RE: footswitchable series/parallel signal routing schemes

[Travis <tiktok@sprintmail.com>]

In theory, real-time foot control of everything sounds like a great 
idea.  In practice, musicians who loop tend to have a shortage of 
available space on the floor, since they've already got a healthy 
spread of stompboxes and whatnot.  Plus it's expensive to start adding 
more CC-type pedals to your setup ($50 for each pedal for something 
plastic, more for something sturdy---BTW did I mention the added 
weight?).  And then there's the increased number of cables...

Doing that sort of control via MIDI has it's own problems--there's only 
a few manufacturers who make foot controllers that offer the necessary 
features (Rocktron, Behringer and another one I can't remember right 
now), and only the Behringer is cheap.  Plus, you've still got the 
physical problem of where to put all those CC pedals, and if you use 
one and virutally share it, how can you tell what it's set to, do you 
have to move it past the set point before it'll start doing thing (a la 
the Line6 type interface for soft knobs), and so on.

If you poll people for all the features they think they want on this, 
and then figure out how much it'd cost to manufacture the thing at a 
profit, you've probably priced yourself out of the market.  I'd expect 
such a wonderbox to cost close to a grand on the low-end, and I don't 
have a thousand dollars worth of need for such a thing.

In the end I suspect that the market for such a device is a niche 
within a niche, which is why you don't see a half-dozen used 
Switchblades in your local music store.


TravisH

On Friday, July 11, 2003, at 02:28 AM, 
Loopers-Delight-d-request@loopers-delight.com wrote:

> I think footswitch control over routing options is required for most
> loopers. In fact, the ultimate mixer would probably include stereo 
> VCA's
> that could be pedal controlled as well. VCA's so you don't have to
> you're your signal path all over the floor. Short cable runs are
> quieter. While we're at it, who is mixing a live set in stereo? Foot
> control for pan anyone?
>
> I have to admit, I was a little disappointed in the response to the
> ultimate mixer question I posted. Isn't there anyone that wants hassle
> free control over their live remix?
>
> Respect
>
> Will Brake
> Soul Fruit Electronics