Bypass looper that can use amp channel switch?

[Swimming Bird]

I'm considering putting a midi foot controller into my setup -- I can get a good deal on the Behringer FCB 1010, and I've used one before. Thing is, I typically use 2-3 midi controllable pedals and 3 non-midi pedals but I'd like to be able to control everything off of the midi board. Something like a Bradshaw system seems way overboard for bypassing a handful of single stompboxes.

The FCB 1010 has two amp channel switch jacks on the back, so I was going to try to find a bypass looper that can use these. Does anyone know of a company that makes these?

Otherwise, how hard would this be to build/wire?

[bongomania]

"Amp channel switch jacks"... what do they do?

[Swimming Bird]

Like so, except you have to insert your own chord.

[squarewave]

The excellent WOBO MIDI Looper4 can do this and more. It's compact, reasonably priced, and very well-built. It responds to Midi Program changes and Control changes. It has four loops, two of which can be used to switch channels like you described.

Check out these links. The Ebay link has the best overview of the features. It's really an impressive little box.

eBay Link

Link to manual pdf

Website

I am going to be listing one for sale soon in the classifieds section. PM me if interested.

[Swimming Bird]

Cool. But it's way expensive for me and seems to do the opposite of what I want. I want a bypass looper that can accept a channel switch as its main switch.

[squarewave]

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

Cool. But it's way expensive for me and seems to do the opposite of what I want. I want a bypass looper that can accept a channel switch as its main switch.

I don't think you will find a midi looper/switcher for less money. This one will switch 2 channels (which eats up 2 of the four loops). I must have mis-understood your requirements.

[Swimming Bird]

Not looking for a midi looper/switcher. I'm considering a midi controller that has amp channel switches built in, so I would like to find a bypass looper that can utilize those.

[Awesomenaut]

Maybe one of the Radial bone products?

Tonebone Bassbone - introduction

Seems like they use a standard footswitch.

[bongomania]

I honestly don't think there is an off-the-shelf item that does what you want. This is the first instance I've ever heard of somebody wanting to do this, so even though it makes some sense as an idea, it's not something any pedal maker would have had any commercial demand for. I think you'd have to have a custom builder make it.

[gastric]

The amp channel switching outputs on the FCB1010 function just like any momentary or latching footswitch. So you'd need to find a bypass looper that can accept external footswitch control, or jury rig up an external jack and wire it to the built-in footswitch of a bypass looper pedal.

All said and done you should just buy a MIDI loop switcher and run MIDI out of the FCB1010 into it and control it that way... which is ultimately no different than what you already want to do which is control the bypass of some non-MIDI gear with the FCB1010. Most MIDI loop switchers will be much more robust in their switching capabilities, including re-arranging the loop order of the pedals, depending on the device you buy. And the smaller ones shouldn't cost much more than a typical bypass loop pedal. I thought I recalled Jufro's finding a small MIDI looper that had 4 send/returns that you could effectively control in any way and shape you want, and it was less than $200, and could mount under a PedalTrain or similar raised pedal board. But I can't recall the details, haha.

Now that I typed all of that, since the amp control outputs are just momentary or latching switches... you could somehow wire them DIRECTLY to the built-in foot switches of whatever non-MIDI gear you want to control. Fun DIY project. Install 1/4" jacks in the non-MIDI gear, wire it to the built-in jack of the PCB, viola! Or hack the end off a 1/4" cable and solder it directly to the gear (not as nice as a 1/4" jack but some boxes won't have the space). Just throwing out options.

[Swimming Bird]

Hmm... it looks like this is going to be the start of a build-quest. Doing a little bit of research, it seems like the simplest approach will be achieved using relays.

The plan right now: find a relay that acts like a DPDT (based off the Beavis Audio bypass looper schematic) and can be powered off of a one-spot, set the channel switch to connect the power to the relay.

Does this seem like a reasonable approach? My main concerns are whether I can find the appropriate relay and whether it's actually safe for the controller to connect the power.

[thebean]

It sounds like the gig rig remote loopy is exactly up your ally.

Link

[fokof]

Originally Posted by Awesomenaut

Maybe one of the Radial bone products?

Tonebone Bassbone - introduction

Seems like they use a standard footswitch.

+1

The "sling shot remote" does exactly what you want.

[Swimming Bird]

Originally Posted by thebean

It sounds like the gig rig remote loopy is exactly up your ally.

Link

Cool! Glad it exists, but that's a little rich for my blood. I think it'll cost me about ten or twenty bucks in components to make two...

Originally Posted by fokof

+1

The "sling shot remote" does exactly what you want.

As far as I can tell, the sling shot remote allows for remote output, whereas I want a remote input. Close, but no cigar.

[cheapbasslovin]

I think what you need is a relay setup where the relay coil voltage is fed to the Behringer, where it is switched to power the relay, activating the effects loop.

Unfortunately, I don't know who builds something like that.

If WOBO does special orders, I could see them doing something like this.