Layout ideas for FC-12

[WbbS]

Next week I'll get the FC-12 to control the Axe-Fx. I've read the manuals, and the default layout is not ideal for my needs.

What I don't like is the general idea of "Master layout" that makes switching from Presets, to Effects, etc. more time consuming than it would take. I was planning a layout that keeps on the top row part of the master layout, so that when you have presets on the bottom row, you have Scenes, Effects, ..., on the top row.

So, hereafter 2 examples, and I ask you if you think they are both feasible. Any advice is more than welcome.
PS on the Looper layout you find a "Boost", my idea is to enable a clean boost if the previous recording is too loud.

OPTION 1





OPTION 2

 

[Fro68]

That’s the magic of the FCs. You can try out different layouts until you have your perfect layout.
Make sure you save a backup when you figure out your perfect layout.

 

[marsonic]

I think I like option 1 better. I might actually use something like that.

I don't like the way the default layout does effects (or the way yours implies it would). You have to choose the block by name (e.g., drive 1, drive 2, chorus 2, etc.) to put it on a footswitch, and if it's not in the preset, then the footswitch just isn't available. Conversely, if you happen to have programmed it without an effect that a preset has, you won't be able to activate/deactivate it with that layout. You'd have to use scenes or change the layout.

It seems like a bit of a tilt too far toward flexibility away from usability.

I would seriously consider replacing your entire effects section with Per-Preset FCs. You'll have to actually program them for each preset, which does add more work. But, you'll have the things you actually need for every preset you actually use labeled and laid out however you want. And with the rest of the layout being so flexible, you could still use presets you haven't set up yet with the other controls (e.g., scenes will still work).

The benefit of doing it that way is that there's no reason to have Drive 1 (e.g.) if you don't use it, and you don't have to predict all of the effects you're likely to use. And you could also integrate control switches, scenes, or anything else based on how you actually want to use that footswitch in each preset.

I'm very close to ditching all of the factory layouts on my FM3 and doing something very similar with it, though obviously with a lot fewer footswitches available.

 

[Joe Bfstplk]

You can save some Fred Astaire moves with Layout Links on Preset select switches. Just add one to each preset select switch and it will automagically switch the layout to your preferred performance layout. I switch to Scenes with mine. Lots of possible ways to skin this particular politician....

 

[WbbS]

I think I like option 1 better. I might actually use something like that.

I don't like the way the default layout does effects (or the way yours implies it would). You have to choose the block by name (e.g., drive 1, drive 2, chorus 2, etc.) to put it on a footswitch, and if it's not in the preset, then the footswitch just isn't available. Conversely, if you happen to have programmed it without an effect that a preset has, you won't be able to activate/deactivate it with that layout. You'd have to use scenes or change the layout.

It seems like a bit of a tilt too far toward flexibility away from usability.

I would seriously consider replacing your entire effects section with Per-Preset FCs. You'll have to actually program them for each preset, which does add more work. But, you'll have the things you actually need for every preset you actually use labeled and laid out however you want. And with the rest of the layout being so flexible, you could still use presets you haven't set up yet with the other controls (e.g., scenes will still work).

The benefit of doing it that way is that there's no reason to have Drive 1 (e.g.) if you don't use it, and you don't have to predict all of the effects you're likely to use. And you could also integrate control switches, scenes, or anything else based on how you actually want to use that footswitch in each preset.

I'm very close to ditching all of the factory layouts on my FM3 and doing something very similar with it, though obviously with a lot fewer footswitches available.

I have to check this approach for effects. Thanks.

 

[marsonic]

I have to check this approach for effects. Thanks.

So....I ended up doing basically what I said this afternoon for a couple test presets.

It works very well, at least for how I want to think about it. It very much feels like configuring a pedalboard for every preset, which takes some work if you use a lot of them. But, it also opens you up to mix scenes, effects bypasses, control switches, channels, or anything else an FC can do. And, you've got 24 of them to use...on the FM3. I think they all have 24, but I haven't read the other manuals. I can't imagine they have less, And they're arbitrary per preset...if you can't do what you need to do inside a preset with 24 foot switches that can do basically anything....that must be one he** of a preset.

So, thank you for making me think about this. I really like the way it works out and how usable it winds up. It was kind of the missing link for how Fractal stuff worked in my head. Whether I just keep using my FM3 by itself (which has worked just fine so far) or add an FC-6 (12 is too big for me), this is how I'm going to be doing it moving forward.

 

[Dave Merrill]

FWIW, my current main setup is like this...

Top row left 4 switches are scenes 1-4, my "main" ones, long press for scenes 5-8. Long presses also have layout links that switch to a layout that's the same, except for two things I'll describe below.

Top row far right is tap tempo, long press for tuner. Second from right switches to the Looper layout, long press to Presets layout. All switches on the Presets layout have layout links going back to my main layout. There are switches on my Looper layout to get back my main one, Scenes, Presets, and Effects.

Bottom row is mostly effect toggles, starting with Drive on the left, except the far right one is a filter block just doing a volume boost, hold for Reveal. Most long presses are another effect, except the Drive switch cycles through its channels, and Rotary toggles between two for fast/slow.

SECOND LAYOUT DIFFERENCES
1. The first 4 switches choose scenes 5-8, long press for 1-4, with layout links back to the first layout. So all together, it's two 4-scene layouts, with a passageway between them, sharing common effects and utilities.
2. The Drive switch toggles and changes channels on drive 2 instead of drive 1. That's partly because many times scenes 5-8 use a second amp block and drive block, whose drive channels are tailored for the four scenes using that amp, and sometimes for a drive that's more for neck pickup vs bridge.

Net is that I have quick access to 4 scenes and a bunch of effects, plus nearly quick access to the other 4 scenes, and various utility stuff close to hand or nearby.
I like it.

 

[WbbS]

I attach the layouts based on my Option 1 with some minor improvement.