For Octatrack, can midi foot controller (such as Boss GFC-50)that only sends out program change - not cc - data be assigned or midi learned to apply to recording buttons on the pick-up machines?
No. Program changes would change patterns only. You need to be able to send midi notes or control changes (with CC61, each value corresponds to a midi note).
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thank you. wish they had verstile midi learnā¦
Thatās not common at all. Choose a versatile foot controller !
Midi implementation is very good in general with Elektron. Some functions are missing, like parts, Fill, slots, slicesā¦
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If you want to send Midi-CC check out Behringer FCB1010 ā¦ AFAIK it allows to program pgm-changes and control-changes. Maybe this is, what you are after ā¦
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Fcb is cheap, not that versatile. It can send notes, but CC setttings are very limited.
Can do the job with notes.
There is a better alternative firmware for it.
Iād recommand, Mc Millen Soft Step 2, MFC10 Yamaha.
I have a Roland FC200 that does the job but as @avantronica wrote, it is very interesting to have a foot controller letting you toggle between 2 values of cc59 :
One for Combo Rec
One for Play / Stop
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I have one of there, very useful
Scott
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Useful for what purpose ?
The controller sends PC (program change) MIDI messages on channel 1, you can change presets on every device that support it (please check your device manual)
i use the logidy umi3 plus the kenton usb midi host. The kenton is 100 at perfect circuit and the logidy i bought for 50 on reverb. I think itās about 80 new. Works great.
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Just make a nice 10 button controller with an arduino - itāll do whatever you want it to as it very easy. Price of the parts is low.
Iāve added a pedal input to mine to control the cross fader
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Pictures ?
Tutorial ? 
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Travelling at the moment but glad to post some thing up when I get back
In brief: I have a 5x 2 row guitar pedal button rectangular solid piece of wood with a din midi output. Multiplexer used to economize on buttons. Jack socket for external pedal to cross fader cc.
Arduino Uno with mocalufa installed so as I can use midi usb or din.
Works great for looping. Powers itself with a 5v usb cable charger, but might also put a lithium battery into it or a BLE midi module for ease of use with iPad.
Used the multiplexer to keep a number of pins available for some future enhancements; probably a rotary switch and led display for some preset assignments of midi notes and cc to the controllers. At the moment it is assigned for OT looping and sequencer control/sync but could have it to select particular tracks or sample trigs etc.
Another idea is to add a midi din in so as I can use the arduino to map the cc of some 1st & 2nd gen faderfox controllers to OT/electron fixed values and give them a new lease of life or create an 8 button expander to select active tracks more quickly.
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As a guitarist looping with Akai Headrush for last few years (still I have lot of fun) and now learning OT, Iām sure itās just question of time for me to buy and try foot controller for hands free PUM operating.
Thatās why I wanted to ask you:
If you havenāt got any controller but have money, which one (of recommended above or other) would you grab for you? Donāt need to tell why, just which - I just believe in your knowledge so I know youāre right.
(MFC10 can be connected direct to OT with 5-din midi cable? Softstep2 needs midi expander/hub in beetween?)
Thanks alot 
For me when Iām rich, Soft Step 2, I already have a IConnectMidi4+ that should work with it, without the Mc Millen usb to midi. I think itās midi class compliant. ICM4+ can accept up to 7 usb things.
2nd choice 12 Step or Soft Step 1.
3rd MFC10 direct midi connection.
You need to send 4 messages minimum with pickups if you want to change selected track with foot (I wrote 3 elsewhere).
Combo rec
Start / Stop
Active down
Active up
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Before I ask other questions ringing in my head I first jump back to manual and break on through some pickups tests. Thanks. 
Yeah, make some tests. I made some a few days ago, Iām still not in love with OTās live looping with a foot controller. Iām used to press on time, so it can be too late when quantized so recording can be too late or too long :
I should receive a RC202 looper tomorrow but I think Iāll go back to RC505, which I should use with OT and a foot controller! (still in topic)
If you press a bit late with it, it records in syncā¦
Easy premix with RC505 with faders, recorded in OT. 
Stumbled today about a new Nektar product - āPacerā - which will be available next month:
http://www.nektartech.com/pacer-midi-daw-footswitch-controller.html
Comes preconfigured with template C5: āElektron Octatrack Pickup Machine: Navigate tracks and control Looper.ā
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BTW my old FC200 too : just need to be able to play C4 octaveās notes. 
Pacer seems a really good foot controller!
I have found an hour yesterday to test and learn how midi controls PUMs.
As I read in manual midi appendix, it is enough to send one specific midi note to control PUMās functions. One note? Wow, I shouldnāt be so afraid of.
But instead of using midi keyboard I decided to create midi loopback and put notes on OTās midi track for automating changes. And it worked! Iām excited when technology answers my requests.
I set 8 Audio tracks:
T1: FLEX (drum beat loop sample, scale:64/64 1x, master:0064)
T2-T8:PUMs (IN:A, RLEN:64, TRIG:ONE, QREC:PLEN, QPL:PLEN)
Auto CH:11*
And 1 Midi track:
T1 (midi trigs to control PUMs, CH:11*, scale:64/64 1x, master:0064)
*- Iām not sure does midi channels matter in this case.
At the very end of midi pattern I put notes:
A4 (āactive track downā on second trig from end); C#4 (āINAB recā on the last trig).
And it worked. I have selected T1, pressed [PLAY], beat started playing, at the end of pattern active track jumped down, PUM on T2 started to record, at the end of pattern active track jumped down, at the beggining PUM on T2 started to play its recording and PUM on T3 started to record next whole pattern, at the end jumped, at beggining started next recordingā¦ and so on, till the last audio track that (when midi notes are still there on midi track) started toggling between playing and overdubbing.
When I have changed midi track scale to 64/64 1/2x, master:0128, every PUM got time to pass one more time to overdub once before active track jump and next track recording occur.
Itās not very useful setup I think (maybe if PUMs are muted/stopped just after recorging it could be used to record several automated takes of voc or sth), but teached me few things I need to rethink. One small stepā¦
I had no much time to notice all that happened, so still not sure was there any issues I now should to ask of. After some time going deeper into PUMs Iād be glad talking my settings with you.
BTW:
@sezare56: āā¦as Avantronica wrote, it is very interesting to have a foot controller letting you toggle between 2 values of cc61 : One for Combo Rec, One for Play / Stop.ā
What is it about? What for? Thanks.
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Good idea with active track down !
Sorry itās CC59, which values correspond to notes.
It let you toggle between rec / play / overdub / play / overdub / play etc without mistakes like this :
- If you press Combo twice, youāll replace recording
- if you press Start / Stop twice, you stop. If you press Combo, the recording is erased
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