Need other switching layout ideas

[fstrat76]

After the luxury of my now sold FX8 eight switches, I'm struggling to use just three switches on the FM3.

The problem is identified, and it is me. I have a tendency to stomp on a switch and not always release my foot. I've tried to break this habit to no avail. This makes using the Hold function useless to me. Increasing the timeout won't matter. I mostly use 3 scenes but can occasionally use 4.

The solution would be to purchase a FC6 controller but I'd like to exhaust all possibilities first. I really don't want to haul another unit to a gig or rehearsal if I don't have to.

Does anyone else have this leadfoot syndrome and found any other solutions with just three switches?

 

[joshriggsFM3]

Oh, good one! Here's an option to try: For the 3 main switches, set them up to be scene toggles:
Sw1: Toggle Scene 1 / 2
Sw2: Toggle Scene 3 / 4
Sw3: Set to be a preset toggle / tuner / tap / whatever... Or set it to be scene 5/6 toggle, and then get a 2 button aux switch to use for navigating presets, tuner, tap, etc.

Another thought off the top of my head:
View 1 - Sw1: Scene 1, Sw2: Scene 2, Sw3: View 2
View 2 - Sw1: Scene 3, Sw2: Scene 4, Sw2: View 1

 

[fstrat76]

Thanks, I like your first suggestion and tried the toggles. The issue here is the switch LED's don't always light up. They turn off completely in certain circumstances. Not sure why. There was another thread on this somewhere but no replies to the issue.

The second suggestion is doable as well but requires an extra tap to get to Scene 3.

 

[Greg Ferguson]

... The issue here is the switch LED's don't always light up. They turn off completely in certain circumstances. Not sure why.

If the switch is assigned to an effect block that isn't used in the current preset then the ring will go dark, signifying that the effect doesn't exist.

That shouldn't happen with scenes, because every preset automatically has eight scenes, whether you assigned anything to them or not.

Unassigned switches will be dark too.

 

[Deadpool_25]

Don’t fight it. Get an FC6.

 

[Greg Ferguson]

I have a tendency to stomp on a switch and not always release my foot. I've tried to break this habit to no avail. This makes using the Hold function useless to me.

Practice using the FM3 without shoes on. You'll be acutely aware you're standing with your foot on the switch and that'll remind you to stop doing that. You'll break your habit in a few sessions.

Not using the hold functions severely limit the flexibility of the design, reducing your choices to three Tap switches instead of three with six functions.

The FM3+FC6 + OMG9, which is built-in now, is a very powerful combination. There's also OMG3, which is also good, but they all require the hold function so I'd recommend working on breaking the habit.

I added hold functions to my OMG-9 and my FC-12 connected to the FX3, so by holding I can step through the channels of most of my effects blocks. Doing that even lets me enable/disable the rotary block using tap and changing speeds and do braking by holding.

 

[Dime-a-tron]

The other folks here had great suggestions. I'd also encourage you to, on the side, practice tapping vs. holding as it opens us approximately infinity options for you

I would have loved to get the FC6 but it just wasn't in the budget! I've been having a lot of success messing around with external momentary switches. I don't use an expression pedal, so I've got 4 additional switches I can assign to whatever I want (scene select, effect bypass, etc). The price point for those guys is much more doable than an FC6 for me. So you could add on one of those fairly simply and just assign one of the buttons to select scene 4 on tap and then you have an extra button you can assign to tuner or tap tempo, etc.

...though Father's Day is right around the corner. We'll see how much my kids love me.

 

[fstrat76]

If the switch is assigned to an effect block that isn't used in the current preset then the ring will go dark, signifying that the effect doesn't exist.

That shouldn't happen with scenes, because every preset automatically has eight scenes, whether you assigned anything to them or not.

Unassigned switches will be dark too.

Yes, I am aware of the effect block rings going dark but its definitely happening on Scenes toggle. If I press Switch 2 in the below image, Switch 1 goes dark.

 

[philipacamaniac]

Yes, I am aware of the effect block rings going dark but its definitely happening on Scenes toggle. If I press Switch 2 in the below image, Switch 1 goes dark.

That’s by design.

 

[fstrat76]

OK, thanks for this - might be more confusing for me with the light off, since Off now has two different meanings.

I think I will try three scenes on tap then a single external switch to change to a view or layout with more options.

 

[philipacamaniac]

OK, thanks for this - might be more confusing for me with the light off, since Off now has two different meanings.

I think I will try three scenes on tap then a single external switch to change to a view or layout with more options.

It’s especially confusing if you choose “Current” as the label on a scene toggle. Go to a scene not in your toggle and the ring will go dark and a scene name unrelated to the switch will appear. Bleh!

 

[fstrat76]

Yeah, I tried the "Current" label thing and immediately thought it was a useless setting for me.

Hopefully I can setup an external switch to just go to another View in my Perform layout. Then I don't care about using hold functions in that second view because those switches won't be critical use during a song performance.

 

[scott.frank.b]

After the luxury of my now sold FX8 eight switches, I'm struggling to use just three switches on the FM3.

The problem is identified, and it is me. I have a tendency to stomp on a switch and not always release my foot. I've tried to break this habit to no avail. This makes using the Hold function useless to me. Increasing the timeout won't matter. I mostly use 3 scenes but can occasionally use 4.

