Potentially useful pedal for use with Helix - AMT FS-2 MIDI

[zappazapper]

https://amtelectronics.com/new/amt-fs-2midi/

 

I have an LT, running 4CM with my Mesa Boogie .50 Caliber+

 

For whatever reason, the LT does not fully disable the 5-band EQ on my Boogie when using Ext Amp (sound is still affected when EQ is supposed to be disabled...  Rhythm/Lead works fine with LT, EQ works fine with standard footswitch).

 

I've owned a Disaster Area Designs Smart Switch 2 (2 channel footswitch with MIDI) for some time but it doesn't respond to CC messages (despite the manual claiming it does), and it doesn't transmit any CC messages. It responds to PC messages just fine, and you can even set it to ignore certain PC messages, but the reason I bought a Helix was because I want to do more in-preset and I want to simplify the controls so that often I can do everything with a single footswitch (I sing a lot in my band and having to look where my feet are all the time is distracting). I upgraded from an X3L which, for example, wouldn't let you go from a dirty sound to a clean sound with chorus and back with a single footswitch press if you were using 4CM (can't use LOOP block on both TONES).

 

There are also other channel-switching options, like the Voodoo Labs Control Switcher and many similar units, but that unit is like a set-top box with finger buttons. What originally attracted me to the Smart Switch 2 was that it had its own footswitches, giving me direct control over my amp and keeping control of other things on the multi-fx. Unfortunately, that unit had a lot of promise but never lived up to it. 

 

I thought I had researched every MIDI channel switching option under the sun, but yesterday I found the AMT FS-2 MIDI - a 2-channel footswitch that will respond to either PC or CC messages (not both at the same time), and will transmit CC messages. Basically with the Helix this will allow me to do things like, to use the example above, engage a chorus effect on the Helix when I switch from Lead to Rhythm mode on my amp, and turn it back off when I go back to Lead mode. It will also, for example, let me disable the EQ on my amp (I have it set for a very scooped metal rhythm sound) when I click on a the expression pedal toe switch for a wah. Bi-directional MIDI. Not to mention it adds two more footswitches to my setup that can be used even when I'm not using the FX Loop block, like switching between a clean amp model and a dirty amp model, or whatever I want. It also frees up the EXP2 jack on my LT so that I can add another expression pedal to my setup.

 

Anyway, it's a Russian-made product and it was WAY far down the list in a Google search and I thought that since this unit is going to be so useful for me that I would share it with everybody on here. 

[zappazapper]

So I just received the pedal in the mail and I'm testing it out.

 

First test - does it switch modes on my amp and FULLY switch out the EQ?

Yes it does.

Rhythm/Lead modes switch as desired, and EQ settings do not change sound when switch is dimmed.

Awesome. Check.

 

Second test - does it respond to MIDI CC messages?

Yes it does.

In Command Center I assigned FS10 to CC Toggle CC#14 and FS 11 to CC Toggle CC#15 and the FS-2 responds and switches modes and the EQ on my amp when I press the Helix footswitches.

Awesome. Check.

 

Third test - can I integrate it with Snapshots, without taking up a Helix footswitch?

Yes I can.

In Comman Center I assigned Instant #1 to MIDI CC#14, Value 0 and Instant #2 to MIDI CC#15, Value 0. Then I switched to Snapshot #2, went back into Command Center and changed the Values of both Instants to 127. Amp mode and EQ did not engage until I switched to Snapshot #1 and then back to Snapshot #2. But yes, once it is set up, I can use Snapshots to switch modes and engage the EQ on my amp without having to take up a Helix footswitch.

This is particularly useful as the Ext Amp function does not let us do this - the Ext Amp function does not let you specify whether the connection is made or broken, so if you assigned it to an Instant, it would make the connection (switch to lead mode on my amp) when loading the preset, but there was no parameter there to change to have it break the connection on another Snapshot. The only workaround I could figure out was to change the Select value to "2 (Ring)" on the desired Snapshots, but as I would theoretically be using the ring to engage/disengage my EQ (if it actually worked), this would have not provided me with the desired operation either. So this is a HUGE improvement for me.

Awesome. Check.

 

Fourth test - can I use the FS-2 MIDI to simultaneously bypass and/or modify parameters of blocks as I switch modes on my amp or engage/disengage the EQ on my amp from the FS-2, again leaving Helix footswitches available for other functions?

Yes and no.

Modifying parameters works fine as the Helix allows you to specify Min and Max Values, by bypass does not function as desired. The Helix does not treat MIDI the same way it treats its own footswitches, and also doesn't allow you to specify Min and Max values in Bypass Assign to manually define block behavior. With Helix footswitches, you simply engage or disengage the blocks that are assigned to that footswitch to the desired configuration for that state (say, when the switch is dim, you have a distortion off and a chorus on), and it will simply toggle all the assigned blocks when you hit the switch (switch goes lit, distortion turns on and chorus turns off). With an incoming MIDI CC, a value of 0 switches the block off and 127 switches it on, period. So in the aforementioned example, if I had the FS-2 switch dim, set the distortion off and the chorus on (both blocks being assigned to bypass on incoming MIDI), when I hit the switch on the FS-2 to lit, both blocks would now be on, and hitting the switch on the FS-2 again to dim would then turn both blocks off. And again, there are no Min and Max Values in Bypass Assign to manually define the behavior of the blocks.

This is disappointing.

 

Well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. It's a vast improvement over my amp's EQ not switching out completely, and even if it did work properly before, I think the improvements to Snapshot use are worth the $180 Canadian I spent. My issue wasn't going to be fixed with any software update so I didn't particularly care how insufficient the Ext Amp function on the Helix was. But now the insufficient incoming MIDI implementation is an issue for me, so now I'm hoping that someone can direct me to an IdeaScale idea that is already seeking to address this issue. If there isn't one I will gladly submit one myself.