Max Mod MIDI Mayhem

[le lambin]

I’ve been thinking…with a modulation pedal like the boss md-500, which has a billion editable parameters, how silly can you get with Midi? Has anyone ever hooked up a zoia or something and modulated the shit out of effects? I’m thinking you might be able to get modular synth-level complexity sending midi cc’s of LFOs and envelopes hither and thither.

[Warpsmasher]

I briefly explored this path with Eventide Factors and Source Audio pedals, but all I had for a controller was that silver behringer thing. It was too much work. Went full modular not long after.
The Boss GT-001 has synths and fx and midi, that would probably be a good one to mess with too.

[le lambin]

A few notes on this topic:

-I have a digitakt laying around and just remembered it’s a midi sequencer as well- so I hooked it up to a dd-500 to see what was possible. Not surprisingly results were underwhelming.
-Boss really makes it difficult to do things with midi beyond preset changes and basic stompbox control stuff. As an example, I sent an lfo out the digitakt to modulate the delay time of the dd-500- in all modes except for analog, I got this harsh digital zippering whenever a time value was changed. Not a cool harsh digital zippering either- just a high pitched shrieking. So I stuck with analog mode, and even though you can increase max delay time to 1200ms in that mode, when using midi to modulate either the time value directly or expression control of the time value, you are suddenly limited to 300ms of range. I’m not sure why this is the case- if anyone can smell what I’m doing wrong I’m open to suggestions.
-I also tried using midi cc’s to modulate/sequence the “assign” controls- which would be cool if they gave you a wider range of values than on/off. I get that the intention is to connect an external footswitch and click on/off a parameter, but it’s a little disappointing. For example, I wanted to sequence the delay type parameter, so on each downbeat it changes to a different delay type, but I’m stuck just switching between two delay types in time. Which can be cool, but why not give me the option to choose the range of values?

Overall, it feels like the dd-500 was arbitrarily limited by the designers when it comes to midi fuckery. I have to assume the rest of the 500 series is similarly restricted- though I do still want to mess with a md-500 just to see what happens.

The gt-001 also could be cool- and it’s cheapish used. I’ll keep looking!

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

midi is so funny sometimes
like when u get it right its so beautiful
like interconnecting two (or more) brains with a cable
a vulcan mind meld

but is so often the case like yours
half assed implementation or something of the sort
can't even begin to count the times i've been let down in a similar fashion

[Warpsmasher]

When it's about expression control of multiple effects and parameters, I just find ways to use my single volume + expression pedal, a Dunlop DVP1 XL, which I love more than any other expression device for its big size, long sweep, stays cocked if you want it to, and super heavy duty, it's just the best. I am able to use it as a dual expression pedal with the y-cable in/out method, or I also have a Digitech RP360, which is calibrated to take the mono volume output for expression, saving the exp output for pedals that require TRS (Pitch Fork, Cock Fight, etc). The Eventides can also send expression input back out as midi. Pretty much the most simultaneous and precise control you can get from a single exp signal is with Line 6 M9/13/HX, where you can set heel and toe parameters for basically everything.