Best rytm foot controller ever!? MC6

Elektron Gear Analog Rytm
#1

Wow ok so I I wanted to start/stop the rytm with a midi foot controller. There are those who have had success with the logidy umi3 but then a usb midi host and something to send midi clock is needed. So that one didn’t work for me.

Next up was the source audio soleman and I thought that was going to do it. Close. It will do start on one switch and stop on another, which isn’t bad but not great in the dark:). It also can’t scroll through pattern changes AND do the start/stop. So, I would have kept it had it not been for the discovery of:

The Morningstar MC6.

No kidding this thing is perfect ish for me with the rytm. Shipped in 4 days from Singapore, with no option but $30 dhl shipping…which I’m glad about because it got here fast!. So far I have successfully set up the following:

Start/stop on switch 1
Scroll down patterns on switch 2
Scroll up patterns on switch 3

Scene 1 on/off switch 4
Mute/unmute BD switch 5
Mute/unmute SD switch 6

Expression pedal input 1 controls PERF 1-yeah!!!

And then there’s 29 other easy to switch to banks to have a zillion (6x29 etc) other options.

Very intuitive for me to program…

Ok what excuses do I have now not to use it live.

Sam

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#2

Very interesting. Never tried a footswitch before. I could imagine how hands free would be amazing!

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#3

Yeah foot controller for drum machines etc is not a big market! I do it so I can play guitar and sing.

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#4

Let’s say it’s a versatile foot controller. :wink:
Start / Stop is not that common.
My bigger MFC10 does it and more!

I’d like an MC6 for a small config. I may make mine with Arduino! :content:

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#5

I saw some of your posts on the Yamaha but I read manual etc and it looked maybe challenging to program. I like app editors. But the mfc10 can do all I am doing with the mc6?

I too was contemplating an ardiuno build! If you do do, any chance you’d do a build thread to walk us thru? That would be awesome!

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#6

I prefer standalone! I didn’t find it difficult to edit, I’m used to those midi things.
Mc6 seems to be able to send editable sysex. Good point. MFC can send up to 4 messages with a switch…

Done! Just do it (yourself). :content:

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#7

@sjvl,

Good to see you’re liking the MC6. I have my Morningstar MC6 coming in the mail…

I’m curious, how did you know which of the Rytm’s midi channels corresponds to each value (start, stop, tap tempo, etc.) in order to program each button? Was it tough to program on the MC6?

Also, if its not too much to ask, do you have a copy of your preset (especially the Expression pedal input 1 controls PERF 1 preset) that I can put into Morningstar Editor to use? I wonder if that is even possible?

Thanks,
:partying_face:

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#8

@furlatron hey i think i can send a preset file. I will do so via pm when i get home tonight.

All the universal sysex messages such as start/stop, tempo are indeed universal. The rest of the midi messages (cc and pc) are listed in the rytm manual appendix…maybe not pc? But pc is programmable with mc6 nonetheless. Havent looked at the programming side of it in a long while. More tonight!

Sam

#9

Right on! It doesn’t seem too complicated. But, if you do get that preset file and are able to send it, it would certainly be a great start for me. Thanks

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#10

Hi Do you still think the morning Star 6 is the best for the MK2? tHANKSSSS! ; ). Oh I meant to ask…Can you switch projects on Elektron MK2 with the MC6/MC8 footswitches?
My songs are stored as projects which require me to hit like 3-4 buttons in a focused manner (because it asks me questions about saving) in order to open a new song. I am hoping to override this with this pedal somehow…

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#11

Yeah going strong. Morningstar is really proactive with updates that add tons of functionality. Theres almost too many options. Let me know if u have specific questions.

Sam

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#12

The real question for me these days is which one!

I’m torn between the MC6 and MC8. My imagination thinks of everything I can control with the MC8, but my experience tells me that I’ll never take the time to set up that complex of a configuration on the device and that the MC6 would be plenty.

My purposes would be for the Octatrack, but same idea.

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#13

@FlexMundo I just got an octatrack 2 days ago! I lm learning it before i start getting the mc6 programmed to it.

But when i look at the pickup machine midi cc commands, i think i very likely would be using 4 of those cc regularly/quickly/in the dark = mc8 is nice to have the 4 on bottom. However, mc6 using the 4 corners is also viable for quick, half blind uncoordinated foot clicks. So, good luck with the decision:). I will say that I usually just use the 3 bottom or 4 corners.

Sam

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#16

I’m Buying the MC8 tonight! For a live performance next friday! I play guitar & sing and use this as the for the rytm and music. I also have a Boomerang III. Hopefully it whilst get here by Monday and I will have a couple days to program it. Will you be around to give me pointers if needed? ; )

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#17

@GringoSoul777 I am around, the mc8 should do a lot of good things for you.

As per your message, I see no midi cc or pc commands in the rytm manual suggesting a midi controller could make project changes.

You say you save your songs as projects. You may have good reasons but I’d be amazed if you have songs that span all the banks of a single project and/or songs that use 128 samples!!! If not, seems like you might want to consider reorganizing your workflow to stay within one project. How to migrate etc can be discussed!

I just used it for a COLD outside gig, got down to 30ish F and I couldn’t tell if it was me or the MC6 but i was struggling with getting it to respond properly to presses. But this was the first time so I guess either I was cold or it twas!

Sam

MC3: don’t have one and haven’t used one but I think the 6 and 8 are the way to go for keeping some creative options going…because the amount and kinds of messages that can be sent with the MC’s are vast! But that being said, if one ultimately finds they just want to do start/stop and program change scrolls, then 3 buttons is perfecto for rytm.

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#18

Hei Sam,

I’m having some problems getting this to work. I got it to control Start/Stop but all the other commands such as scroll up/down pattern and Scene On/Off I just can’t figure out.
For the Pattern Change I selected PC Scroll Up (Deprecated) but that doesnt seem to do what i want. (Jump up one pattern from where I am.)

What do I have to put into the Morningstar Editor?
I hope you can help me, thanks a lot!

Cheers

1 Like
#19

Ok is it working at all? It will only go to the next PC number if youve scrolled to that number. So if you are on a pattern B03 on your machine and hit PC SCROLL UP because you want B04…… it will likely go to some other value (like A02 or something). So you have to scroll up with pedal to B03 so that when you hit scroll up, it will go up one value.

What are you controlling with the morningstar? Rytm or another elektron device?

Scene on/off is controlled by cc messages on the correct midi channel (which would be what you have the autochannel set to)….

#20

Yeah it kinda does, it jumps up exactly as you’ve described now. Do you know of any way to do what I’m thinking of? Scrolling up/down from the current pattern.

I’ll have another go at the scene thing.

Thanks for your help, really appreciate it!

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#21

Basically if you use it like i do, here’s how it goes:

  • boot up my system
  • scroll mc6 with foot to the starting pattern i want to begin with.

Once there, PC scroll up/down incrementally….but obviously the key is to get the mc6 pc scrolled to proper pattern. The mc6 does not boot up and read the pattern position on the rytm.

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#22

I’ve had luck with having one foot switch dedicated to resetting the MC6’s internal counter that I press before each song that starts me off on pattern 1. Then I increment/decrement the counter with the adjacent foot switches allowing me to scroll through patterns.

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