Setting up footswitches?

L

lpaul626

Inspired
I'd like to set up the footswitches similar to how I used the MFC such that row 1(switches 1-4)select presets and row 2(switches 5-8) control the effects. I see in the manual how this is done. The issue is that when I program F2 and F3 to bank up/down, the bank size is still 8 presets. So by programming 1-4 as global for presets 1-4, I'm unable to access presets 5-8 with this approach. Can I change the bank size to 4? Other thoughts? What am I missing? Sorry if it's that obvious. Maybe it's time to take a break! Lol!

As an aside, I plan to program switch 5 for XY switching to switch the amp/ cab. I assume this shouldn't be a problem?
 
lpaul626 said:
I'd like to set up the footswitches similar to how I used the MFC such that row 1(switches 1-4)select presets and row 2(switches 5-8) control the effects. I see in the manual how this is done. The issue is that when I program F2 and F3 to bank up/down, the bank size is still 8 presets. So by programming 1-4 as global for presets 1-4, I'm unable to access presets 5-8 with this approach. Can I change the bank size to 4? Other thoughts? What am I missing? Sorry if it's that obvious. Maybe it's time to take a break! Lol!

As an aside, I plan to program switch 5 for XY switching to switch the amp/ cab. I assume this shouldn't be a problem?
Click to expand...

Bank size isn't adjustable. For now, you can skip presets 5-8, 13-16, etc. That still gives you 256 preset slots to work from.

AMP X/Y is a footswitch option, but it doesn't change the cab. To change the Cab X/Y status, you have to assign the Cab block to a footswitch and hold it, or switch it via scenes. I've added a wish list request to add an AMP/CAB X/Y footswitch option.

Assigning the cab alone to a footswitch is usually not useful - you'd rarely want to bypass it, so you have to be careful to never tap it, and only ever hold it.
 
I used my AX8 last night live for the first time... it sounded good but my foot switch arrangement was just shitty... I gotta layout things differently for sure. I worked with the default F-Switch functions and arranged my effects on/off as seemed appropriate. WAY too much toe tapping... I need to for sure do some optimization.

Two tap patch switching is not for me...

I accidentally pressed a foot switch a little too long and went into x/y and no Y setting was setup and things went mute... Don't like that... need to setup so that doesn't happen again.

Single tapping the F3 switch and having to wait until it exits tap/tempo mode in order to enter tuner mode proved to be a pain in the ass too.

So... it sounded great but the default Fractal workflow is not for this guy... good thing it's flexible.
 
3dognate said:
I accidentally pressed a foot switch a little too long and went into x/y and no Y setting was setup and things went mute... Don't like that... need to setup so that doesn't happen again.
Click to expand...

Seems like you figured this out, but it's a good habit to copy your X settings to Y (using AX8-Edit) for all the blocks where you aren't utilizing Y. Also check through every Y setting on every block in the presets you're using, not just for settings check but also to make sure no Y settings kick your CPU up into overload mode.

I also like to copy Scene 1 to all other scenes that I'm not using, so that if I accidentally land on those scenes, I don't get a blast of every block on.
 
As we are all "just getting in to the AX8", I too would like some forum feedback on how people are setting up their switches.
I've used the FCB1010 with my Ultra in the past so it's pretty tame (stomps on top/patches on bottom) but with looping capabilities, X/Y options (limited CPU), how are others laying out their switches?
Yes, I realize no two feet are alike ;) but some suggestions would be very helpful.
 
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For live use, I make one preset per song, and I have scenes for each part of the song. That reduces tap dances to an absolute minimum.

I also have a few 'jam' presets, where I setup footswitch 1 to "scene 1/2 toggle". The two scenes are then amp (and sometimes cab) x/y and represent a clean and a drive sound. In each scene blocks amp, cab and reverb are the only ones active per default, but then I set up x and y states for comp, drive, chorus and delays to best suit the drive/clean sounds. So when I switch to the clean amp, all the other blocks' x/y states are all ready for the clean amp, and vice versa.
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Set it to Scene 1/2 Toggle instead and set Scene 1 with amp/cab on X and 2 on Y.
Click to expand...

