MIDI Target Manufacturer(s): Empress Effects Inc., Strymon
** update 12/15 2018... new version posted with some design improvements.
- tidier interface / added channel changer control via admin tab / removed label personalization related to my own presets / removed set list function as I think that was probably only useful to me (if anyone else found it useful let me know and I’ll add it back
** Original post
I was asked to share this layout, which is highly customized for my guitar pedalboard. Here are a few notes about whats in here, and how I use this.
-- This layout is built in iPad version of MDP2; usable with banks 1 and 2 loaded separately, or as "one big page." When I'm playing live I always set it to "one big page."
-- Bank 1 / Tab 1: "Trem 2" Has most of the MIDI-enabled functions for the Empress Tremolo 2 on MIDI Channel 1. I mainly use this to dial in sounds, which I then save as presets. Also includes MIDI controls for the Neunaber Expanse pedal, also on MIDI Channel 1. Note that MIDI control of the Expanse does not get captured by the pedal to save as a preset (only the physical state of the knobs).
-- Bank 2, Tab 1: "Phaser" Has most of the MIDI-enabled functions for the Empress Phaser on MIDI Channel 5. I'm trying to find a more elegant way to manage "presets" for this one. (Phaser does not have PC-enabled presets, but does accept CC messages for some - but not all - of the pedals parameters.) Also on this tab are the 8 presets for "MIDI POG 2" (just a plain old POG 2 with the microdesignum.cz MIDI module added) on MIDI channel 1.
-- Bank 1 & 2, Tab 2: MIDI control of the Strymon Big Sky on MIDI Channel 3. Tab 1 lets me pull up "Preset A" of each of the 99 banks. My on-board MIDI controller sends PC first, then CC so I can't practically use banks 43 or higher live (the Big Sky expects CC before PC) but I wanted to be able to access them to save extra presets to keep in reserve. I mainly use these pages to dial in presets during rehearsal. Bank 2 Tab 2 is especially useful as I can never remember what the different parameters are for the different reverb engines; I find this UI much simpler than the pedal itself.
-- Bank 1 & 2, Tab 3: MIDI control of the Empress Echosystem on MIDI Channel 2. Mainly used to dial in presets during rehearsal. There is a panel on Bank 2, Tab 6 to save presets. Its on a separate tab to avoid accidentally overwriting existing presets. As with the Big Sky, I can never remember what the different parameters are for the different delay engines; I find this UI much simpler than the pedal itself.
-- Bank 1, Tabs 4 and 5 are buttons that send PC the Switch Doctor (master loop/MIDI controller) on MIDI Channel 4 to bring up the first scene of songs currently in the rotation. Legend to decode the colors: yellow = that scene not yet in use; pink = scene 1 of a song; blue/green/white/orange/purple means Expression Pedal is assigned to Big Sky / Phaser / EchoSystem / Tremolo / or Expanse respectively for that song. The Switch Doctor then sends PC / CC to the various pedals based on settings for that scene. From there I often navigate to other scenes via the Switch Doctor. These buttons also pulls up the correct song tempo via PC to the Disaster Area Smart Clock also on Channel 4. From these tabs, I can copy those songs into….
-- Bank 2, Tabs 4 and 5 which are set lists. In this snapshot of the layout you can see the two most recent sets I played. I’ll also copy certain MIDI controls I may want to adjust on the fly live to these tabs.
-- Bank 2, Tab 6 is just Admin space I use for extra or temporary stuff
Hopefully you find some of this useful in your own rig, or at least it gives you some ideas for how to implement MIDI control of your rig.
