FBV shortboard mkii function1 location

[rocarama]

Hello everybody,

 

I have a spidervalve mkii combo amp paired with an FBV shortboard mkii footcontroller.  I understand the only way to access the boost function in the amp (while playing live) is thru the function 1 button on the shortboard.  My gripe is the location of that switch.

 

As a lead guitarist, I use function 1 button very often.  For eg.  I do a souped up version of  "Born to be wild" with 16 solos in it (14 short solos, 2 main solos).  I need to step on this button 32 times just for this one song! ~ (1 to turn the boost on, 1 to turn it off).

 

Because the button is located right at the top of the board, I need to raise one whole foot (and stand on just 1 leg), tip the toe down, be accurate making sure I don't accidentally step on any adjacent buttons like ~ the stomp, or function 2 or the bank up/down switches, do all this while gyrating on stage to the music, with a guitar strapped on ~(center of gravity slightly forward), both hands playing, do all this while being slightly pissed and slightly overweight ~ is no easy feat.  Repeating this process 32 times accurately for the above song mentioned is harder than playing the song itself!  I know, I can make it easier by reducing the gyration, alcohol intake and probably diet, but this will mean limiting my enjoyment as well.  I'm also aware I can assign another channel (say channel B) with just the boost turned on ~ to save lifting up one whole foot ( and standing on 1), but I'm the kind of guy who likes using just 1 bank of 4 channels for all my songs.  I don't want to get into the trap of assigning a whole bank of channels just for 1 song, unless that song specifically needs say pitch sliding, or other less used effects.  Building up a log of banks makes it harder to remember what is what.  I spend a lot of time adjusting the saved volume level on each channel so that when I change channels, my volume is right.  More banks = more channels = more time spent adjusting volume!

 

I'm surprised line6 has not realised this issue to be a "real" problem for lead guitarists for so long that this product has been out.  I'm not even sure if the FBV3 board has addressed this issue, the manual is not out yet.  But by looking at it, I don't think so.  The "prime real estate" on the pedalboard is buttons A to D and the tap tempo/tuner buttons, ie buttons a player can step on just by raising their toes, not the entire foot, so they can still maintain their balance while playing.  A tuner button, for eg, a player would use it in between songs or before a set where they can do it at their own leisure time (yes, they can stand on 1 foot to do it), tap tempo is important for players who delve in delays or modulation but that effect would have to be fairly strong for them to want control it.  For most players, we just set and forget the tempo until we realise it doesn't fit the song, then we control it.  But a boost button is far more important for a lead guitarist and it should occupy a spot on the "prime real estate" area of the board, ie right at the front.

 

I have thought of modifying the board myself to include an 1/4 inch jack socket so that I can control the boost with an external footswitch just to avoid the dreaded 1 foot tap dance.  There is a socket for the expression pedal which unfortunately cannot control boost.  Opening the board, I realised the switches are momentary switches, ie digital, and I was afraid I might fry some components from static.  So I'm apprehensive about attempting the modification.

 

But a far more pragmatic approach is for Line 6 to offer a software update for guitarists to have a choice of swapping the function of the tap/tempo button for either function 1 or function 2.  Wouldn't this be the best option?  Will Line6 do it?  Again, I'm very surprised Line6 has not thought of this idea, aren't there lead guitarists giving inputs to the design and function of the pedalboard?  Am I the first???

[LeePollard]

That is an excellent summation of the exact issue I am researching.  I don't even use the TAP button but the F1 switch requires concentration ... and I share the same conditioning, center of gravity and consumption issues as the masterful creator of this post.

[thorneven]

Same complaint here.  I would like the option to swap the top and bottom rows as far as their functions.  That is, top row selects presets A-D and bottom row selects FX.

[chrisgrav]

Hello everybody,

 

I have a spidervalve mkii combo amp paired with an FBV shortboard mkii footcontroller.  I understand the only way to access the boost function in the amp (while playing live) is thru the function 1 button on the shortboard.  My gripe is the location of that switch.

 

As a lead guitarist, I use function 1 button very often.  For eg.  I do a souped up version of  "Born to be wild" with 16 solos in it (14 short solos, 2 main solos).  I need to step on this button 32 times just for this one song! ~ (1 to turn the boost on, 1 to turn it off).

 

Because the button is located right at the top of the board, I need to raise one whole foot (and stand on just 1 leg), tip the toe down, be accurate making sure I don't accidentally step on any adjacent buttons like ~ the stomp, or function 2 or the bank up/down switches, do all this while gyrating on stage to the music, with a guitar strapped on ~(center of gravity slightly forward), both hands playing, do all this while being slightly pissed and slightly overweight ~ is no easy feat.  Repeating this process 32 times accurately for the above song mentioned is harder than playing the song itself!  I know, I can make it easier by reducing the gyration, alcohol intake and probably diet, but this will mean limiting my enjoyment as well.  I'm also aware I can assign another channel (say channel B) with just the boost turned on ~ to save lifting up one whole foot ( and standing on 1), but I'm the kind of guy who likes using just 1 bank of 4 channels for all my songs.  I don't want to get into the trap of assigning a whole bank of channels just for 1 song, unless that song specifically needs say pitch sliding, or other less used effects.  Building up a log of banks makes it harder to remember what is what.  I spend a lot of time adjusting the saved volume level on each channel so that when I change channels, my volume is right.  More banks = more channels = more time spent adjusting volume!

 

I'm surprised line6 has not realised this issue to be a "real" problem for lead guitarists for so long that this product has been out.  I'm not even sure if the FBV3 board has addressed this issue, the manual is not out yet.  But by looking at it, I don't think so.  The "prime real estate" on the pedalboard is buttons A to D and the tap tempo/tuner buttons, ie buttons a player can step on just by raising their toes, not the entire foot, so they can still maintain their balance while playing.  A tuner button, for eg, a player would use it in between songs or before a set where they can do it at their own leisure time (yes, they can stand on 1 foot to do it), tap tempo is important for players who delve in delays or modulation but that effect would have to be fairly strong for them to want control it.  For most players, we just set and forget the tempo until we realise it doesn't fit the song, then we control it.  But a boost button is far more important for a lead guitarist and it should occupy a spot on the "prime real estate" area of the board, ie right at the front.

 

I have thought of modifying the board myself to include an 1/4 inch jack socket so that I can control the boost with an external footswitch just to avoid the dreaded 1 foot tap dance.  There is a socket for the expression pedal which unfortunately cannot control boost.  Opening the board, I realised the switches are momentary switches, ie digital, and I was afraid I might fry some components from static.  So I'm apprehensive about attempting the modification.

 

But a far more pragmatic approach is for Line 6 to offer a software update for guitarists to have a choice of swapping the function of the tap/tempo button for either function 1 or function 2.  Wouldn't this be the best option?  Will Line6 do it?  Again, I'm very surprised Line6 has not thought of this idea, aren't there lead guitarists giving inputs to the design and function of the pedalboard?  Am I the first???

 

Try saving a tone with the function 1 light lit and another with the Function 1 light not lit. Hence on and off.

 

[thorneven]

Try saving a tone with the function 1 light lit and another with the Function 1 light not lit. Hence on and off.

 

That wastes 2 presets in 1 bank. I need to have at least 4 different presets in my banks.

[lumper]

If you download the control program for the mkII you can reassign function 1 to whatever you want and change it, so if you want function 1 to be where A is, you oughta be able to do that, just get the program and read the manual, I saw it in there when I was messing with it yesterday.