Why cant you assign modifiers to Global Performance controls?

Shahar

Shahar

Experienced
I have an external MIDI keyboard (Akai MPK25) and I want to map several knobs to the Gain, BMT, and Presence. I mapped the knobs to the External modifiers and it works great. The problem I ran into is that I dont want to reprogram all the presets to add modifiers to the Amp1 controls. So I figured I will use the Global Performance controls, however it looks like modifiers are not working for Global Performance controls. Is this by design? Is there a workaround to map the knobs globally to those amp settings?

Thanks,
Shahar
 
Been asking for this ever since performance controls were added. IMHO it would be even more valuable for per-preset performance controls. That way you could define a few parameters that you consider most important for each preset, and always/easily have midi control of them.
 
When you attach a modifier on something it will only listen to the new controller and not take any edits anymore done manually from the usual knobs, the global controllers or even the editor. To edit the value you need to do it from the attached controller.
This is by design, it's not an issue.

It seems surprising when things don't work that easily, but remember, when Fractal came up with implementing all the controller abilities, they were the global leaders with that by far. Though I don't know what other stuff came up since. It's almost 15 years now since my first Ultra.
 
666was999 said:
When you attach a modifier on something it will only listen to the new controller and not take any edits anymore done manually from the usual knobs, the global controllers or even the editor. To edit the value you need to do it from the attached controller.
This is by design, it's not an issue.

It seems surprising when things don't work that easily, but remember, when Fractal came up with implementing all the controller abilities, they were the global leaders with that by far. Though I don't know what other stuff came up since. It's almost 15 years now since my first Ultra.
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I’m not sure about that, I would imagine that the default value (saved preset value) should take first precedence, then front panel, then controller.
 
Shahar said:
I’m not sure about that, I would imagine that the default value (saved preset value) should take first precedence, then front panel, then controller.
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No. There are start-up values for external controllers in the setup menu. And the unit boots with these values. After that they keep their value over scene and preset changes. They work globally. They don't change until you send them a new value. When you edit the start-up value they update instantly however.
 
Shahar said:
I’m not sure about that, I would imagine that the default value (saved preset value) should take first precedence, then front panel, then controller.
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Generally speaking, a modifier has priority. Unless you have 'PC Reset' set to 'On' in the Edit Modifier Window. Then that parameter will initially load with the 'saved value'.

At that time, that parameter can be edited via the editor, including the 'Performance' page. and the new 'saved value' saved to the preset, if desired. But once the controller is moved, that parameter is 'locked' to that controller. You have to re-load the preset to 'unlock' it.
 
Moke said:
Unless you have 'PC Reset' set to 'On' in the Edit Modifier Window. Then that parameter will initially load with the 'saved value'.
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Ah right, I did not see, that way of working with them. Makes lot's of sense when working with a computer.
 
I still think modifiers should work on Global Presets. Here's a scenario, you want to change gain using an expression pedal when playing presets. Right now only External1 is mapped (usually to Wah1) in the 300+ presets. Maybe it can be done outside of using modifiers on Global Performance, like a global controller option on the block itself. It would be super handy.
 
As Moke says, there are two answers to the question about what value any remotely controlled parameter will have when loading the preset.

However, that's not really relevant to this wish. There is already a well-defined protocol for how parameters are remotely controlled. This wish is a request to simply extend that capability to performance controls.
 
The system that truly works is global mapping directly to controls of various blocks, skipping the modifier system completely and thus not forcing the modifier to override the ability to control that param from front panel or Axe-Edit. Control does not exist? Mapping does nothing.

The only way to do this atm is via Sysex, which does not have a published specification and is also not easy to setup without writing a middleman app to translate CC -> Sysex with the checksums etc needed.

This is unfortunately a very weak part of the Axe-Fx 3. And all other modelers to be fair.

I just tried using my Stream Deck Plus (it has 4 encoders) as a MIDI controller and it could work really, really well for this if Fractal supported MIDI knob control better. I could be using Axe-Edit while having a tactile, real knob controller in front of me. That's way better than faffing around with virtual knobs on screen. But in its current state, it's just not a valid option because of the way modifiers override every other form of control.

A relatively easy interim fix would be a system that sends MIDI out CC value for external modifiers if PC Reset is ON. This would let you sync the controller with e.g a scene or preset change or whatever. It does not work for external modifiers mapped to multiple values but that's an acceptable compromise.

Example:
  1. Gain is mapped to external modifier 1 responding to MIDI CC 111.
  2. I send CC 111 value 50 to Axe-Fx 3, gain value changes to 4.0.
  3. I switch to scene 2, which has gain set to 6.0.
  4. Axe-Fx 3 translates 6.0 -> MIDI value ~76 and sends MIDI out CC 111 value 76.
  5. Controller now knows that control mapped to CC 111 value should be 76.
 
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