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I finally got my rack rig dialed in just right and got great clean, rhythm and lead patches set up with my ART DST-4 preamp. The only thing it doesn't have that I want for live use is a small MIDI controller. I have the ART X-11 board, which is a 7-button unit (bank up and down buttons, five patch-select buttons), but I want something small and battery operated so that I'm not running cables all over as on my current pedalboard setup. The DST-4 two-button footswitch can turn the distortion and onboard effects on or off, but only controls the current patch. My basic needs for clean/distorted switching and effects are covered, but I can't get the volume and EQ boost for my leads with just the footswitch - I need MIDI. Specifically, I want a small MIDI pedal that can run on battery power.
But of course there is a catch. I need to be able to switch patches FAST. Since I have my clean, rhythm and lead patches in preset positions 1/2/3, I usually play in position 2 (distortion w/o effects) and can switch to 1 for clean and 3 for boosted leads with delay. I want a MIDI pedal that activates each patch as it scrolls through them, not requiring me to hit a second button to activate the patch. Nobody local stocks anything that I can try out, so I have to read specs and order online.
So far, only the TC Electronic G-Minor appears to do this - it has an "Online" mode where patches are activated as you cycle through them with the Up/Down button, and an "Offline" mode where you cycle through and then activate with another button; Online mode is what I seek. From what I've read, the Tech 21 MIDI Mouse and Rocktron MIDI Xchange both require the two-button approach to first cycle through and then activate the patch.
Any suggestions, or is the G-Minor probably my best bet? I hate to pay the extra cash for it, especially since a lot of its functionality is wasted without a TC processor attached, but it looks like the only unit that will do what I want. And that's assuming there's no gap between patches when using the pedal. Any G-Minor users want to chime in?
But of course there is a catch. I need to be able to switch patches FAST. Since I have my clean, rhythm and lead patches in preset positions 1/2/3, I usually play in position 2 (distortion w/o effects) and can switch to 1 for clean and 3 for boosted leads with delay. I want a MIDI pedal that activates each patch as it scrolls through them, not requiring me to hit a second button to activate the patch. Nobody local stocks anything that I can try out, so I have to read specs and order online.
So far, only the TC Electronic G-Minor appears to do this - it has an "Online" mode where patches are activated as you cycle through them with the Up/Down button, and an "Offline" mode where you cycle through and then activate with another button; Online mode is what I seek. From what I've read, the Tech 21 MIDI Mouse and Rocktron MIDI Xchange both require the two-button approach to first cycle through and then activate the patch.
Any suggestions, or is the G-Minor probably my best bet? I hate to pay the extra cash for it, especially since a lot of its functionality is wasted without a TC processor attached, but it looks like the only unit that will do what I want. And that's assuming there's no gap between patches when using the pedal. Any G-Minor users want to chime in?
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