Voodoo Lab

Recently I purchased a Ground Control Pro and, while I'm extremely happy with the build quality and general capabilities, I'm left with a couple of head scratching issues/frustrations. If you are a current user of the Ground Control Pro, I humbly ask you to read on as your feedback will be important.

I've been using various midi controllers for what seems like a thousand years, some good, some not. So, what I'm going to throw out here for you all to hopefully chime in on, is a couple of small/easy software change suggestions for the Ground Control Pro that, I believe will improve the fundamental functionality of the unit.

Now, I don't know who you guys pick as the direct competitor for the GCP BUT, in my mind it is the Rocktron All Access (function-wise, NOT price) against which the GCP really stands up quite nicely. I've got a couple of VERY high profile friends who are All Access users and, when I told them that I had decided to go with the GCP, they thought that I may not like it. The reason? Well, with the All Access you can have 15 presets per bank which, is wonderful for those of us who don't get too busy with instant access switches. You can also configure the All Access in (I think?) a 10x5 mode which allows you to have 10 presets per bank with 5 instant access switches. I know there are a couple other modes BUT, you now get my point.

To me, the GCP is a great unit in many regards already BUT, I'm frustrated with the way the unit works in 10 preset mode. Now, I KNOW that what I want to see this unit do could be done with relative ease (compared to the intense programming that must have gone into making the GCP work seamlessly with the ElevenRack) but it won't happen unless enough of us GCP users ask for it. Here's what I want to formally ask our friends at Voodoo Lab to make a reality for us.

Add new modes of operation to choose from

1. 12 preset mode - if you're like me and are using the unit in 10 preset mode (most of the time), the +/- inc/dec buttons are useless. Once programmed, it is RARE that I will ever simply click up/down through presets. One of the great lures of the Rocktron All Access is being able to have 15 presets per bank BUT, the GCP is an already great unit that, if it had the ability to do 12 presets per bank, it would be a game changer for myself and others. I cannot tell you how much I want this to happen with my GCP!!!

I'd also like to have a choice as to where preset 1 starts. Most of the midi controllers I've ever used in my life have preset 1 located on the bottom row of the controller and first button on the left. I know this is silly in a way BUT, you only have this option if you are using the GCP in 4 preset mode. Surely this is an easy thing to change, no?

2. In addtion to the 4x8 mode (4 presets/8 instant access), I'd very much like an 8x4 mode where you have 8 presets with 4 instant access switches. I can think of quite a few operational scenarios where this would be very useful.

3. The ability to configure the GCP so that you can have it operate globally in 10 preset mode, 12 preset mode, 4x8 or 8x4 mode OR select the mode of operation PER BANK! PLEASE READ WHAT I HAVE TO SAY NEXT!

Scenario 1. Let's say you have to do a song that requires you to have multiple instant access functions (whammy on/off, stompbox on/off, starting/stopping a sequencer) well, you could set up bank one to be in 4x8 or 8x4 mode to perform that tune.

Scenario 2. Let's say you're doing a bunch of tunes where you need to simply bounce between several presets and don't need to control all the stuff in scenario 1. Well, you could set up bank 2 in 10 or 12 preset mode to handle these tunes.

It would be such a nice thing to be able to change modes of operation per bank without having to go into set-up mode. The flexibility would be so much more performance friendly.

Anyways, that's where I'm at and I would really appreciate my fellow GCP users chiming in and (hopefully) persuading John and Josh to implement these basic but fundamental improvements to the GCP. I would be willing to bet these features could be implemented in a relatively short amount of time to boot.

Thanks for your consideration,
Ray Mitchell

Hey, just posting a bump for my post. It's been over a week and no replies. Surely there are ground control pro users here who would like to have 12 presets per bank, no? Josh or John, please weigh in on this if you don't mind.

Thanks,
Ray Mitchell

raymitchell wrote:Hey, just posting a bump for my post. It's been over a week and no replies. Surely there are ground control pro users here who would like to have 12 presets per bank, no? Josh or John, please weigh in on this if you don't mind.