The solution would be to purchase a FC6 controller but I'd like to exhaust all possibilities first. I really don't want to haul another unit to a gig or rehearsal if I don't have to.

Does anyone else have this leadfoot syndrome and found any other solutions with just three switches?

I have a lead foot and I changed the hold to .75 from .50 and that made a world of difference. It will still engage the tap, but you really have to hold it down to engage the hold function.

 

[joshriggsFM3]

I also changed mine to engage automatically after the hold time, instead of on release. That helped a lot for me.

 

[fstrat76]

I also changed mine to engage automatically after the hold time, instead of on release. That helped a lot for me.

That's part of the problem for me. I press and hold forever even though I meant Tap, and it automatically changes to something else, which is what I don't want.

I think I got it setup OK with one external switch that takes me to a Perform Layout Menu View. Then I can have a separate Scene select View with 3 scene switches with no hold functions (and then a Per-Preset if I need a fourth scene). I have no way out of this view except to hit the external switch (or rotate the layout control). I'll have to see how it works at the net rehearsal.

 

[Habuman]

Although I have an FC12, have been experimenting with just the FM3 and a Boss FS-6 switch (plan to switch out for a ME TT-2). Grab and Go.

FS-6 = Amp boost and Tuner

Primary / Secondary settings for Tap:

Switch 1 set to Toggle = Scene 1 Low gain / Scene 4 Low gain w/FX
Switch 2 set to Toggle = Scene 2 Mid gain / Scene 5 Mid gain lead boost w/delay
Switch 3 set to Toggle = Scene 3 Hi gain / Scene 6 Hi gain lead boost w/delay

Additional settings for Hold:

Switch 1 and 3 = View -1 and View +1
Switch 2= Master Layout

Views:

1 = Scenes
2 = Delay, Flanger, Reverb
3 = Cut, Fat, Bright
4 = only have set to Upper Limit 3 because Boost and Tuner are here.

Can cycle through views 1-3 from either side with 3 holds.

 

[WbbS]

The FC6 is just too big to me and it would cut the benefit of a small unit like FM3. I can see how easy to use/configure it is, but it's like carrying 2 FM3. This is the only reason why (although fewer prefer this solution) I personally prefer the MC6MKII. I can fit in a Pedaltrain Classic 2:

1. FM3;
2. Expression pedal;
3. MC6MKII;
4. Another pedal.

...and, with a VoodooLab Pedal Power I can power: FM3 (courtesy), MC6MKII, the other pedal, a led strip under the pedalboard (so no need of extra power cables). In the end you have 6 more switches (with hold or double tap function) in a smaller unit at 1/3 of the price of the FC6.



That said, I've set the FM3 + MC6MKII this way:

FM3

• 3 switches for 3 presets

MC6MKII

• (bottom row) 3 switches for 6 scenes within each preset (single press scene 1 to 3; hold scenes 4 to 6)
• (top row) 3 switches for Utilities: Tuner; Looper; FX
  • Tuner, activate the tuner
  • Looper, goes into Looper bank with its main functions (rec, play, pause, undo)
  • FX, goes into FX bank to activate drive, delay, reverb (or whatever I'll need to add in the future) + tap tempo

In this way I have 3 presets with 6 different scenes each (18 different sound) + the ability to activate/deactivate blocks...in a smaller unit. Hereafter the mapping.



Again, I see how good is the FC6 and the perfect integration with FM3, but I wish it was smaller. I'm not a Bigfoot and switches on the MC6MKII have more space between each than the Chase Bliss Audio pedals, so they are good enough.

If you want to have FM3+FC6+Expression on a pedalboard (i.e. Pedaltrain) you have to go for the Novo 32 which is bigger and heavier.

 

[moerker]

I am using the FM3 with additional 2 Stand-in switches. I've set my hold timeout to 250 ms, set "Hold Function Mode" to "Switch up" (switch on release) and build my presets around the following table:

Switch	Tap	Hold
Stand-in 1	Tuner; Layout View: Preset	-
Stand-in 2	PP#24	PP#24
FC 1	View -1	Scene X
FC 2	-	Scene X
FC 3	View +1	Scene X

In addition, I use "per song" presets, that means that apart from some "standard" assignments, I overwrite switches as necessary and use layout links wherever possible.

I have one "special" preset, which is my "go to everything". There, I can live good enough with the view tap switching plus the additional Standin (usually clean/crunch/distortion/solo).

 

[franceschettimarc]

any layout with MP100 harley benton/Meloaudio?
i have on meloaudio switch 1 to 7 for scenes, button 8 is for tap tempo, i didn't reached to chnge for tuner, bank up for change preset, on fm3 i would like change effects (only 3 i know) drive, chorus delay . it would be nice add boost for solos.
and it would be nice having also a view for looper

thanks in advance

 

[chris]

any layout with MP100 harley benton/Meloaudio?
i have on meloaudio switch 1 to 7 for scenes, button 8 is for tap tempo, i didn't reached to chnge for tuner, bank up for change preset, on fm3 i would like change effects (only 3 i know) drive, chorus delay . it would be nice add boost for solos.
and it would be nice having also a view for looper

thanks in advance

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