GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
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Kev5150
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:57 pm

GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by Kev5150 »

I brought this up in my reply to the GCP Expander post and have been thinking about it since.

My idea is fairly simple, use the GCP and Commander together in order to expand preset and IA capabilities. The Commander's 5 switches would be your Preset patches. Each switch has 2 banks, so in reality you have A/B access to 10 Preset patches. The GCP would be set to all IA switches, so you have access to 12 IA switches now.

I know nothing about software programming or anything relevant to the creation and development of whatever it would take to make this idea a reality, or if it is even possible. So can it be done? It seems reasonable to me, but I am but a mere gear obsessed guitarist with a dream.

I hope to hear back on this soon, thanks for reading.


Kev

Kev5150
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:57 pm

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by Kev5150 »

Hmm...no replies huh? I'm surprised no one else has any thoughts about this idea. How about you VL Gods...can anyone at least give me a simple yes this could be done, or no you're completely insane, this would never work...


And to the VL big wigs, if this idea is possible, you can have the idea/theory, whatever you want to call it FREE OF CHARGE! That is correct, I will not charge your company a dime for my brilliance.


Take care everybody!


Kev

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by JohnClark »

Oops... I guess I missed this one.

Currently there is no way this would work. The Commander works quite differently than the Ground Control Pro and its buttons are not programmable.

If more Instant Access button is what you are after then you may be interested in the upcoming update to the Ground Control Pro software. (I know it seems to be taking a metric eternity, but it really is going to happen!) One of the new features will be the ability to have a Ground Control Pro programmed to have two banks of 12 Instant Access buttons. This can be paired with a Ground Control Pro that is set to 10 Presets per bank or 4 Presets per bank.

I hope this helps!
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AddYb
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:11 pm

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by AddYb »

JohnClark wrote:Oops... I guess I missed this one.

Currently there is no way this would work. The Commander works quite differently than the Ground Control Pro and its buttons are not programmable.

If more Instant Access button is what you are after then you may be interested in the upcoming update to the Ground Control Pro software. (I know it seems to be taking a metric eternity, but it really is going to happen!) One of the new features will be the ability to have a Ground Control Pro programmed to have two banks of 12 Instant Access buttons. This can be paired with a Ground Control Pro that is set to 10 Presets per bank or 4 Presets per bank.

I hope this helps!
how about having 16IAs?
is it possible?

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by JohnClark »

With the new software you would connect two Ground Control Pro units together. The first one would have your presets and can be set up in either 10 Preset per Bank with no Instant Access buttons or 4 Preset per Bank with eight Instant Access buttons. The second Ground Control Pro would be set up in what we call IA Mode where there are two banks of 12 Instant Access buttons, giving you a total of 24 Instant buttons on this unit.

I hope this helps!
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Kev5150
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:57 pm

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by Kev5150 »

Thanks for the response John...now the real question is could it "potentially" be made to work? From what I'm thinking the Commander has a Midi In & Out...and also sends a CC message to control things such as the Pedal Switcher, Control Switcher and Multi FX units. I would think it would only be a matter of programming/software for the GCP. I know you said they work very differently, but this would be soooo much more than ideal for me and I'm sure others out there. If you could at least PM me or something so I could get a better idea of why exactly this doesn't work, and what I, VL, or us together could do to make it possible. Thank you very much for your time and your products.

Sincerely,

Kevin W Kessock

JohnClark
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by JohnClark »

The Commander does not send any of the appropriate messages in order to work with the Ground Control Pro as an add on with programmable buttons. This would take a rather vast re-writing of the software in both units.

The new software for the Ground Control Pro will first start off with being ready for a second Ground Control Pro to be added as an additional set of Instant Access buttons, but will also have provisions for a dedicated add on unit that will likely have eight buttons. There will be an add on that is smaller than a second Ground Control Pro... it just won't be the Commander.

We have been working on this stuff forever it seems, but it is coming. I may even finally shave the cooped up mad scientist beard I've grown during this process... its getting... well hairy. :roll:
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octatonic
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2009 5:26 pm

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by octatonic »

John,

I am afraid I have not been able to wait any longer for this update.
I've been a Voodoo Lab user since, wow- like 1993 or so when I bought the first GC and GCX- I think I was one of the first guys in australia to get one.
I moved up to the GCP and expanded the GCX with a second one- and toured with that rig for years.

The time it has taken to get this update out has just been too long and I've had to jump ship to a competitor.

I recent sold my GCP and one of the GCX's and about to move on the 2nd.
I sympathise that the update has taken you guys a while to get out but I simply haven't been able to hold out that it will come together.

I only mention this because Voodoo Lab have generally been great to deal with but from my perspective the GCP/GCX is so far behind the competition that it doesn't make sense for me to keep waiting.

Thanks,

Jim Richmond

JohnClark
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by JohnClark »

octatonic wrote:John,

I am afraid I have not been able to wait any longer for this update.
I've been a Voodoo Lab user since, wow- like 1993 or so when I bought the first GC and GCX- I think I was one of the first guys in australia to get one.
I moved up to the GCP and expanded the GCX with a second one- and toured with that rig for years.

The time it has taken to get this update out has just been too long and I've had to jump ship to a competitor.

I recent sold my GCP and one of the GCX's and about to move on the 2nd.
I sympathise that the update has taken you guys a while to get out but I simply haven't been able to hold out that it will come together.

I only mention this because Voodoo Lab have generally been great to deal with but from my perspective the GCP/GCX is so far behind the competition that it doesn't make sense for me to keep waiting.

Thanks,

Jim Richmond

Sorry to see you go, Jim.

May all your future updates be expeditious wherever you find yourself. If you ever want to come back, you know where to find us.

Cheers!
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Kev5150
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Jul 30, 2009 12:57 pm

Re: GCP + Commander...an interesting idea

Post by Kev5150 »

John, thank you for the explanation. I am sure you have much better things to do than respond to all the maniacal ravings in this forum, but I and I'm sure everyone else here is grateful for your time. I guess I'll have to justify a bigger pedalboard footprint to accommodate 2 GCP's...oh well hahaha.

Keep up the good work and DON'T DESTROY THE BEARD! Let it mature and I'm sure it will serve you well in the future...



Kev

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