Thanks,
Ray Mitchell

Hi Ray,

We have included 10 presets/bank since 1991. This is the first time I have ever heard a request for 12. It is a fairly unnatural number to deal with. Sorry about that.

No one has requested that the number of presets change on a bank by bank basis before either. However, occasionally we're asked about having the IA buttons change for different banks. That is a feature that sounds useful, but in practice (live performance) is too confusing.

Our philosophy for this product has been to provide a feature set which works for 95% of players. We trade off the other 5% in exchange for making it very easy to use for the vast majority. If you need to have odd splits of preset vs IA buttons, send customized MIDI system exclusive messages, etc., Ground Control Pro may not be the perfect choice.

The v2 firmware for GCP will be released shortly. While it doesn't address your specific requests, it does have a number of very useful updates.

Regards,

Josh Fiden
Founder/ CEO
http://www.voodoolab.com

Hey Josh!
I very much appreciate you replying to my posts. So, maybe some of my requests are a bit specialized and I understand your position as a manufacturer completely as I also work at the manufacturer level in the MI industry.

Let me ask this of you, in firmware v2, will you please at least include the ability to do 12 presets per bank? To have only two presets on the bottom row of the controller when in 10 preset mode doesn't make sense ergonomically/psychologically. In four preset mode you get the first four buttons across the bottom at least. It doesn't matter how the bank/preset numbers work out because 95% of your users aren't using all the available banks anyway. Isn't it a bit odd that you would only have two presets available out of the four switches that are closest to the player? This has to be an easy thing for you to add to the firmware, no? Please add this!!! I don't want to buy another controller, I want to stay with you. Put it this way, giving me 12 presets means that I don't have to sell my ground control pro (which I just bought 2 weeks ago) and spend a ridiculous amount of money to get a Rocktron All Access. I truly think you'd be surprised how many guys like 12 preset mode once they have it. Each bank would then become a complete scene, well, except maybe the very last bank.

Much appreciated,
Ray Mitchell

Hey,
Just bumping this thread up to see if you'll at least consider implementing the things I laid out in my last post. PLEASE?!!!

I have just got a GCP, after eventually I realised my old original DMC GC couldn’t do 4 preset mode and instant access CC switching on my G-Major 2.
I’ve had a play with it for a couple of nights and it’s a great piece of kit, I’m using it with a GCX, Marshall JMP-1, Marshall EL84 Stereo Amp & G-Major 2. I also have a G-System so I’m use to gigging using presets with another row of ‘stomp box’ IA type switches.

Ray, I agree with some of your observations, to have an 8 preset / 4 Instant Access mode would be brilliant and personally I could easily play my gigs like this without needing to use another bank of 8 presets. This would mean everything I need would just be there in front of me, I nice reassuring feeling.

I too would never use the 10 preset mode as it is presently implemented and don’t know any other guitarists that would be comfortable operating like that. To have preset 1 in the top left-hand corner is strange and to ‘waste’ two of the bottom, most easily accessible, buttons to an inc & dec function is not very intuitive. Again I myself and guitarists I know are never that organised or have the confidence to plan a complete sequence of presets in incremental order to cover a song. A lot of these presets would be duplicates to follow the structure of the song, e.g. intro / verse / chorus/ verse/ chorus / M8 / lead/ verse / chorus etc.

Is it possible the 8 preset / 4 instant access could be incorporated in a new firmware release?

It’s been mentioned V2 firmware is due to be released shortly, can it be included in this? I have only just bought my GCP, production date June 2010, from a German online shop but I live in the UK, mine has V1.13 firmware, is this the latest?

Can you tell us the goodies that are included in V2?

Thanks
Bern

Bump for firmware updates release date?

I think Voodoo Lab needs to include different options for new firmware so everybody is happy

I would be very happy if GCP has capability to add expander. (has more IA and presets).