The Pedal Box and Pedal Board Thread

[Durisian]

Hi Guys,

I've almost finished my first MIDIbox.

It started out as simple extension to add an extra expression pedal for my fcb1010 floorboard. I wrote a custom application, once I realised how easy programming in C and using MIOS could be I got a little carried away!! :)

My Pedal Box Setup

I built this becuase I wanted a little extra control over my V-Amp, the FCB1010 is a great floorboard but with extra expression pedals makes it so much simpler to use.

Midi chain: FCB1010 -> Pedal Box -> V-Amp

The FCB1010 Floorboard does most of the work. Pedal Box displays incoming midi messages as if they were a AIN or DIN input. So it sems like one controller.

I only use one extra pedal (for volume control), I will probably add a few more when I get some more cash - I like having control of my gear :D

Application Supports:

• 8 Expression Pedals or Pedal inputs (CV / 10k pot)
  
• Option for pedals to follow program change messages - changing the midi messages sent
  
• Value scaled between pre-defined min and max values (can also be different for each program change)
  
  
  • Can be setup to control up to 8 devices over 8 channels (1 bankstick required per device)
    
  • Each pedal or button has it’s own device assignment
    
  • Individual ‘device tables’ files allows easy...ish customization for different MIDI devices.
    
  • Settings configurable from box. (this is a very slow process but can you help you out in pinch, it’s far quicker to edit the default setup before uploading).
    
    
    • LCD Display
      
    • Named Program Changes
      
    • Named CC events
      
    • Meter displaying value/on/off
      
    • up to 9 specific CC value name tables for effect selection, etc
      
    • Tap Tempo BPM display
      
      
  • Pedal Board mode (max 34 buttons)
    
  • Up to 16 fixed midi output buttons with LED indicators
    
  • Up to 16 banked buttons for up to 128 midi commands with up to 16 LED indicators
    
  • Buttons toggle between a pre-defined min and max value
    
  • 2 modes for buttons: switching or momentary
    
  • Bank displayed on 2×7 segment LED digits or LCD
    
  • Bank Up / Down buttons
    
    
    
    The main application is written in C.
    I tried to make it as simple as possible to customise for your own equipment.
    Midi device files are written in assembly, they upload directly to a bankstick. Currently I've got files for Behringer V-Amp series and Line 6 POD 2 / Pro. A skeleton is also available to make your own. I'll make some more when I get a little time.
    
    I've written more detailed info in the wiki:
    http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/pedal_box
    
    For those seeking floorboard software - I would appreciate your input into this project. Is there some functionality you would like to see? other devices supported? Let me know your thoughts.
    
    Cheers!!

[stryd_one]

Very nice work!! :)

Great, everythings great... Awesome... Look at the doco.. look at the features... look at the code... lovely man.

[Sasha]

Good job Durisian. ;) Well done documentation! Congratulations.

[Durisian]

Thanks guys!!

I think all the major bugs are out the code now!!  ::)

Maybe there's some beta testers out there  :D

[Jaicen]

If it can be configured for use with a Flextone II, i'd be interested in building one at some point. I'll look over your documentation and see wether it will be what i'm after. Nice work!

[Durisian]

I revisited the Line 6 stuff the other day.

The POD file I made needs to be redone, it's not quite right.

In doing that it should be the same config as the flextone II. As far as I can tell the MIDI implementation appears to be identical. And similar for all Line 6 amp modellers.

[TEL0000]

Hi Durisian,

i found the midibox-website only today, so i don't know very much about midibox.

And sorry for my bad english. I'm from germany. But i hope you will understand me anyway.

I was searching for a midi-controler resembling to yours, and i just want to ask you if this is possible with your pedalbox or pedalboard.

I have a Yamaha 01v mixing console, where every song is saved. My idea is, to control this by the pedalboard.

So i need to save the songs in the pedalboard. I want to change the songs with two pedals (previous/next).

When i change the song, a songspecific program change message must be sent to the mixing console.

Maybe i also need one pedal to tap the tempo, and sending a midi-clock.

The other pedals should be programable for each song with control change messages.

And the order of songs should be programable too.

So now my question. Is this possible with your pedalbox or pedalboard?

[ilmenator]

Hi TEL0000,

welcome to the MIDIbox community! I'm not Durisian, but I think I can help clarifying some points  ;).

