Considering a jump into high end signal processing for both recording and for weekend-warrior live use. This means either a floorboard or rack mount units with MIDI foot control. The floorboard is self-explanatory - navigate menus, program tones, save presets, hook to a PC for editor software. The rack units, though, are a little harder to get my head around. You need a case. The case needs a place to sit, and they're not small. You have to consider 2u, 3u, 4u, etc. You have to get a MIDI controller for the floor and program it to do what you want. Rack gear is safer on stage and during transport (heck I just had a kid run through my stage setup *during a song*), but bulkier and way more heavy. Rack gear is undeniably cool and I love the idea of not crouching to do my programming. My guitar heroes all use rack gear, and 80s-and-beyond studio guitar tone is the era of tone I'm always trying to emulate with my budget gear. For some reason rack gear feels like "the real deal" more than floorboards do, and I like the modular aspect of matching different pieces of gear.
What I don't quite understand is how to learn about programming a MIDI floorboard to control rack gear without going insane from all the possibilities and the lack of templates or auto-mapping. How do folks do this? Youtube? Forums?
Is there anything else I'm missing in the consideration for jumping into rack gear? Even basic advice is appreciated. Including "don't do it". I'm doing a lot of reading to get up-to-speed, but appreciate the insight of this board so posting this here as well.
What I don't quite understand is how to learn about programming a MIDI floorboard to control rack gear without going insane from all the possibilities and the lack of templates or auto-mapping. How do folks do this? Youtube? Forums?
Is there anything else I'm missing in the consideration for jumping into rack gear? Even basic advice is appreciated. Including "don't do it". I'm doing a lot of reading to get up-to-speed, but appreciate the insight of this board so posting this here as well.
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