A proposed design for more flexible QC switch configurations

Quad Cortex Feature Requests
1

Quad Cortex already has 3 modes, Preset, Scene, and Stomp. A few simple features would dramatically expand the flexibility of using these three modes in live situations, similar to Foot Controller Layouts in Fractal Audio devices:

  1. Any switch can be mapped to any function in any mode
    1. Preset select: Bank, Preset
    2. Scene select: 0 to 7
    3. Stomp toggle: 0 to 31, referring to each block on the grid, not limited to just 8 stomp switches
    4. MIDI send (including to self or channel -1), Channel, CC# and Value. This allows a switch to control anything (requires item 3)
  2. Default mappings are as currently configured:
    1. Preset - select one of 8 presets in the current bank
    2. Scene - select scene 0 through 7
    3. Stomp - toggle stomp 0 through 7
  3. Any block parameter can be mapped to a MIDI CC message, including block bypass, assuming Quad Cortex eventually supports MIDI control of all block parameters (a must have)
  4. Switch assignments are global with preset overrides. This simplifies the mappings while also keeping the foot switch assignments consistent across presets unless the preset needs to change something.

Hybrid mode is no longer needed, but could be preserved with two more sets of defaults.

Here’s a yaml file that provides some examples and how the defaults would be configured to match the current modes. (I couldn’t attach this unfortunately).

# A syample yaml file for a configuration of Quad Cortex switch modes
# This would be the factory default layouts
# Bank -1 means use the current bank from the Bank Up/Down switches
# Setting bank to another number allows a switch to directly load any preset
---
QC-Default-Modes:
  Preset-Mode:
    A:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 0
    B:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 1
    C:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 2
    D:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 3
    E:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 4
    F:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 5
    G:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 6
    H:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: -1
      Preset: 7

  Scene-Mode:
    A: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 0
    B: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 1
    C: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 2
    D: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 3
    E: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 4
    F: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 5
    G: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 6
    H: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 7

  Stomp-Mode:
    A: 
      Mode: Stomp
      # Stomp values should refer to say blocks on the grid, not switches
      # This way we can have more than 8 stomp switches
      Stomp: 0
    B: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 1
    C: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 2
    D: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 3
    E: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 4
    F: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 5
    G: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 6
    H: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 7
---
# Another example simulating both hybrid modes, which are now both
# available at the same time by switching the modes
Hybrid-Example:
  # Scene/Stomp hybrid mode
  Scene-Mode:
    A: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 0
    B: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 1
    C: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 2
    D: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 3
    E: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 4
    F: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 5
    G: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 6
    H: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 7

  # Stomp/Scene hubrid mode
  Stomp-Mode:
    A: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 0
    B: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 1
    C: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 2
    D: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 3
    E: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 4
    F: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 5
    G: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 6
    H: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 7
---
# An example of mixing preset, scene and stomp when in stomp mode
Mixed-Example:
  # Only the stomp mode is modified
  Stomp-Mode:
    # The first two switches select presets
    A:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: 5
      Preset: 2
    B:
      Mode: Preset
      Bank: 22
      Preset: 3
    # the next two switches select scenes B and H
    C: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 1
    D: 
      Mode: Scene
      Scene: 7
    # the next two are stomp switches
    E: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 3
    F: 
      Mode: Stomp
      Stomp: 1
    # The next two send MIDI messages, to QC itself
    # This assumes the MIDI CC messages and values
    # Have been mapped to block parameters elsewhere
    # and are just using those mappings here
    G: 
      Mode: MIDI
      Channel: -1
      CC: 33
      Value: 0
    H: 
      Mode: MIDI
      Channel: -1
      CC: 34
      Value: 127
2

@jamsden, I think you’ve been in this forum longer than I have–surely you must have seen all of the other requests (racking up hundreds of votes) for expanded footswitch and MIDI.

It’s frustrating to not hear any word from Neural on whether or not they’re working on a “any switch mapped to any function in any mode” kitchen sink footswitch option. But I’m not sure if adding one more feature request is helpful here.

3

Yes I have seen them. I was trying to provide some concrete implementation ideas, not just a feature request.

I don’t expect NDSP to respond to these ideas. Rather I expect them to use them to guide their own product backlog and priorities.

I’m reasonably confident that some MIDI and switch functionality is in the works. It would have to be for the unit to be competitive in a professional situation. And I’m sure they have a lot of conflicting priorities consuming their resources.

We all need to be patient.