What you mean by pedal is actually a momentary switch / a button ("Fusstaster"). Durisian's pedals are volume or control pedals ("Fusspedal"). Their output is equivalent to a voltage that is sampled at the analog inputs of the MIDIbox core module, whereas you want to use the digital inputs. Therefore, what you have in mind is even easier than what Durisian has done here.

I suggest you have a look at the MIDIO128 project. With only minor code modifications you can achieve what you want. Just replace the buttons with the more sturdy version that you call "foot pedal" (this would be "Fusstaster" in German) and there you are. The only important thing is that some kind of contact is closed (or opened) - this is the event that will trigger the MIDI message.

I suggest you do some more reading and then come back with more questions if you have! People around here are really helpful if you do your homework well (it's a DIY community, after all)  :).

Best regards, ilmenator

[Durisian]

... *wakes from hibernation*

**thinks: damn my test core is still fried, hoped that would fix itself :( **

Hi Tel

If I understand correctly, yes pedalboard will do it.

I think the trick your after is the cue system (gig control) which allows the patches to be triggered in any order with next/prev 'buttons'

The 'Pedals' can be set up to have different settings depending on the current patch.

(i must admit i've never tested this when patch change is triggered by gig control)

however the 'Buttons' can not.

You have 16 buttons available and a futher virtual 128 that are banked under 16 buttons (usually these would be program changes, but if your using gig control to change patches you can set them to whatever message you want).

I'm not sure why you want midi-clock (I assume you mean Midi Time Code) from a floorboard, pedalboard has no clock features. The tap tempo would only send a message to the o1v as a normal midi message, the o1v will then calculate the tempo bassed on time between recieving that message.

Cheers!

[FoneBone]

Hi Durisian,

I've got a Line6 HD147 and I'm controlling it via the MIDI-Footcontroller MF-1 by Nobels. But I like to switch some effects / modulations without changing the preset, so I ordered the parts to build a pedal board.

I've got one little question:

You've written, that you need a CV Pedal or pot for the minimum setup of the pedalbox /-board. Where do I connect it? I'm a really newbie in midibox and I hope this question isn't too stupid.

Btw: Is it possible to store a whole song setup with different sounds and effects, like the FX1-Midi Footcontroller from Axess Electronics?

Thanks a lot.

FoneBone

[stryd_one]

Welcome aboard fonebone (heh funny nick)

You can connect the pot to an AIN module, or if it's jus one, you can connect it directly to the core module. Have a search around, you'll surely find almost all that you need :)

Is it possible to store a whole song setup? and then some.

[FoneBone]

Is it possible to store a whole song setup? and then some.

"The SongSet Menu allows for the FX1's regular presets to be organized in a custom bank to create a song and multiple songs can then be arranged into a collection of custom banks (each bank represents a song) to create a setlist."  (part of the manual of the FX1 controller of Axess Electronics)

[stryd_one]

Sorry, that was the answer: "...and then some", meaning it could store more than just one song :)

[FoneBone]

Ahh,... okay. Sorry, but my english is not the best. :-)

Thanks.

[stryd_one]

Nor's mine, I'm Australian, and that's an American expression ;)

Here in .au, we'd say "and the rest" (as in, 'and the remainder')

[FoneBone]

I'm from germany and my last english-lesson is 16 years ago ;-)

I've got another little question: The HD147 from Line6 includes a tuner-function. Is it possible to use it with the pedal-board?

[Durisian]

Hi FoneBone

"The SongSet Menu allows for the FX1's regular presets to be organized in a custom bank to create a song and multiple songs can then be arranged into a collection of custom banks (each bank represents a song) to create a setlist." (part of the manual of the FX1 controller of Axess Electronics)

I've just checked out the FX1 manual.

I think what you want is when song number # (I call them patches in pedal baord) is activated. The buttons will change what midi events will be transmitted when pressed' date=' to match functions you would use for that song.-

Pedal Board cannot do that. (it's a good idea and is something i've considered - but flash memory on the PIC has been the major limitation. Perhaps in the future I will add something like this. But don't count it any time soon).

Instead when a song # is triggered, it sends out up to 32 standard midi messages (sysex is not supported) - See Rig Control in the Pedal box manual.

