I’m interested in maximum flexibility from a foot controller - in my case a Nektar Pacer.
Quite a few years ago I was using Plogue Bidule a lot, and had created a MIDI transformation matrix with presets, and 10 slots for transformations. corresponding to the 10 switches on the floor controller. The presets are called by another MIDI controller, a Faderfox UC4. Hit a button on the F’fox to call a MIDI Matrix preset, and all the switches sending MIDI in from the Pacer are switched to whatever has been set up as the outgoing MIDI. In its simplest from this would just transform a range of CC numbers, say from 15-24 to 25-34.
I suspect there are robust MID Transformation plugins that would do this. What I found this morning online was a handful that didn’t seem capable of having presets. Perhaps in the end I will use Bidule for this, though there will be a serious relearning curve for me with that, AND I have some concern that Bidule may prove less than ideally stable. Any thoughts on this?
There’s a second chapter to this. I love the Pacer, but it has one major flaw- it does not receive MIDI. If it did, I could just program a bunch of Nektar Presets and call them from the F’fox. As it is, switching Presets on the Pacer requires more toe-tapping than I like - it slows down playing on the fly. It’s no worse than most foot pedal controllers, e.g. the old trusty FCB1010. Also, you can program a footswitch to call another Preset, but that gains only a bit of flexibility.
So I looked anew yesterday at Foot Controllers, and read about some newer controllers that might be very useful in this regard. For instance: Graviton-m2, which has MIDI in and can be controlled wirelessly. including Bank switching. There are also the Morningstar pedals that a lot of folks think is great. I’d rather not get yet another controller, but that may be best in the end.
Again, I’d welcome your thoughts.