HX Effects and Morningstar ML5 - Snapshop mode issues..

[PortVincent]

Hi... I'm using a Morningstar ML5 along with my HX effects. HX being the main controller and the ML5 is for my external analogue pedals (no midi pedals). Works super fine when I'm in preset mode - here I'm able to switch settings on my ML5 when switching presets on the HX effects using the learn mode on ML5.  However, when I go to snapshot mode I can't make it work. Here things get really complicated. In snapshot mode, how can I switch loops on my ML5? In example - clean sound in(snapshot1) and overdrive in snapshot2 (using an OD pedal from one of the ML5 loops etc? Please help. I'm kinda lost:-)

[rd2rk]

I don't own the ML5, but MIDI is MIDI, and I had a quick look at how the ML5 works.

Yes, it does get complicated, but you need to describe EXACTLY what you're trying to accomplish before I can provide specific help.

General advice:

ICs and Toggling CCs assigned to footswitches both send on Preset load and Snapshot load. Use one or the other, not both.

If CLEAN is CC#1 and OD is CC#2, then in SS1 set IC1 to CC#1 with the ON Value (127?).

In SS2 set IC1 to CC#2 with the ON Value (127?).

 

SS=Snapshot

IC=InstantCommand

[PortVincent]

Thanks rd2rk. I thought I was being specific... Okay everyone says that snapshots is like presets within a preset. However, snapshots are nothing like presets when it comes to programming. Apparently, a lot of users including myself want to know how to switch pedals that are in the HX's fx loops on and off in snapshot mode?  Speaking for myself, I would prefer ICs to send snapshot loads. I did read from the ML5 manual that cc 1-5 values above 64 engages the individual loops. CC1 is loop A. CC2 is loop B etc... So if I want the loop A to be active I turn the value up to 127. Is this also what you're saying? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SVAR

 

 

[rd2rk]

ICs don't load Snapshots, they are a function WITHIN Snapshots and Presets.

When a function is assigned to an IC it runs both when the Preset loads and when you change Snapshots.

The ML5 is a Loop Switcher. If your FX are located within the ML5's Loops, you leave the FX ON and then send a CC to switch the ML5's Loops.

If your pedals are located within the HX Loops you simply SAVE the Snapshots with the FX ON and the relevant loops set to be active or bypassed.

Since you're using the ML5 within the HXS FX Loop you'll want to SAVE the Snapshots with the HXS FX Loop active UNLESS you don't want ANY of the effects in ANY of the ML5 loops to be in the signal chain.

 

The ML5 is using the standard ON/OFF values of 0-63=OFF and 64-127=ON. For simplicity's sake I (and L6) usually use 0=OFF and 127=ON.

 

FWIW but unrelated - If you're controlling something with 3 or 4 possible states you can divide the 0-127 range into 3 or 4 ranges. In this case you'd need to use separate non-toggling footswitches/CCs, since toggling only allows for 2 states. Non-toggling CCs assigned to footswitches are NOT sent when loading Presets OR Snapshots

 

Where this gets complicated is when you're activating different ML5 Loops in each Snapshot. If you combine Snapshot ICs and Toggling footswitches, BOTH the IC and the Toggling footswitches are sent when the Preset loads AND when the Snapshot loads. The IC always runs before the FS. Suppose that you want the Snapshot to load with ML5 FX Loop 1 (CC#1) ON. You would set the CC#1 Value in IC1 to 127. But if there's a Toggling footswitch assigned with its defaults (DIM=0, LIT=127, the IC turns the Loop ON and then the Toggling FS turns it OFF! This MIGHT not happen if the ML5 requires a WAIT between MIDI commands, or it could happen randomly! Random=BAD!

 

If you use the FS to turn it back ON, then switch to SS2, the FS sends it's default OFF Value. When you reload SS1, the FS remembers that it last sent OFF, so it sends it's default ON Value, even though in SS1 it was set to send OFF. Confused yet? It gets stranger and stranger the more Snapshot FS combinations you use. You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out which logic is at play in each combination (believe me, I have done that!), but it's a LOT easier just to remember to use either ICs or Toggling footswitches, but not BOTH.

 

[PortVincent]

Thank you so much... Your explanation makes so much sense and also states the sometimes completely "this makes no sense"/"it drives my crazy" issues that you face in a proces like this :-)  Anyway, thanks for taking the time to sort this out for me and hopefully many other users...