However it can do this for expression pedals (cv pedals). Each input can be set to have a different midi message depending on the current patch.

You can connect the pot to an AIN module' date=' or if it's jus one, you can connect it directly to the core module. Have a search around, you'll surely find almost all that you need

It's also in the pedal box wiki (Analog Inputs section).

The HD147 Tuner is activated by CC 69 (i think' date=' it's been a while) with a value 64 and up. And deactivated with CC 69 at a value 63 and below. So yes, a button can be configured as: Press once to activate tuner - press again to deactivate.

I've just finished off a very rough pc editor for pedal board. If you take a look you might get a better idea of how pedal board works and what it's capable of

PC Editor manual

[FoneBone]

Thanks. I'm still waiting for the main-parts to start with this project. I hope they'll arrive today. Meanwhile I've build my first bankstick for my pedalboard.

[FoneBone]

Okay, after soldering the boards and installing the software, I get this error:

Pedal board

Error             231

Is there any reference, which error number means what?

Thx.

FoneBone

EDIT:

I was able to delete this error by installing some other software to the banksticks. I got this error after installing your pbx_2beta1b software via MIOSStudio. After installing these other softwares (via MIOSStudio) I've tried to install your software via Pedal-Box-Editor (0.3beta) but it didn't worked ??? Any idea, what I did wrong?

IMG_0922 (Large).JPG

[FoneBone]

Here I go again....

Now I've uploaded Pedal Box/Board v2beta1b successfully via MIOSStudio without any error-messages (in MIOSStudio), but my LCD show always "Error 231".

After this I tried to upload the Master Bankstick via Pedalbox-Editor. LCD showed "Bankstick   UPDT", Upload Progess-Window showed "Upload started to Bankstick 0, Sending block 0 - 4a0". Then it stucked. I disconnected the core from DC and connected it again. Now Upload Progess showed "Upload OK, Sending Block: 4a0 - 940" and stucked again. I repeated this action until the window showed "Sending block: 8f60 - 9400, Upload OK, Upload Finished".

Same for Device Bankstick (0 - 9400), but in the end LCD showed "Pedal Board, Error 231".

After repeating this procedure for the Master Bankstick, the editor uploaded it by itself, but "Pedal Board, Error 231" stayed in LCD.

And again, same for Device Bankstick  ??? ??? ???

EDIT:

[glow=red,2,300]SUCCESS![/glow]

Now I've exported the syx-files and uploaded them via "sysexbox".

[stryd_one]

I don't suppose you tried searching the source code to find out what error 231 means?

[FoneBone]

I don't suppose you tried searching the source code to find out what error 231 means?

You're right... I'm a really newbie in this case, but I'll try to learn. ;)

[Durisian]

oops, don't think i published the error codes yet... ;D

23# means the master bankstick has been uploaded to bankstick #. not 0

There is no format checking on the banksticks yet. So it seems it gives this error with new banksticks as well.

The PC Editor is still very beta, and by no means complete.

The problem is very strange though...

Note: you shouldn't startup your midibox while your pc is half way through an upload - I've had to reload MIOS a few times because I did that.

the 'Upload OK' could be a translation problem. I think it's actually saying "I'm ready for the next block". Which is also sent at startup i believe.

Why it's not being recieved during upload I am unsure.

....hmmm...

The only thing I changed after I fried my core was the LCD showing 'Bankstick (the number was supposed to here) UPDT'.

This might be hindering the upload process.

Try this:

edit: link removed as it was not the problem

I've removed the LCD update before upload.

If it still plays up un-check 'use feedback from core'.

And if it still doesn't work... I've got work to do ;D

edit: added error codes to the manual in the wiki

[FoneBone]

Thanks.... I will try it during today and report in the later evening  ;D

[stryd_one]

Note: you shouldn't startup your midibox while your pc is half way through an upload - I've had to reload MIOS a few times because I did that.

Ahh no, you should start the upload by starting the midibox.

MIDIbox OFF

MIOS Studio

Hex upload

Smart mode

Wait for upload request

Select file

Start upload (click the button, nothing should upload yet)

MIDIbox ON

Upload begins

Upload completes without errors

If that doesn't work, it's time for the midi troubleshooting guide. Fonebone, I'm talking to you. Read my signature ;)