davetherrien Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted January 27, 2023 Share Posted January 27, 2023 OR you could take an hour or two to learn the basics of using MIDI, get a proper MIDI pedal and have a MUCH MORE powerful controller. Yes, it costs more* (the Morningstar MC8 is around $300). It can also be used to control ANYTHING MIDI - plugins, pedals, MFX - ANYTHING! Up to 16 devices at a time! Maybe you don't NEED all that power. Today. When I first bought my FCB1010* it was solely to control Amplitube and Guitar Rig. Now I use it to control those and more, my DAW, my HXS (gets it off the floor) and, oh yeah, I COULD use it for my Catalyst, too, except that my Catalyst is in the STUDIO (the FCB and HXS are in the OFFICE). In the studio I control everything from my Helix. Not as powerful (re MIDI) as either the FCB/UNO2* or the much more powerful Morningstar MC8, but sufficient for my current needs (Catalyst, Powercab, iOS apps (AUM and ToneX) multiple plugins and DAW). The MIDI implementation helped make buying Helix a no-brainer. Never mind that the total number and quality of FX in Helix beats the $!#% out of Katana before you even consider the amps and the amount of control possible with snapshots. Speaking of snapshots - with a Catalyst and a proper MIDI controller you get not only 12 presets, but the ability, within those presets, to control amp settings (just like Helix), effects choices (maybe you want to substitute a different MOD or temporarily replace one type of FX with another), FX level/mix/position pre/post) and XLR settings (cab/mic). I doubt it will happen, but all L6 needs to do is enable MIDI for the actual FX parameters and you would literally have Helix level snapshot control without a Helix! If it sounds like I'm selling MIDI, you're right, I am. It totally pi$$e$ me off that the myth persists amongst guitar players that MIDI is voodoo rocket science. It's not, and the average player is NOT too stupid to learn how to use it. Lastly and FWIW - I had a Katana 100 MK1 and a GAFC. Underwhelming at best. But then, once you've gone Helix and MIDI... In case I've piqued your interest in using MIDI with your Catalyst I've attached a "Basic MIDI" primer. This was part of a longer explanation of how to use MIDI with Helix CommandCenter, so just ignore those references. *The FCB1010 is cheap, big, ugly and virtually indestructible (Slipknot uses them on-stage covered in plastic to protect them from the blood...). If you get one and replace the stock chip with the UNO2 chip, it's even more powerful than the MC8. It does require actual programming but, again, not rocket science, and I can provide assistance by posting here: uno@fcb1010.groups.io | Home MIDI Basics.txt 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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