Sending PC and CC commands with preset change

[Daunton]

It's probably really easy and I'm missing something, or not possible -  either way help!

 

I am abandoning a specific loop/midi controller as 90% of my effects are Helix based anyway. I have a Helix floor and the 4 seed/returns are enough for my outboard effects. 

 

I am able to send PC and CC commands to them without any issues using Command Centre, which is so easy, love it.

 

What I'd really like to do is send initial setup PC commands to the outboard devices as I select a new preset, that is send Midi with preset change.

 

The issue is that I don't always want the last set of settings in those outboard boxes but do need specific settings as I as I switch presets.

 

Is this possible ands if so how please?

 

I really don't want to go back to using a loop controller just so I can send midi PC.

 

 

[phil_m]

This is what the Instant Commands (the lightning bolt icons) are for. Just set the MIDI PCs you want to be sent, and they will be sent when you load the preset. You can also set the PC value of each of these commands per snapshot, so you can send different PCs per snapshot if you want.

[DunedinDragon]

One of the limitations you'll quickly encounter on the Helix's implementation of MIDI is there's some limitations with the number of MIDI commands you can send from a single footswitch press.  Add to that there's no way in the current spec of MIDI to inquire about the settings of another device to determine what needs to be changed.  Eventually we'll have the long promised MIDI 2 spec formalized, but who knows how long that will be.

 

My personal approach because of these limitations is to use a Morningstar MC8 as my central MIDI controller for both the Helix and all other devices I want to control because it has much more robust capabilities for complex MIDI interactions with other devices.  The MC8 is perfectly capable of sending a preset change along with all necessary initialization sequences to any other devices along with selecting the appropriate startup settings to them.  I can also send snapshot changes to the Heilx with other MIDI commands tp other devices so that my Helix settings and external devices act in unison.

[Daunton]

Thanks guys. 

t

Sadly these 'solutions' don't really address my issue.

 

Firstly to DunedinDragon. I went to the floor because I was pretty much exclusively using my HX Effects for all but a few rigs. The board was cluttered with bboxes I wasn't using and a separate headphone/line driver for various reasons. On the face of it the Floor does all I need, only four extra boxes and three of those Midi controlled. I don't really want a controller (I've been using a GigRig which was decidedly underutilised). The idea was to keep it as small and neat as possible. Clearly a solution will be to use a controller but it's more clutter than I want. If I can't find a workaround I'll have to which will nearly double the size of my board. 

 

But thanks for the thought, it's good that we have these discussions for sure.

[Daunton]

And thanks to Phil_M too. 

 

I've had a Quick Look and it appears that Instant Commands only work into Snapshots so making PC changes when preset buttons are pressed doesn't seem to be possible which is a shame. It may not be the most elegant way to use the Floor but my setup really only uses single presets for any given tune. I use  switches to make step changes and assign parameters to the expression pedal and that's it really.

 

On a preset by preset basis this is fine as each is very different to the others but no that dynamic.

 

The issue is that should one preset have a particular, say, heavy reverb or other effect, and the next, using the same box, be more subtle, the preset change will leave the former and not the new effect in place. With the controller I could change presets and simultaneously change the external parameters.

 

I can't currently see a way of doing this with the Floor which is a shame.

[Daunton]

Thanks again guys, and yes, after realising I was being a bit thick, the instant commands do exactly what I want. My brain fog.

 

Thanks again Phil_m