How are you guys MIDI automating your mutes?

  • I'm running in performance mode and have Cubase wired to to fire performance / slot changes before each song. So far, easy peasy.


    When the song is over, I want to mute the guitar and then unmute it after the performance / slot change for the next song. I can see a few different ways to skin this particular cat (assuming you like hairless cats).

    • I could just automate CC7 (volume), but that requires either a constant volume throughout the show to return to or having to fiddle with the "on" values.
    • Firing CC31 to turn the tuner on and off seems practical as it both mutes the guitar and also makes the tuner available.
    • I also thought about having a slot 5 for each performance that somehow was muted. Haven't researched that one yet.
    • And of course, given the Kemper's flexibility there are probably other ways to do this as well.

    The front runner at the moment is just toggling the tuner on and off. That said, I've been a studio rat for a long time and am just now venturing back out into the world of live playing, so I'm sure a lot of you know the good and the bad of various approaches. I'd value your thoughts on this.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • I'm automating CC7, and at the end of song, after it fades away I turn volume off on guitar and send another CC7 to set volume back to 127 (I keep global volume at 0dB, so I always return to CC7=127). This way next song in set is good to go and KPA doesn't stay muted.


    Between songs I typically turn volume down on guitar itself and also I have pretty aggressive noise gate set - so no MIDI is involved in this part.

  • I have a rig called "off" with volume zero like above.


    For quicker muting within a song, I put an eq in slot A with the volume at zero. Then you use control change to enable the slot and mute the guitar. You could put it in any position, but essentially this reacts a lot quicker than changing rigs.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

  • Hey, guys.


    Thanks very much for all the great feedback. I figured I'd learn a few things in the process, and I wasn't wrong.

    I'm automating CC7, and at the end of song, after it fades away I turn volume off on guitar and send another CC7 to set volume back to 127 (I keep global volume at 0dB, so I always return to CC7=127). This way next song in set is good to go and KPA doesn't stay muted.


    Between songs I typically turn volume down on guitar itself and also I have pretty aggressive noise gate set - so no MIDI is involved in this part.

    How fast does the volume respond for you on CC7?


    I've been automating stomps on and off and still trying to get a feel for how much lead time to give them, wondering if CC7 also requires x amount of advance notice.

    I have a program with 0 volume, I use to kill Kemper when needed

    That's pretty straightforward. I was actually wondering how to set up a mute program and just setting the amp volume to 0 is embarrassingly obvious.

    I have a rig called "off" with volume zero like above.


    For quicker muting within a song, I put an eq in slot A with the volume at zero. Then you use control change to enable the slot and mute the guitar. You could put it in any position, but essentially this reacts a lot quicker than changing rigs.

    Cool tip man, thanks. Response time is something I'm looking at for all MIDI operations, and the EQ trick is something I wouldn't have thought about.


    I've tested out CC31 to toggle the tuner on and off, and that's the one option that no one has mentioned. Is there a potential for trouble with this method that I'm overlooking? You guys have been at this stuff a lot longer than me.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • Immediately. There is no lag at all. What is the purpose of muting Kemper between songs? Is this to switch guitars?

    Cool, thanks for the info.


    I'll only need to switch guitars if I break a string, and I've played all my life without the ability to automatically mute between songs.


    The honest answer to this question is that I'm a control freak. Sometimes it's good to say it out loud. :)

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • You can achieve what you want using any of previously mentioned methods, but in my opinion CC7 is the way to go, if you're automating from DAW (or hardware midi sequencer). It doesn't pollute your rigs with dummy slots and your automation lane responsible for volume in DAW will be called... well, you guessed it: Volume :) Nice, simple and effective. If you need "manual override" then dummy slot in each rid with -inf volume sounds like reasonable idea (although in this case I'd prefer to just have volume/expression pedal).

  • and your automation lane responsible for volume in DAW will be called... well, you guessed it: Volume :)

    So simple even a drummer could understand it! ^^


    I have the remote, which will be on the floor for the tuner, plus the ability to do manual override for performances should a computer go south on us. I mean, you know, not like that could happen...

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10