Brock, you've certainly given me a lot to think about… I'd actually already started reading the MPX-1 UM. While this is relatively newer territory for me, the possibilities have me pretty excited (just ask my wife), so please don't worry about keeping anything short on my account. Music has been my passion all my life, and I'm really enjoying the current topic of conversation.
I, too, would be interested in hearing from anyone else who's interested in having the Factors transmit their LFOs, etc., over MIDI. There are so many things that could be done with that, even just between 2 or more Factors.
I've been doing a lot of research into this, including the Moog controllers and the MPX-1. What I'm trying to figure out if whether it would add anything for me that adding an Eclipse wouldn't. The short answer is yes, it's got the arpeggiator and does transmit its internal controllers over MIDI, but other than the arpeggiator, I'm not sure that the Eclipse doesn't have enough internal controllers of its own, at least for what I'd be doing.
This leads me to consider the alternatives… I've already got the 4 Factors (Space should be here tomorrow) and with a MIDI Merge box, I could get all of their external controllers (4 pedals, 12 switches) into the Eclipse. The Eclipse itself has 2 inputs for external controllers, so… if I added a Moog CP-251 and an Etherwave Plus, I'd have the LFO (2 waveforms) there sample/hold, and the 2 CV outs from the Theremin that could be mixed in. Maybe not quite as versatile as the internal controllers on the MPX-1, but maybe close enough for me.
That leads me to think about all the things I could do with that, and I can imagine a lot of things. If I might ask, Brock, how are you using the controllers from your MPX-1? I'm sure that there are a lot of things I haven't thought of, so I'm curious about your application. I can see myself using a lot of things with filters and shifters, but this is kind of new territory for me, so I'd really appreciate any of your (or anyone else's) thoughts, sugdestions, or experiences.
That leads me to the arpeggiator, or the part that the MPX-1 has that the above doesn't. I'm also wondering what a sequencer might do for me. I know exactly what you mean about new sequencers being either not road-worthy or having a lot of features that aren't necessary. I was wondering what your general opinion of some of the software packages that are available? I'm not sure I'd want to add a laptop to my rig, but then again, even used laptops (as in cheap) are powerful enough to run a MIDI sequencer and a few smartphone MIDI interfaces are starting to appear. And, software might be another alternative to adding external controllers.
So that's got me thinking about the CC values of the PF parameters and settings that you're working on. That would be a *really* nice piece of information to have organized all together and not just pulled in pieces from what's in the UM. I'd be really interested in seeing that, actually not just the PF but for all the Factor pedals, so if you wouldn't mind, I might like to help you out with that at some point.
What did you think of the other controller types you've tried? I've been looking at some of those, too, but am not sure that they'd be worth the effort it'd take to incorporate them. You're right, the Theremin not quite as portable (at least it's not as big or as heavy as a Leslie, though), but there's just something either really cool or really geeky about it that appeals to me. Seems to make my wife laugh, too… 😉
I've looked at the Behringer FCB-1010, too, and I'm not terribly surprised that it's not as bad as one might believe at first. I'll leave the discussion about the ethics of that company to another forum, but as far as I can tell, it's nearest competition is the Roland FC-300, and if it works, great!! It's about 1/3 the price. The idea of being able to transmit a series of MIDI commands with one footswitch really does add a lot of functionality… like you were talking about, changing one preset around. I think that's one of the (kind of) "hidden" secrets to the Eventide products…
It seems to me that a lot of guitarists tend to think in terms of stompboxes… they complain that the Eclipse only does one or two "effects" at once, when it seems to me that it's a completely different paradigm. The Eclipse or any of the Factors for that matter is just a computer. That computer loads a program and the more of the system's resources that program can use, the better can perform, instead of divying up the resources to 4 or 5 programs. Eventide usually refers to those programs as algorithms, but it's the same idea. One algorithm can provide a whole bunch of effects, and then it can be modified in real time to manipulate it in any way imaginable. That seems to me to be part of the idea behind Lexicon's use of a dedicated chip for reverb in the MPX-1, too, but it's amazing (or funny, or maybe just sad) how a lot of guitarists just scream when they don't have a "compressor," "eq," "distortion," "delay," etc., that they can turn off or on individually. (Please don't anyone take that personally, ok?) One algorithm can provide all that and a whole lot more, and using a series of MIDI commands unlocks all that potential. But, Brock, I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already know… mostly, that just brings me back to the beginning, or why I, or you, or anyone, would want to consider a rig like we've been discussing.
So, with that, I'll wrap this post up by thanking you again for your input! It really has given me a lot to think about… I just love this stuff!!
