I've been trying for a while now to figure out how to get some external midi gear to control things in Cubase 5 and Ableton. Part of the problem is that I'm using a Behringer FCB1010 midi foot controller, which apparently, can do most of what I need. But, programming it is a freaking bitch!
Here's what I'm trying to get control of. I have Sonuus G2M ver2 that I've been using to control VSTi's in Cubase. I want to have multiple instruments that can be played alone or as a stack along with the guitar; all at once. I want to be able to turn them off and on via footswitch.
Cubase is not designed for live uses, but I personally think it sounds better and I also know it much better than Ableton. I have used it in live situations in the past with success as my guitar effects rig but that was being controlled by Cubase internally by automation. This was possible because, at the time, the band was playing with a drum machine, also in Cubase.
It also can be controlled by outboard gear for recording purposes. Which would lead me to assume I could mute/unmute channels, control channel volume, etc. Which could be my solution. But I can't for the life of me figure out how, at least with the FCB1010. I also have a midi controller keyboard with programmable sliders that I think I can set to at least control track volume. That I haven't tried yet as it would be only a partial solution; I can't be playing guitar and simultaneously moving sliders on a keyboard.
I have had some minor success in Ableton switching things on and off with the FCB1010 but I emphasize the word 'minor.' One problem with that is that the FCB1010 can be set to turn a channel off and on but there is no feedback, i.e. there is no light that shows if it's active or not. The most success I had controlling Ableton was with a computer keyboard that I modified and then programmed Ableton to make the necessary changes when certain keys are stomped. Yes, i used a computer keyboard as a foot controller (I'll post on that setup sometime soon, as it worked well for some things and was a very very cheap solution.) All of the dedicated gear I have seen for Ableton seems specifically designed for DJs, not something I can control with my feet.
All the gear to control music software is made specifically for DJ's, guitarists, or recording engineers. I'm kind of stuck in the middle of them, wanting some of each.
Are there any dedicated Ableton controllers that are footswitches? Footswitches that aren't specifically designed to control guitar amp emulators? Am I overlooking something in Cubase? I've been wracking my brain here. So if anyone has had success with something similar to what I'm describing, your help would be greatly appreciated!
P.S.- I thought also about using two or more G2Ms along with A/B switches sent on different midi channels but the G2M only outputs to channel one. If anyone knows of a cheap hardware device that can take input data and output the same data to a different channel, that would be very useful too. I've been googling that for the past hour or so with no success.
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