Just bought an XL+. Can anyone recommend a small, budget foot controller?

Adam Charron

New Member
Finally pulled the trigger on an Axe-Fx 2 XL+. Came a bit pricy as the Canadian -> US exchange rate is awful at the moment, so I didn't end up purchasing the mfc101. I was wondering if anyone could recommend something a cheaper floorboard? Bonus points if I can purchase it in Canada.
 
I just recently joined the Fractal family as well so I'm a total noob to all of this, but I think the Voodoo Ground Control will work for it. Sweetwater.com has it for about half the price of the MFC-101.
 
For the budget route quite a number of people like the Behringer FCB1010, preferably with the UNO chip (I think its called) installed for more features.
 
I agree with the FCB1010. The Behringer is a very good low cost option, even without the aftermarket chip. You can get a lot of control, the only down side is programming it is a bit of a pain, and with the stock chip the LEDs don't always match up with your changes. Plus it comes with 2 expression pedals already integrated. I ran one for a year or so before splurging on the MFC. The MFC sure looks prettier, and is simpler to work with, but really I don't have any presets complicated enough that the Behringer couldn't keep up with
 
Or perhaps some down sizing (to A8) fellow Canadians selling their MFC to a decent price point ;) Keep your eyes out on this forum and elsewhere
 
Another +1 for the FCB-1010 and the Uno chip -- all around better deal than a Voodoo Labs GCP.

Or, if you're patient, wait for a used LiquidFoot Jr. to show up here or on TGP. Lots of power in a tiny package and they usually show up used for <$300.
 
I thought there was someone with a package for sale that included the FCB-1010 ,with people interested in just the Axe, so perhaps it's still available?

Edit: NVM, I just looked and see that it was sold.
 
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Id try looking out for a used mk1 or MkII MFC, they are going for pretty low prices, at least half off the price of new, and it just integrates so well with the Axe-Fx. Not saying other controllers can't do the job, but you got this premium level processor that can do so many things, so its nice to have a controller that can reflect that. For example, the MFC can show the status of every effect block (bypassed or not, and loaded or not) right as you call up a patch with status lights on each foot switch. Really cool, and I don't believe the more inexpensive products can do that, they just give you buttons.
 
Id try looking out for a used mk1 or MkII MFC, they are going for pretty low prices, at least half off the price of new, and it just integrates so well with the Axe-Fx. Not saying other controllers can't do the job, but you got this premium level processor that can do so many things, so its nice to have a controller that can reflect that. For example, the MFC can show the status of every effect block (bypassed or not, and loaded or not) right as you call up a patch with status lights on each foot switch. Really cool, and I don't believe the more inexpensive products can do that, they just give you buttons.


+1
I've had both the GC and the LF JR, Stick with the MFC.
 
I got a used FCB1010 (with the Uno chip) for about $100USD a year ago and I just purchased a MFC which should arrive later this week. No doubt, the MFC is going to allow me to do a lot of things I couldn't do with the FCB - but the resale market for the FCB seems to *still* be around $100. Your mileage may vary, but I've used it live for a year now and for that price, the capabilities far outweighed the limitations.
 
The Behringer is inexpensive and functional, but it's anything but small. I have a LF+ Mini which is very small and can do almost anything. It does take time to figure out how to program it though. They're a little on the pricey side, especially new with the currency rates, but they do show up used. If/when I get an AX8 I may part with mine. The Ground Control Pro seems like a good unit that shows up used often and at a good price, but I don't think you can program it to use scenes.
 
The MFC-101 is an amazing piece of equipment. Mine is a MkIII, so I connect to the AxeFX XL with a standard XLR cable, which is quite convenient.
What I love about the MFC-101
  • It's tightly integrated with the AxeFX. You can just plug it in and immediately start working.
  • It's super powerful. If you use the MFC-Edit software, you can do amazing things with it. @bwanagary has worked a lovely miracle with this software.
  • Lots of buttons with two-color LEDs, decent size multicharacter display and plenty of inputs for continuous controllers.
  • KICKTAGS! @Toadfish has created some amazing beautiful and very useful glowing tags for this board, and they help organize the multi-layer power of this device.
A few minor gripes
  • Size. When I first got the MFC-101 I loved having all the buttons, options, and so on. Now that I've had some time with it, I could probably run my entire 3+ hour gigs using just a dozen buttons.
  • Limited space on the multicharacter readout. It would be nice to have more room there, and have it display things like scene names (see MFC wish list).
  • The rightmost row of control buttons (reveal, edit, up, down) cannot be moved or reassigned. I inadvertently step on the edit button sometimes because my continuous controller is right next to it.
  • Scribble strips. Like many users, I'd love to see an MFC with individual LCD screens above each button.
I've used a LOT of MIDI controllers over the past 30 years of professional playing. Even with my minor gripes, the MFC-101 is my strong preference at this price point.
 
FCB1010 with Uno or Eureka chip. Case FCB1010/Uno : Find yourself a USB Midi interface for parametering the unit under Java/Windows with Ripwerx to save time and prevent headache. Any other valuable solution will cost the double, at least. The ergonomy of FCB1010 is a bit Jurassic, but still easy to use.
 
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