To the MIDI Masters: New Line6 FBV SB MKII - MIDI via USB?

[jarrett]

I've long thought the layout of the Line6 FBV Shortboard was the perfect form factor in a foot controller for me. HIstorically, they have had no MIDI connectivity though. I just noticed that Line6 released a new version of the FBV SB that has some MIDI functionality.

I'm not any good with midi configs, but was wondering if some of midi gurus on here could decipher this and see if the new Line6 FBV Shortboard MKII could be somehow used as a MIDI controller for the Axe-FX. Here are some of the excerpts I found:

"FBV CONTROL SOFTWARE
Take full advantage of FBV Shortboard MkII with the free and downloadable FBV Control software. The application shows you a graphical representation of your FBV Shortboard MkII and lets you customize the midi commands you send via USB.
Assign each FBV control a MIDI CC, a bank change, a program change or even transport commands to drive many popular audio applications including ProTools®, Propellerhead Reason® and Record, and more!"

There a couple of PDFs on configuring MIDI here:
http://line6.com/data/l/0a060072c8d3477 ... 20(Rev%20E)%20-%20English.pdf
http://line6.com/data/l/0a060072179794a ... 20(Rev%20A)%20-%20English.pdf
I'm assuming a custom USB to MIDI cable would need to be used, but wondering if it could work.

 

[miketheman]

Not a MIDI master by far, but knows some and also knows some microprocessor/electronics.

Unfortunately, I´m having a bad internet connection at the moment so I couldn´t reach your links or Line6 site at all (but still able to be here on this forum strangely enough). Based on the vague information you had in your post, I´m going to elaborate on my thoughts on this:

It seems that you are able to program the FBV SB mkII to transmit different kinds of MIDI messages that audio apps responds to. But that is inside the computers domains, question is what it takes to get it to the outside world to your Axe. I guess a computer isn´t an option, unless you´re never gonna play live with your Axe. Cause in that case it might be doable already inside midi-OX (with its routing capabilities).

USB is one kind of dataprotocol, MIDI is another. Electronics and data rate of both differs, but it isn´t impossible to develop an interface between them. However, I guess that the FBV SB mkII usb connection is bi-directional which MIDI is not.

Even though it is an USB connector, the FBV SB mkII data output might differ from other regular USB connections.
What I mean is that it´s possible that the data information within that cable doesn´t necessarily be within the USB as of the specification of its dataprotocol. It could be that you have to always be connected (with your USB cable to your computer) to your FBV control software and have it re-transmit your actions but with the output being within the MIDI dataprotocol (which your audio apps can read and respond to). In that case you´re not able to just have a regular USB-MIDI converter, which you already are aware of as you mention the word: custom.

On the other hand, if we assume some things. Mankind are lazy by nature, so hopefully it isn´t any unknown voodoo protocol that just happens to use USB connectors. So perhaps is the datainformation within that cable readable by your Axe (without any computers/control software in between) if you had an interface. That custom interface needs to deal with USB, both with its dataprotocol and electrically AND convert it electrically a bit and "downgrade it" to MIDI dataprotocol.

Perhaps you´re able to figure something out of these thoughts/questions IF you are able "open" the FBV SB mkII as an midi INPUT interface into midi-OX, and there decipher the information in the monitor window. If it looks anything like MIDI/SysEx then it might be worth to go further on this path. If it doesn´t looks familiar or you´re not even able to "open" and read the datastream from the USB cable. Then I guess the only way is to hook it up into an logic analyzer and reverse-engineer that foot controller. Doable? Yes. Worth it? Not a single cent. The money/time spent to do that is huge, at least compared to what results you end up in. A footcontroller "converted" to a, uhm, footcontroller. Only time it would be worth considering it, is if you´re about to study electronics/microprocessor/programming and could have this as a project in school.

My best advice would be, find a assembled PCB/microprocessor that allows you to wire switches to it and have it transmit MIDI messages. There are a lot of this kind of products out there. Copy the layout/form factor of Line6 FBV SB, build/order your own chassi, mount your switches, solder/wire it up and off you go (with a bit of trial and error).

Didn´t mean to give you bad vibes about this, but this project could end up in nothing but money/time lost (but hopefully fun in the meantime at least).

/Mike

 

[srooijens]

While in theory this could be done, in real life you'll need a computer hooked up to the FBV and a MIDI interface with drivers for both and some MIDI routing in software. Not going to happen any other way IMO.