I would set the Preset button for the particular preset you are on to either Scene 1/2 or Amp X/Y as appropriate. That saves you a button. So, for example, if you are on preset 2 in the bank, the bottom row would be Preset 1 - Amp X/Y - Preset 3 - Preset 4. Then if you switch to preset 1, you might have Scene 1/2 - Preset 2 - Preset 3 - Preset 4. This might be annoying in a live performance setting, but if not, then you would then be able to use Button 5 for something else.
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Austin
 
atquinn said:
I would set the Preset button for the particular preset you are on to either Scene 1/2 or Amp X/Y as appropriate. That saves you a button. So, for example, if you are on preset 2 in the bank, the bottom row would be Preset 1 - Amp X/Y - Preset 3 - Preset 4. Then if you switch to preset 1, you might have Scene 1/2 - Preset 2 - Preset 3 - Preset 4. This might be annoying in a live performance setting, but if not, then you would then be able to use Button 5 for something else.
-
Austin
Click to expand...

This is kind of where I'm heading... I don't mess with the preset per song thing... (our set list changes... then you have to rearrange preset order...) I don't have time for that mess... we knock out 45 songs or so in a night, between set list changes and audibles that's a non-starter for me (Last minute Saturday we moved 3rd set to the 1st and 1st set 2nd... and scratched a few songs and added some others from the repertoire to suit the venue a little better. That would have been a pain in the rear.)

I can see it being used that way for a tour... but not as a weekend warrior in a cover band with a constantly changing setlist.

I just need my 5-6 "cover anything" presets and a couple of oddballs for the weird stuff.
 
Controlling the Ax8 with set list maker on the iPad is a breeze- even with changing set lists :) but otherwise, I agree; getting to a specific preset between 200 preset songs is too difficult on the Ax8
 
I am just planning on using the AX-8 setup with a Mission SP-1 sharing Wah and Vol block duties.The I/A switches on the unit will be set per preset. I have changed the switches up the right hand side so they control preset up/down and tuner.
 
Just for testing the presets i assigned F3 Tap as Preset Up and F3 Hold as Preset Down. This helps going fast forward thru the presets. One step to go further and one (longer) step to go back. If Tuner and Tap Tempo is not needed it is good for live too.
 
Got my AX8 yesterday my 1st Fractal Product it's truly amazing! I'm having a
Problem setting up the switches I want to set switches 1 to 4 for different
Presets changing different amps and effects while switches five through eight
Will have the effects on for each preset and I would like to switch 5-8 on and off if I need to I can do it if I hold F1 down The light blinks I can change presets one through four but can't change any of the effects on switches 5-8 until I tap it again but is that the only way to do it ?
 
you should not press (or hold) F1 before switching presets. If you have set up your footswitches (1-4) to change presets, they are ready all the time
 
MBJ said:
Got my AX8 yesterday my 1st Fractal Product it's truly amazing! I'm having a
Problem setting up the switches I want to set switches 1 to 4 for different
Presets changing different amps and effects while switches five through eight
Will have the effects on for each preset and I would like to switch 5-8 on and off if I need to I can do it if I hold F1 down The light blinks I can change presets one through four but can't change any of the effects on switches 5-8 until I tap it again but is that the only way to do it ?
Click to expand...

This is the config I wound up going with. I used one of the empty banks, created one model preset and, based on Chris's suggestion above, I programmed switch 5 for Scene 1/2. Scene 1 has amp/cab X and scene 2 has a Y amp/cab. Switch 8 is set for a filter/boost. So now I have 1 bank with 4 presets, 8 amp options, and a couple of effects options. When I last gigged the XL, this is how I had the MFC configured. Works great! YMMV.
 
MBJ said:
Got my AX8 yesterday my 1st Fractal Product it's truly amazing! I'm having a
Problem setting up the switches I want to set switches 1 to 4 for different
Presets changing different amps and effects while switches five through eight
Will have the effects on for each preset and I would like to switch 5-8 on and off if I need to I can do it if I hold F1 down The light blinks I can change presets one through four but can't change any of the effects on switches 5-8 until I tap it again but is that the only way to do it ?
Click to expand...
Download the free Ax8-edit software from the Support/Utilities tab from the fractal website and setup your switches using the software. You can set specific switches as "global" or assign each switch differently for every patch, X/Y option and/or scene. I found it much easier than trying to figure it out directly from the hardware alone.
 
I'm just plugging in a cheap external midi board (midibuddy, since it will fit in the same bag as my AX8) for 10 preset selections. I use all of the switches on the AX8 for stompbox CC's, scenes, etc. All programmable per preset. Works great, still much smaller and lighter than my previous rig.

I really love the "assignable per preset" option on the AX8 footswitches and hope Fractal does something like this for the next version of the MFC. What a useful feature. No more switches taken up by blocks that aren't in the preset. Go figure.
 
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