MFC-101 keeps turning GCX Audio Switcher's loop #1 OFF

Richard Kaderabek

Richard Kaderabek

Member
Hello everyone at Fractal audio community,
I'd like to ask you a favor because I'm completely stuck, frustrated..
During last months I decided to go completely MIDI so after some research I bought MFC controller, Voodoo Lab GCX audio switcher and RJM amp gizmo. I thought I did my homework right... today I got the last chain to my rig - GCX switcher so I finally made all the connections and fired it up with already prepared songs in MFC.
The connection is:
MFC - 7pin MIDI phantom from RJM - Strymon Mobius - 3 pin MIDI cable to GCX.
Loop #1 - Mobius PRE
Loop #2 - Xotic RC Booster
Loop #3 - Preamp of VHT Pittbull 50/ST (turned ON all the time via single IntCC enabled in every preset)
Loop #4 - Mobius Post
Loop #5 - Strymon El Capistan
Loop #6 - MXR 6band EQ
Loop #7 - MXR Micro Boost

Mobius's IA are arranged in LINK groups to have just one active.
Modulation IAs switches are set to open GCX's appropriate loop (#1 or #4) and send PC to tell Mobius the required patch. In sense of IA all seems to work great - GCX opens loops, Mobius changes patches, Gizmo switches channels. Presets with all but Mobius work great, again - loops opening... great. But presets with Mobius PRE...
So I have e.g. preset: Clean + CHORUS PRE; it's loaded only with IntCC for VHT preamp and IA with Chorus is active.
Appropriate loop #1 blinks for a fraction of a second and then it's OFF. I step on repeatedly IA switch (just to turn LED off and on), suddenly the loop is active... I go back to load preset, loop blinks and then it's off. All other loops works just fine, even Mobius's post effects in loop #4 are correct. Strange thing, because I don't see any difference between presets in MFC editor. I tried to monitor MIDI data flow with MIDI-OX and I realized upon loading preset with chorus on loop #1 that MFC's last message is CC on CH16 (GCX) with value 00 (CC is some hexadecimal I assume) so it seems MFC is turning loop OFF.
Yes - I tried disabling LINK or Send w/preset, but problem persists.
I'm pretty confused.
Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you very much,
Richard, Czech Republic.
 
O.K. here I am again and now I know what caused the problem but I have no idea why...
I didn't mention I have an expr. pedal Mission SP-1 with a switch. The idea was to assign loop #1 to this global external switch of Mission and then to control Wah in Mobius with pedal. I prepared WAH IA switch (which calls WAH patch in Mobius via PC message) but without opening loop #1. So it waits for a switch in pedal to open loop and begin to wahwah. But somehow this external switch is sending this message (BF 50 00 16 - number 50 is hexadecimal 80, which is CC for loop#1, 00 is value to OFF and 16 is MIDI Channel). The message was always the last so it kept shutting the loop #1 off. After removing this external switch from program of MFC, the message disappeared.
The question is: why should the external switch without even touching send an OFF message, why isn't it quiet until I hit it?
So I solved it by opening the loop of wah via IA button and then simply move pedal without using external switch of Mission.
So how does the external switching work? I don't get it.
Nice snowy day from Czech Rep.
Rich.
 
Might be worth checking to see if there is an Internal CC (INT CC) sending that. That way when selecting a Preset it will automatically be sent. Also, if the switch type is set to Auto Off it sends and ON and OFF message about 250ms apart.
Per the MFC-101 manual: "* Auto Off Switches send their programmed ON message followed quickly (~250ms) by the OFF message ". I don't know if these are relevant but that is what sprung to mind.
 
What seems most likely is switch type set to HDW:

"NOTE: In this mode, whenever a new preset is loaded, the switch state will be polled and
the corresponding MIDI message sent. This allows “what you hear” to be kept in sync
with “what you see” if the switch has an LED, for example."

Setting type to TOG would be something easy to try. I'm not sure if that will toggle correctly (once per press, instead of 2 presses) with a latching switch. The manual doesn't specify what happens in that scenario, only that TOG will make a momentary switch function like a latching switch.
 
Hello guys,
thank you very much for your response, you're great, guys.
Since I use MFC edit I'm pretty sure no IntCC is enabled and no switch is set to Auto-Off by now.
But hell yes, I got the external switch set to Hardware and that's the explanation why that message is being sent. Worth to try switching to Toggle when I get from work, but when looking to the manual I'm not so sure it will help. I'll try out.
Thank you again, Richard.
 
Last edited:
Hi,
so I've finally tested the setting of the switch as a Toggle and... yessss, it works the way I want it, when changing presets no data are being sent and when I hit it it works as a standard wah pedal opening appropriate loop of previously loaded WAH in Mobius via IA switch on MFC.
Thank you for your advice, it would take eternity to solve this out by my own.
Many greeting from Prague, Czech Rep.
Richard.
 
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