL [I think]..
scroll downwards and you'll see that the controllers are each assinged a numeric value to the right..
I think [from memory] that EXT1 = 16

this number '16' corresponds to something in MIDI called a Continuous Controller [you'll see it referred to as CC or CC#]
it's just a number...

your expression pedal will be jacked into an input your floor controller..
let's call it input1 [just for reference]
your floor controller will have a way of configuring 'things' that are associated with "input1"
one of those things will be the MIDI CC#
you'll need to set that to 16 so that it matches what is in the Axe

wiggle the expression pedal and input1 of the floor controller detects the wiggling
the floor controller turns 'pedal wiggling' into MIDI messages, assigns them to CC# 16 [cos that's what you set up in the floor controller for input1], and then spits all this out at the Axe...
the Axe reads the messages and notes that they are for CC# 16
CC# 16 in the I/O: CTRL page is assigned to EXT 1
when looking in the wah block, you can assigns the wah to the controller via the modifier page where you'll see Extern 1
and also you can adjust the min / max values of the wah and also the mess with the gradient and shape of the curve to best suit your playing style..

what you have here is a big chain that needs to hook up from the wah block to the expression pedal

pedal -> floor controller input -> MIDI CC -> I/O: CTRL -> modifer -> fx parm that's being assigned to external control

in your floor controller there may be some other parameters associated with our 'input1'
such as:
- MIDI channel [must be the same as the Axe which set to 1 by default]
- some sort of 'pedal / switch type'.. choices would be things like 'continuous', 'toggle', 'latching', 'momentary'..
you need to set this to something like 'pedal' or 'continuous'.. or some other term that describes your pedal..
basically:
-- pedals are 'continuous controllers
-- switches are controllers that can be 'latching' / 'toggling' [means the same], or 'momentary'..

hope this helps you thread together the things that need setting up
 
It's also good to remember that the CC# is set on the GCP per patch. It is not a global setting (like I initially thought). So if you have a patch where the pedal is working, it is because that patch (on the GCP) has #16 set for the pedal. If you step on the GCP and go to a different patch where the pedal is not working, the CC# is probably not set. Just go to Edit on the GCP then page down a few clicks and make sure the pedal is turned on and the CC# is set to 16.
 
Thanks to both. I will try this later. I think it`s probably the settings on the GCP. I thought that was a setting I did for all patches
 
It's also good to remember that the CC# is set on the GCP per patch. It is not a global setting (like I initially thought). So if you have a patch where the pedal is working, it is because that patch (on the GCP) has #16 set for the pedal. If you step on the GCP and go to a different patch where the pedal is not working, the CC# is probably not set. Just go to Edit on the GCP then page down a few clicks and make sure the pedal is turned on and the CC# is set to 16.
Interesting, I thought the pedal CC# was global, because I thought you accessed it through the set up mode. But, it looks like only on and off is enabled through the setup mode and the #CC is set in preset edit mode according to the manual.

I have had no joy myself on running expression pedals through the GCP, but that was awhile back.
 
just read the Ground Control manual..
note I don't have one of these myself...

first you have to turn on the expression pedal
so jack the pedal into 'pedal 1' and turn it on

from manual:
Enter Setup mode by pressing both [SETUP MODE] buttons at the same time. Then select this category by pressing [PEDAL]. The display should read:
To enable (turn on) the pedal connected to “PEDAL 1”, press [+/YES]. To disable (turn off),
press [-/NO]. Press [SELECT 2] to access “PEDAL 2”.


then you need to setup the MIDI side of pedal 1

from manual:
USING EXPRESSION PEDALS
Before using expression pedals, you need to enable them from the Pedal category of Setup mode.
After you select a preset and enter Edit mode, you can specify what each expression pedal will control by pressing [SELECT 2] until you see the following display:
Pedal
This tells you which pedal you are editing. Press [SELECT 2] again to select pedal #2.

