Custom Made FX Mute Foot Switch (TCP/IP)

[Lee7Participant]

Hi all,

This is aimed at mainly all those who purchased the QU-16 to perform stage mixes rather than have the luxury of a FOH engineer do it for you/them.

I perform both of the above, but 90% of the time I am performing on stage and do all mixing from there, the problem I found with the QU-16 is that there is no way of connecting a foot switch to mute the internal FX like you could with an analogue desk. My only way around this at the moment is to set up my iPad and have it fixed to my mic stand where I can press the FX mute group on the QU-App.

This is less than ideal as some of our songs start and finish in acapella, so having reverb on when performing such songs isn’t very satisfying.

So I approached our techie with this dilemma, he come up with the solution of building a custom TCP/IP foot switch that is programmed with a dedicated midi protocol to mute the internal FX just like you would do in the old days of analogue. The foot switch would plug in to the Ethernet port on the back of the QU-16, in doing so, at this moment in time the QU-16 doesn’t support more than one device plugged in via Ethernet. So you wouldn’t be able to use your iPads.

This isn’t a game changer for me as I can use the iPad during set up & sound check and then physically alter the desk if anymore adjustments are needed throughout our show.

So this long winded message is to see who would be interested in purchasing a custom FX mute foot switch once I have had them built?

Thanks
Lee

[GR-PDXParticipant]

Depending on cost, of course, I would be interested.

I guess the USB port is only audio streaming?

[Lee7Participant]

Hi,

That’s right, this operation cannot be done via the USB port on the top or rear.

As yet I can’t give you a cost as this pedal hasn’t be built, but I will be taking the desk over to my techie’s office upon his return from holidays to test this code out on another pre-built custom midi pedal he is building for another customer. If all works correctly he will go ahead with making the one switch unit. He also said that he could possibly make it work wireless or wired. Again, it is all down to cost.

I don’t think there is a one switch foot switch that you can buy off the shelf to perform this task? I will stand to be corrected.

Lee

[Anonymous]

Hello. Great idea! I would be interested in this and maybe also to add (if possible) a tap delay onto a second pedal?

[Lee7Participant]

I will keep all that are interested updated as and when Ste starts testing. Will make life so much easier.

However, for the interim period Ste is going to put an app on my iPad that will fill the screen to become one big mute button making it easier to mute when in the thick of the action.

🙂

[GR-PDXParticipant]

Wireless…meaning it could use the same wifi that the QuPad is using? That would be nice!

Sorry I didn’t respond sooner: I keep getting kicked off the forum by the spam filter, and the only recourse seems to be to contact tech support who contacts the marketing department. 😉

[DocDocDocDocParticipant]

I’d be interested, too!

We don’t own a Qu16 yet, but planning to get one – for a cover band with the sound guy on stage. (Can’t afford a separate FOH techie for most venues)… I need a mute switch for the FX (I know you can do this via I/O routing and inserting an analog switch) and a Tap Delay foot switch (and this is where I/O routing ends).

Ideally, I’ have two switches muting FX sends, plus one for tap delay. So I stomp in the tempo and then drop in the delay where it fits the passage of a song.

Of course, the X32 is also on our radar, but as far as I know it only can take OSC via MIDI, so usual MIDI floor boards would be out, too. I’m still in favor for the Qu16, we need sturdy stuff that lasts for years (our old PA12: 6 years, hundreds of shows, still operating like new).

A different solution might be to extend the iPad app to understand some kind of foot switch (there are foot switches that are actually BlueTooth keyboards behind the scenes and that could perhaps be used).

Best

Doc4

[Lee7Participant]

Hi,

Hopefully it shouldn’t be much longer before we have a batch of around 6 pedals, initial testing has been successful with a dummy switch connecting to the QU-16 and moving individual faders etc. Moving on to the next stage now, watch this space.

Looking like there will be around 6 switch’s made on the first run to see if they’re popular and worth making more.

Lee

[BarryjamParticipant]

http://www.midisolutions.com seems to have both single and dual foot switch programable controllers, but they are $129+.

[Lee7Participant]

Sent my techie this link, he said there isn’t anything suitable. Some interesting stuff nonetheless.

Lee

[BarryjamParticipant]

Really? Scroll down to special products. They sell both single and dual footswitch to midi converters where you can program what midi message is sent.

[BarryjamParticipant]

for example…
https://www.zzounds.com/item–MSLFSCONTROL

[Lee7Participant]

But they need to send the midi string via ethernet as the QU-16 doesn’t have any midi ports.

Lee

[BarryjamParticipant]

Guess that will teach me to actually look at the back of my mixer!

[Lee7Participant]

Easy mistake to make Barry 🙂

The X32 has midi ports, but you can only use these for scene changes etc not to mute FX.

So the pedal I am having made will connect to the QU-16 via the Ethernet port on the rear, something you cannot buy on the shelf, or at least I haven’t come across anything.

Lee

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