How to get the looper working with any Midi Device


    Hey Carsten,


    I'll be glad to help you out if you encounter any problems when building the simple looper.


    I added all documentation of the combined switcher/looper to the Dropbox folder. Please note that the documentation was made for the programmable loop switcher (which it used to be). I kept the hardware almost the same though. The wiring is a complete overkill for a pedal, just sending MIDI commands. Also, the code is a mess and not completely working 100%. You're free to try if you can get it working, but I'm not enthusiastic about helping you out if you cannot get it working.
    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eai…ziI1vxsjdL6NrTDZ8dua?dl=0

    Hi DaanJM.


    Thank you for your reply and your link to the files.
    My first mission is to have the simple looper working using the Arduino Mini Pro. I might even stick to that.
    I already have an FCB1010 with a Kemper4Uno chip to control the rig changes.
    I truly understand that you can only dedicate limited time if I run into problems.


    I'll begin with the simple one for starters. but thanks again for the files.


    /Carsten


    Isn't the FCB1010 capable of merging MIDI signals? Then you could still use it for program changes and use the separate looper pedal for the NRPN messages simultaneously. I think you have to activate this feature in some kind of menu on the FCB1010.

    Quote

    Isn't the FCB1010 capable of merging MIDI signals? Then you could still use it for program changes and use the separate looper pedal for the NRPN messages simultaneously. I think you have to activate this feature in some kind of menu on the FCB1010.


    Having replaced the original FCB1010 eeprom with the Uno eeprom, the "midi merge" functionality followed the original eeprom.
    My idea for use at first, is not to use the looper at the same time using the FCB1010. The looper was intended mostly as a "practicing tool".


    But if it is possible to connect both of them via midi and have them working, it would be great.
    Though I could re-insert the original eeprom and program the FCB1010 with the same rig control functions as with the Uno eeprom,
    and the activate the "midi merge" function and possibly use the looper.


    I think I start off getting the looper working and the see what further options I have.


    /Carsten

    If you are using a FCB1010 with the Uno4Kemper chip, you will need a direct connection on midi send and receive for it to work properly with the Kemper, as the pedal and Kemper send and receive messages from each other. So even if the FCB1010 can merge midi, you couldn't use it as the FCB1010 does not have multiple inputs.


    However, there is an easy and elegant solution if you are building an Arduino based pedal. In the Arduino midi library, there is a merge function available, but they call it mirroring. It is super easy to implement in your code as well. I found by adding the following commands:


    MIDI.begin(); //initialize on startup, Defaults to midi mirroring, ch1
    while (MIDI.read()) { } //Required in main code to start mirroring


    ...all data on the Arduino pedal midi input would be merged with its data and sent to the pedal's midi output. You can then place your Arduino pedal between the midi out from the FCB1010/Uno4Kemper and the Kemper midi in, and your pedal data will be merged with the FCB's output data, and both will work properly. I do this with my Arduino based looper pedal, and it works perfectly. However it does require you add a midi input as well as a midi output on your Arduino pedal.

    MKB, I will try this for sure when I get the Arduino board working.
    That would really be a nice solution.


    Would you be interested in sharing your project details regarding your Arduino based looper ?
    I already got shematics and sketch kindly from DaanJM, but it would be great to see other ways to do it.

    I have been meaning to upload the code and details from my pedal (it has 8 buttons for 6 looper functions plus delay on/off and tap tempo). It's not very complicated and hasn't been completed yet (haven't figured out a state machine for the looper Play LED, and as of now the code does not read the Kemper's confirmation of a command like most other pedals do), but it works well. I just haven't had the time to archive it yet, 2 busy jobs. I'll send a link as soon as I can get it zipped up.


    The biggest pain IMHO of making a midi pedal with an Arduino is the hardware portion. The code is super easy in many cases with the excellent Arduino midi library. After spending a lot of time trying to program a stock FCB1010 to do some complicated midi stuff, it ended up being far simpler to code it into an Arduino, once you understand how midi works.


