Preferences – do you like your Factors in a parallel loop and MIDI’d? Or in front?

[mpovoden]

Hello All!!

I'm in a bit of a situation with my 3 Factors and a few other stomps…  I'm contemplating their ease of use both in front of my amps, or, looped into the buffered parallel loop – which is MIDI controllable.

This is a 2 part question, so I appreciate you patience.

1.  I know these are awesome pedals, and don't have too adverse an effect on tone in front of the amp when not in use.  However, I also know these little doozies have WAY too many programmable features in each little box to sit there, tap dancing away on a stage or in a session space, looking for that magical preset I logged somewhere.  However, it could be done, and if people have done this, are these stomps "advisable" in front of some of the more potent amps out there, or, do they shine when used in configuration of parallel, assigned, MIDI controlled loops?

2.  If MIDI and parallel loops are the way to go, I think I'm going to go nuts because out of the 3 stomps, I'll probably have a total of 4 to 8 useful, handy and well-liked presets each.  So, up to 24 presets, that I'll need to bank on my MIDI foot controller, in addition to the 4 channels of the amp itself, plus whatever other stomps I'll be using in front of the amp…

I'm spent.

Bottom line – are these better utilized in a high quality buffered parallel loop, or in front of the amp?

Thanks Kindly,

Mo

[eilly]

I like my
delay after the distortion (as well as modulation effects) so I  run my
TF in the loop. I use a RJM Mastermind midi board to control my effects
and channel switch my amp so 1 button does everything (no tap dancing). 

Another
option is too use one of your eventide pedals as a midi switcher and
either midi map the other pedals to your main pedal or build your
presets together like 1:1 on the timfactor and 1:1 on the modfactor
have the effect you want to combine.

[zikamuricpe]

Considering the concept of foot diving through Factor stomps, it seems to me that one has to do a serious preset customising for live use, especially if more than one Factor is in chain. And if one does so, than it seems to me that it is much more comfortable to control Factors with MIDI foot device, and to patch them in efx loop section rather than before the preamp section. That would be my suggested answer to your dilemma. However, this is how I plan to organise my TF and MF in my live setup, and I have to do it in next few weeks, so I am interested in various approaches. If you have a better idea, I would appreciate to hear it.

All the best.

[mpovoden]

So far, excellent feedback – so thanks…  I can see these pedals deserve and demand a lot of respect.  I guess my "pickle" with my set up is, I like to have everything on a pedal board where I can see it, not just going blind with a MIDI footcontroller trying to remember which number was which patch.  For the record, I use a Diezel Columbus MIDI controller, as I have a couple Diezels and a soon to be new 20thA XTC.  The Diezel's buffered parallel loop is of utmost quality.  Secondly, my main Diezel head is a stereo model, and this loop really makes it shine when used in true stereo – it's dead quiet and has an awesome mix level circuit…  So, ultimately, it's nice at times to do true stereo panning between to speakers, or, conversely, one dry, one wet.  This is where the loop is dyno – it works bomber.  However, I have a number of stomps I like up front – Clyde Deluxe, Big Muff Pi, Cathedral Stereo Reverb, Sustainer, Tuner, and a couple other esoteric pedals that I bring on and off pending on the style, mood and night.

What my goal is, with avoiding any (or as much as possible) tone-suck, is to have my Factors both loopable AND available in the front, with a simple relay stomp allowing their use in either.  And having my other stomps remain in front.  I don't mind dancing on some of the more analog stomps (Cathedral, Muff, Sustain, etc) and with the Columbus, would like to have presets for all my Eventides both individually and combined, fully loaded – and with the use of a relay stomp, be able to dump them into the loop or out of the loop easily.  I think it can be done, I'm trying to get in touch with Friedman who knows his business – RACKSYSTEMS – but he's moving buildings apparently and is hard to get a hold of right now.  I know Trailer Trash makes some good boards, readily punched with all the necessary access points.  In this case, I'd need to have a MIDI going to the amp; internal MIDI connections to all 3 Factors through my controller, then simple cable connections to both the Eventides and the analog stomps.  At the end of the day, there should be my guitar cable going in – and 2 guitar cables coming out (A/B mono/stereo) as well as the MIDI connector.

It's a bit of a mindbender…  But I'll get it sorted out.  As well, Voodoo Labs PP2 will power the board, as I'll only have 8 pedals at any given time tops (there might be a couple additional auxillary power leads just in case).  But the key here is MIDI foot controlled presets delegating both the Eventides x 3 (Time, Mod and Pitch) and delegating whether or not it's looping or in front; as well as tending to my channel switching of a 3 or 4 channel amp.  And – to finish it all off, to be able to keep all of them in front with the flick of a switch.

Best Regards,

Mo

[eilly]

You will only have to worry about the line level/instrument level
settings on the factors. You can power 2 factor pedals with the PP2+
and one needs to be plugged in using the ac power supply. I have A PP2+
and like it but you will need something else for 3 factors.

I
don't feel that it is necessary to have a button to switch between the
loop and front of the amp, but that's just me. Another idea is the
program you settings for the loop with your midi switcher and then
create a seperate bank or 2 with your effects saved for in front of the
amp. So if you decided to run everything in front just switch the
switches on the back of the Factors plug a patch cable from the out of
your last pedal to the input of a factor and the last Factor in the
chain you would use the out to go into the front of the amp.

Attached
is a pic of my pedalboard which is midi and I could easily change my
setup from the loop to the front of the amp in a matter of seconds.
Also look here for a sweet board
http://www.customaudioelectronics.com/io_input_output/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/rig1.jpg
more on the line of what it sounds like you are thinking. Both are
essentially a rack on the floor.

Having Midi built into the Diezel
make things a little easier. I have a mesa mark iv and use a Sound
sculpture Foot sim to intergrate midi (hidden under my pedalboard) so i
can channel switch my amp.

Good luck!

[mpovoden]

Wow!!!!  That is one very nice and well put together board – and VERY much where I'm hoping to go with mine…  Who did the work on that board??  Brilliant.

Okay – dumbass question, why can't 3 Tides be run from a PP2??  Too much drain on one box?? Seems strange considering they're supposed to be iso'd power supplies and for each and every 9V system, unless of course, one of 'em is 12V – something I've yet to check (taaaaa daaaaaa).  I'll get this figured out – I think I'll find the right size board and go from there.  I agree things don't have to be too complicated to make this work, and the Columbus will indeed be very helpful for on-the-fly presets, etc.

THANK YOU for the pics and the inspiration!!

Mo

[eilly]

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The pic of my board did not show up, here is a link too mine. http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/mreilly17022/526542948_1858823771_0.jpg

The one you saw was from http://www.customaudioelectronics.com/ and is indeed amazing! There are numerous post on the board here about power supplies for the Factors, I think it boils down to the amount of power it needs (1200mv? Or something)

[mpovoden]

Ya, it's a current thing I'm guessing – 1200mA is what's needed to run the Tides…  I'll have to put a straight up 120V bar into the board, and use the included adaptors – no problems, this can be done.  I'll still get a VLPP2 for the rest.  

Friedman's made some wicked boards, but I'm no rockstar, just a hobbyist that digs his music and digs technology – so long as the technology is easy to use and efficient and reliable.  I've got no bad habits except music – hahahahaha…  Maybe if I'm off on this bit about the Voodoo Labs PP2 not having enough horsepower to run 3 tides, someone out there could definitely chime in here.  Seems to me that the VLPP2 would be the money, but if not, god to know in advance.

Nice board by the way – tight…  Simple and clean.

Peace Cats,

Mo

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