Swapping FS1-4 for FS5-8 for Live

[ScottMcW]

Hello,

 

Typically FS1-4 are used to change effects within a preset. And FS5-8 are used to change overall presets.

 

So, if I want to play clean during a verse and stomp on Distortion during the chorus, I'd assign Dist to FS1. Then I'd toggle that during a song. But, it can be tricky in the heat of things to hit FS1 mid song without accidentally hitting FS5 or FS6 and triggering a completely different preset (I'm pretty nimble, but sometimes my size 12 checkered Vans just don't want to listen to me).

 

It would be much easier to swap those settings, so now I can just hit FS5 to go into Distortion. And then at the end of the song, I can delicately reach up and hit FS1-4 to go to the preset for the next song. In theory I could build two presets (one with Dist and one without and swap between those in a setlist, but of course swapping between presets has a bit of a pause, and that won't work.

 

I'm in a cover band and therefore have a lot of specific presets for our songs. I am currently using at least 8 full banks for a normal gig. Otherwise I think I could use the other footswitch mode that basically gives me 8 effects.

 

The other possibility I thought about was an external pedal that might let me just trigger one effect per preset (or group a few together). I know I can get an external Expression pedal, but haven't seen anything that's just a single button that seems to work.

 

An example song is "In A Big Country". When we get to the screaming bagpipe parts I want to kick on the 3 Pitch Glides I have to get that Stuart Adamson sound (one octave up, one octave down, one on 5ths, all at 30% mix).

 

All advice is welcomed!

[edstar1960]

If you only change patch (preset) between songs then why not always use FS5-8 pedal board mode?

 

That way you can have the effects you want to toggle on/off during a song on the bottom row of FS as you prefer.  Then at the end of the song you simply use the BANK Up/DOWN footswitches followed by the A/B/C/D selection to get to the next pre-programmed patch with a new set of FX for the new song.

[ScottMcW]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I'll need to read up on that mode as I was thinking it was limited. But maybe combined with the banks it could work. Thank you for the direction!

[edstar1960]

No it's not limited - it just means you have to press two switches to navigate to the next patch rather than go direct as in the ABCD mode.  You can still have multiple patches all saved ready for use in FS5-8 pedal board mode.  And if you only do it in between songs then you have plenty of time to swap to the next patch.

[Antman74]

I've experimented with this and found the fs5-8 mode really useful. I found I was using the same amp (s) but wanted more pedals to use on/off just like a 'real'amp/ pedal situation. I now have the best of both worlds...and labelled up my foot switches. .

[giallanon]

You can also use the volume pedal to turn the distortion on/off (by playing with mix parameter).

The volume pedal is big enoug that you won't miss it.

 

I use it to move from rhythm to lead sound because, as you said, I sometimes find hard to hit the right FSx

[Rewolf48]

If you occasionally need to switch patches, but generally want to stick with one patch and control FX blocks, then 5-8 mode + a MIDI feedback loop and MIDI Program Change commands programmed on the upper switches could achieve what you need.