Current Value
This shows you what position is being read from the expression pedal. It’s really just a diagnostic tool so that you know if the pedal is working properly. Wiggle the pedal and make sure the numbers change and your device is responding properly. If the numbers are changing, then the Ground Control Pro is definitely sending the specified MIDI messages.
Clarky EDIT: this number represents "where" the pedal is in it's throw from:
min [heel down = 0]
max [toe down usually = 127]
and if you move the pedal to somewhere around half way you'd expect to watch these numbers changing and end up with number between 50 something and 70 something [the exact mid point = 63]

Message Type
Now you need to choose a MIDI message type. It doesn’t matter which you choose as long as it matches the message type that your device is set to respond to. The choices are:
• No output: “OFF”
• Pitch Bend: “PITCHB”
• Aftertouch: “AFTERT”
• Continuous Controllers 000 through 120: “CTL007”
Clarky EDIT: you want continuous controllers. The numbers here match the controller numbers in the Axe: I/O: CTRL page
so using my presvious example, set this to 16 so your "pedal 1" wiggles show up in the Axe on modifier: Extern 1

To choose the MIDI message type press (or press and hold) [-/NO] or [+/YES]. Some devices let you assign controller messages to whatever parameters you like. Others will have a list of what each controller does. You need to check the manual for the device you are controlling to see how it works.
Tip: Controller #7 (‘CTL007’) is almost always volume.
Clarky EDIT: CC# 7 is actually very specific. It's "master volume". That is the volume of that whole unit [fx unit or synth etc]. So assigning to this is like altering the volume via the output1 / output2 controls on front of the Axe rather than having a vol pedal at the start of an fx chain.
If you want vol pedal control within the Axe, add 'pedal 2' to the Ground Control, turn it on, assign it to CC 17, which becomes Extern 2 within the Axe. Then assign the vol parm [within the vol block] to modifer Extern 2]

Target Device
If you have more than one MIDI device, you must specify which one the Expression Pedal should control. Press [CURSOR 4] to get to the following display:
Press [-/NO] and [+/YES] to select the correct device. Only those devices that you have specified in the Device Name/Channel category of Setup mode will appear.
Clarky Edit: this only applies if you are controlling more than one FX unit [or MIDI 'thing'] from the Ground Control Pedal. If the Axe is the only thing being controlled I'd assume this would be device 1 and that most device specific things within the Ground Control would be defaulted to device 1.
That said... if some things still don't work, check that device 1 is on MIDI channel 1, and all the preset buttons, instant access switches and continuous controllers you use are assigned to device 1

again.. I don't actually have one of these units.... some I'm just trying to help you guys through the manual...
 
Last edited:
• Continuous Controllers 000 through 120: “CTL007”
Clarky EDIT: you want continuous controllers. The numbers here match the controller numbers in the Axe: I/O: CTRL page
so using my presvious example, set this to 16 so your "pedal 1" wiggles show up in the Axe on modifier: Extern 16

You got it Clarky. It's a two step process (turn on the pedal globally, then set the presets). That is the key part quoted above. This is done for each preset. I have a GCP, but, coincidentally, my MFC-101 was delivered yesterday! The GCP will be going on the auction block as soon as I figure out where to get a replacement midi pad for preset 1.
 
correction

so using my presvious example, set this to 16 so your "pedal 1" wiggles show up in the Axe on modifier: Extern 16


should be this

so using my presvious example, set this to 16 so your "pedal 1" wiggles show up in the Axe on modifier: Extern 1

in the I/O: CNTL page, Extern 1 = controller 16

essentially, the Axe's external controllers are 'mapped' to MIDI CC# number
ext 1 = 16
ext 2 = 17
ext 3 = 18
and so on up to ext 16 [I think]
 
top stuff.... let us know if you get it all working ok...

Yes. It`s working ok. I think I got to calibrate the padel a bit more, or is it normal that the wah effect is resent for about 0,5 sec after thespring load has pushed the pedal back to heel position?

Is it possible to use a GCP and connect the exp pedal directly into the axe itself? Is that setup more easy in the way that you just have to set up the wah in the axe and not in the GCP too?
 
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