s1-s2 switchs

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Firebass
Posts: 40
Joined: 01:40, 16 January 2016

s1-s2 switchs

Post by Firebass »

With all the different ways to setup the S1 and S2 switch's, I was wondering if some of you pro's could suggest what might be some the more common uses for them? Myself, I normally run 3 studio sets in which I originally initialized all settings then I added different instruments tone and effects and so on to each channel. Its my main setup for for use in a classic rock band. So far all I've used is the S1 rotary speaker(modulation) for Hammond stuff. I bet I'm missing something..

Thanks in advance.
stevel
Posts: 520
Joined: 07:08, 17 May 2015

Re: s1-s2 switchs

Post by stevel »

I'm not really a pro but my biggest complaint about the FA is that you can't turn the MFX switch on and off (without being on the screen and pressing the button).

This is CRITICAL for live playing IMHO - if you want play an Electric Piano with Tremolo on it and turn the Tremolo on and off, or an Organ with Rotary on and off, or any of the 5 million lead synths with a delay on it and you don't always want the delay...

S1 and S2 can be assigned to at least turn the "switch" off in any effect that has it (like the Ep Amp Sim-Trem has a Tremolo Switch) or worst case, set the wet/dry mix to 100% dry (which would work for delays, reverbs, etc.) or some have a "depth" parameter you could adjust.

I gave an example of how to set it up here:

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=53029

My biggest needs live where quickly changing between sounds, and turning effects on and off, and then altering an effect when on.

I was using a controller and a sound canvas until I bought the FA.

I played in a classic prog rock band doing floyd, styx, kansas, rush, zep, etc.

I thought I would be able to put say, an Organ on Part 1 and play it on the FA, then a Piano on Part 2 and play it from the controller (set to channel 2).

I could, but what I could NOT do is turn the rotary on and off on the organ. Or the same scenario with Electric Piano - I couldn't turn the trem on and off on the electric piano.

I thought I'd be able to do it on the FA, but no. I've now found out I could do it with a SysEx message (which is how I did it on the Sound Canvas) but get this - to turn an MFX off on a single part has a DIFFERENT MESSAGE for SN-A, SN-S and PCM tones (for drums too but ain't nobody got time for that). With the Sound Canvas it was 1 message - 1 button. I now need THREE on the controller to turn the MFX on and off.

I needed the ability to turn these FX on and off with a big button I couldn't miss rather than a little black button on a black surface on a dark stage!

So I ended up still using my Controller with the Sound Canvas, and just used the FA for sounds that I didn't need to vary the effects on, or turn the effects on and off on - which was primarily Piano, and other preset tones like strings/orchestra pads, special effects (I triggered the sample of the beginning of "Time" on Pad 1).

Now that I've learned how to set up the controller messages, I could do that on the controller device. But you can't turn off MFX remotely without using SysEx.

So that means I'd probably leave S1/S2 at the default for most patches.

My next most desired use would be to change from Mono to Poly mode, and Portamento on/off. But since the port time would be important, I'd probably just save the tone with those settings. And since I would generally need to use two keyboards. I'd put it on the controller instead because the buttons are easier to get to.

What I was trying to do was avoid having two tones, one with an effect off, and one with it on (which means saving two versions of it, which is just plain stupid) that I'd have to toggle between. That also took up an extra Part in the Studio Set (or you had to use two Studio Sets), and then you had to deal with which keyboard switches were on and which part was on which channel, and so and so forth.
Firebass
Posts: 40
Joined: 01:40, 16 January 2016

Re: s1-s2 switchs

Post by Firebass »

Oh man ...Thanks for the reply! I'm off to my keyboard again....
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