In my struggle to find simple and functional solutions to work with Gig Performer, I would like to be able to use a pedal/switch that would allow me to perform two very simple functions: next rackspace and previous rackspace.
Yesterday I tried another Boss pedal (https://www.boss.info/us/products/fs-6/). It’s a double pedal and so I expected to be able to use each of the pedals (A and B) to control different functions. To my regret, my ARTURIA Keylab Essential 88 does not take advantage of the potential of the double pedal and only sends a midi command, regardless of which pedal (A or B) I use.
Furthermore, if I use a stereo cable to connect the pedal (which is mandatory if I intend to use 2 pedals) my Arturia only identifies pedal B, which suggests that the jack input only accepts mono.
In short, the only jack input on my Arturia (identified as “sustain”) only allows sending 1 midi command, whatever it may be (midi note, program change, sustain, etc.).
So, what I would like to know is if it is possible for me to have a midi controller (pedal with 2 or 3 buttons or pedals) that I can use with the Arturia Keylab to control some functions of the Gig Performer.
Do this pedals send MIDI messages?
I would not use an analog foot controller to control a hardware and this hardware should control Gig Performer.
Best you use a MIDI Foot Controller.
What midi foot controller would you recomend (maximum of 3 pedals) and how would I connect it to Gig Performer?
Sorry for the noob question. This is all new for me
I am successfully using one of those analog on/off pedals, the kind you used for turning on or off reverb, or something else, on an old guitar amp, to swithch to the next rackspace. You have to use one of the AUX inputs of the Arturia, and do some setup in the control program for the Arturia.
It was my intention to write to you about how I did this, after having anwered a question from you about something pedal related some days ago.
I’m on my way out just now, but will try to write something about it later this evening.
As I said in OP I am using a single pedal too, and it does what it is suposed to do. The problem is I can only assing one function (in case, “next rackspace”)
There are no AUX imputs on arturia. Only a “sustain” input.
using Arturia Midi software, you can select any midi funtion to that (a midi note or a midi CC) but thats all. If you conect a cable to a foot controller with 2 or 3 pedals, all the pedals send the same midi message.
Forget about connecting a MIDI controller to your Arturia, which is neither possible nor useful for managing GP, and consider connecting a MIDI controller directly to your computer.
2 examples for 2 solutions:
USB MIDI controllers: I use a Line6 FBV Express MKII. 4 footswiches + 1 expression pedal
analog controllers + analog to USB converter : I also use in addition a MIDI Expression Quattro. 4 TRS inputs for analog footswiches or expression pedals.
There are models with 1, 2 or 4 inputs
the pipes as they are called have a variety of solutions , you can do almost anything you can imagine , if you’re interested I’ll drill down into it , but just from memory I created a control split that would alternate between two values from one input , this way you could have one motion assigned to two different things , mind you just thinking about previous and next wouldn’t that get you into a catch 22 where you could only go one step up , next and then one step down previous , hmmm , that may not work in this case , but midi pipe is something to consider for solutions such as these …
I also use the MIDI Expression Quattro and it works great for me. I connect a Boss FS-5U and a Moog EP-3 expression pedal and it works wonderfully for me.
If I understand you right, with the MIDI Expression Quattro I coud connect up to 4 analog pedals (could be 4 Boss FS-5U) and then configure GP so that any of those pedals would perform the desired action. is that right?
That seems to be a nice solution as I can choose how many (up to 4) pedals I want
I use two of these.
There’s a configuration app for the unit where you can define which type of pedal you’re using/wanting to emulate, which MIDI messages you want to send from each pedal etc. GP will then receive those messages and you can do with them whatever you’re wanting to do.
The features are similar for both devices, but be careful: Audiofront devices connect to the computer via USB to transmit MIDI messages, but the DOREMiDi MPC-20 connects via MIDI DIN, so you need an audio interface with a MIDI DIN input, USB is only for powering.
I am kind of lost here. Shouldnt the midi interface be connected directly in the PC/MAC usb port?
Can I connect it to a MIDI port on my audio interface (MOTU M6)? If I do that, will I still be able to use it with Gig Performer?
I am trying to find alternatives to “Expression Quatro” as it is kind of expensive and it will be even expensier to order it in Portugal. However, I cant find anything alike.
Yes, this is the right connection to make: the midi signal from the controller will pass through the Motu to the computer and in GP you will find it in a MIDI IN block (Motu MIDI Port 1 or something similar).
Then you can assign footswitches to any widget or to Next/Previous variation/song part in the Options/Global Midi window.
Yes, the mkII line is a nice upgrade for the ports, which handle switches and continuous control pedals. They are nice to design a setup around, since you can have a variety of foot controls and no additional boxes.
In my case, I have a Kawai VPC1 (88) with three traditional pedals (sustain, soft, sostenuto), plus an Arturia Keylab 61 mkII, which gives me ports for five more discrete pedals. I had bought a Nektar Pacer to provide lots of footswitches, but I think it’s better suited to guitarists as a pedal board than for somebody sitting at a keyboard. With bigger, discrete foot controls, we can hit the right pedal without looking.
All that said, if you are pedal-starved, there could be solutions with just one or two pedals with some scripting or other clever setup. Here’s the sequence:
Point to the first Song in your Setlist.
Press the pedal to Play the Song.
While Playing, the pedal is now just a sustain pedal.
At the end of the Song, the pedal now has a next Song function.
After selecting the next Song, the pedal has a Play function.
Go to step 2.
Of course, you can also use any pad, switch, slider, or fader to do things as well, when your hands are free.
It’s actually very cool if you can use software to minimize the gear that you need. It keeps your setup uncluttered, means less gear to haul around, and if something breaks, it’s easier to deal with backup gear.
Yes. All those pedals is easily a problem. I also have an extra pedal to change pages, via Bluetooth, in forScore on my iPad, and it’s not that easy hitting it right evry time Looking for other solutions. They say there excists a unitrusive ring with a button that you can have on one of your fingers
Looking for other solutions. They say there excists a unitrusive ring with a button that you can have on one of your fingers