    It would be great if someone like Sparkfun would make a pre-assembled 4 to 6 button footswitch with an integrated Arduino type uC PCA and a midi in, midi out, and USB for connecting to the Arduino IDE. Just 4 to 6 momentary push buttons with a low current LED above both. I'd think this would be very useful for many different midi projects, and would take the hardest part of making such a thing out of the equation. I'd certainly buy a few.

    MKB, you're right. The HW part realy takes an effort.
    I think I will buy a Digitech FS3X and mod it for the looper. It has 3 momentary footswitches.
    According to DaanJM's looper project the use of four swatches are :
    Switch 1 : Rec/Play/Dub
    Switch 2 : Stop/Erase
    Switch 3 : Undo
    Switch 4 : Trigger


    I think I can omit switch 4 in my version using the Digitech FS3X.


    I honestly don't think buying the FS3X will save you much time. You still have to drill holes for the MIDI connector and power connector. Furthermore, you also still have to do all connections from the momentary switches to the Arduino and from the power plug and MIDI jack to the arduino. The only thing it saves you is drilling of the holes for the switches. I agree that you can omit the Trigger switch, as it is not of much use to me.


    It might be a cool feature to include regular jack outputs that connect to the momentary switches, so you can also choose to connect the pedal to the pedal inputs (with TRS) on the Kemper, omitting the MIDI capability.

    Quote from DaanJM


    I honestly don't think buying the FS3X will save you much time. You still have to drill holes for the MIDI connector and power connector. Furthermore, you also still have to do all connections from the momentary switches to the Arduino and from the power plug and MIDI jack to the arduino. The only thing it saves you is drilling of the holes for the switches. I agree that you can omit the Trigger switch, as it is not of much use to me.


    It might be a cool feature to include regular jack outputs that connect to the momentary switches, so you can also choose to connect the pedal to the pedal inputs (with TRS) on the Kemper, omitting the MIDI capability.


    It might be worth consideration to find and buy an old used midi footswitch, some of the older ones only issue fixed PC's and are of limited use these days. If you could get something like the old Peavey PFC10, you could get your switches already mounted and an almost complete case for far less than buying new. You would just need to junk the existing PCB and wire in your Arduino, and you'd be ready to go. This would save tons of time and effort as well. You would have to be careful though, many footswitches have the actual switch elements and LEDs on a PCB, so you might have to cut and jumper tracks to get to the contacts.


    If your drummer sometimes can't keep steady time, the Trigger switch is useful as it will restart a loop. So if his time drifts, you can hit Trigger to resync everything,

    I am going to build a footcontroller with an arduino as well.
    But I am going to write my own code as I want it to work as Switch for Rigs and controller for the looper.
    Let's see if this works out :D

    I have just received my Arduino pro Mini boards along with a FTDI USB to serial converter.
    FYI:
    Be aware of fakes though. The converter I received had a counterfeit chip and does not work with the new FTDI drivers.
    Apparently the new drivers have built in countermeasures for disabling fake FTDI chps.
    It is possible however to revert to a previously FTDI driver, but the FTDI chip have to be "unbricked" before it can work again.


    I have ordered another converter instead in order to make use of the newest drivers.

    Just a little end comment on this thread..


    I managed to connect my Arduino Pro Mini to my Kemper.
    The Arduino had the program running kindly supplied by DaanJM, and it works like a charm :0)
    So all I need now is to install the Arduino Pro Mini inside my Digitech FS3X box.
    Actually I bought two Digitech FS3X - one for the looper project and one for another Arduino project in order to have better control over the overdrive stages on my Fuchs ODS amp.
    Buying the Digitech FS3X not only saved me time building a box - it also comes installed with three switches which I then don't have to buy separately.


    Anyway thank you again DaanJM for kindly supplying the program for the Arduino. I really appreciate it.


    TF


    Glad to hear it worked out for you!


    Daan.

    smello335:
    I am too, interested in seeing other users Kemper MIDI projects using the Arduino, so please post your project.


    dragonsf :
    MKB mentioned (earlier in this thread) a command which can be used to "merge" incomming MIDI message with the messages sent from the Arduino looper program.
    Maybe he can describe it in more detail (program example e.g.)


    Not to distract from this thread but it's been asked here many times about the fcb1010... You can now buy the eureka prom chip that supports looper and more of course... 35$