Hey everybody! I’m looking to upgrade my existing rig (bottom board) to the QC Mini (top board). My primary questions are:
#1 - Can I program individual effects blocks within the QC Mini’s signal chain to turn on / off via the Morningstar MC6 Pro? (ex: short press button “A” on MC6 Pro turns on a Chorus effect) #2 - For routing, would I just use stereo FX loop block in the QC, and two 2 TS –> 1 TRS patch cables in order to connect the H90 into the QC Mini?
Ultimately, the goal is to provide more flexibility to dialing in unique ambient tones AND leveraging the H90’s rich stereo delay effects which the QC lacks (mainly tap tempo warping and limited delay parameters…) Your thoughts are welcomed! Thanks!!!
Disclaimer: I don’t have a QC mini but i think it should work. The issue is we don’t have a way to use a single command to turn on off an individual block. You can assign a block (say chorus) to a switch in stomp mode and a command from mc6 pro can turn that on and off.
I tend to live in scene mode with eight scenes and then use the 8 stomps to be switched in or out using the mc6. However it takes three commands. 1. Switch from scene mode to stomp mode 2. Command for switch press to activate block in stomp mode 3. Command to go back to scene mode.
And yes you just need two of those cables (a lot of times called an “insert cable” to put the h90 in the stereo effects loop.
Thanks for the reply and detail on the commands! My thought process is doing something like the following:
#1 - QC Mini (4 buttons) - Scene mode to control my gain staging (Clean, OD, Crunch, Lead).
#2 - MC6 Pro (6 buttons)
–Bottom row (left to right) = Bank H90 down, Chorus effect block, tap tempo / hold for tuner
–Top row = Bank H90 up, Vibrato effect block, swell patch.
What’s nice about the MC6 Pro is having access to multi-functional button controls (single tap, double tap, hold, etc.)!
Sounds killer. I think you’ll like that. The mc6 pro is awesome. While the midi functionality of the QC and QC mini could be better the mc6 pro allows for work around that solves most issues. Enjoy!!
Keep in mind that if you don’t go stereo send and return with your FX loop, any stereo blocks or split lanes that you might insert before the FX loop block will be summed to mono. If you plan to keep the H90 on your pedalboard, it won’t matter if you go TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) but, if you end up with a grounding issue between the two units (not likely), using TRS would allow you to lift ground at the sending end of each pair to isolate the grounds of the two devices. Just things to consider.
I will say that the connector for the midi on the QC is a weird 1/8” adaptor. Would highly suggest getting a right angle cable for it, otherwise it’ll get knocked around since you’re pointing it to the outside of your board.
The midi programming to do scenes and stomps at the same time is somewhat involved. Thankfully someone already explained the basics of it in the thread. But you will be programming multiple commands to switch between modes, etc to every button on the MC6. Currently that’s the only workaround to make 6 stomps work with scenes at the same time. Unless you just need 4 stomps and could do hybrid mode.
Also it may be strange to use the foot switches of the QC mini. They’re all at the same level, so hopefully your board is slanted. Otherwise you’ll hit the other switches on it very easily whenever you use it. The QC is somewhat cramped, but at least there is an incline to the switches. Guaranteed you’ll probably hit the knob of the H90 whenever you hit the top right switch of the QC mini. These super crammed boards seem like a good idea til you actually have to use them live
Thanks for the right angle tip - All cables will be custom made so they’ll sit as flush as possible!
Also good call on the height / dimensions of all footswitches, the board is a Voodoo Lab Dingbat Small EX which has a gradual incline (space for my power supply underneath too) which should help alleviate accidental button pressing. I’ve done plenty of tap-dancing live so I expect this to be similar lol
This will be new to me, but should be doable with the Morningstar MC6Pro’s Omniports! Thanks for consideration there. Also, your ambient presets are PHENOMENAL mate.
Nice! That all sounds great. I do think it’s awesome to utilize the smaller QC for a purpose like this. At least the MC6 Pro has a nice screen, so you can get about a similar experience as if it was on the normal QC screen. I had a basic MC6 years ago, and it was cool, but the screen was more similar to a Casio watch haha. Was a super useful tool though!
Personally I would hate to have the QC mini set up vertically #1 - Yes, with the limitations the QC mini has. But the MC6 Pro gives you everything to work around that as you already figured out yourself. #2 - The H90 can be connected and routed in many different ways but that depends on your needs. What you said is possible. You could also use it in dual mode and put the H90 in the loop of the QC mini and after it.
Very true the h90 adds latency. Honestly just using the effects loop of the QC adds a chunk of latency though. However, I find for the cases I bring in the h90 I don’t sense it (for super wet effected sounds) but I have it out of the signal path when not in use. In dual mode you can put the h90 in mono before the QC and then also in stereo using the QC effects loop. I use a JHS switchback to bring in the h90 in mono in front of the QC. Just use the mc6 pro to switch the JHS switchback.
would add some extra versatility.
Lvx and BigSky after the QC but they are analog dry thru to not add latency.
@Gregory@Kfletcher@citadel777
Talk a bit more about the latency w/ H90 & QC – Am I understanding correctly that I need to run the two H90 effects blocks in parallel? Any addtl. parameter refinements to reduce latency? Again - I plan on using the H90 as my dedicated, stereo delay. The 2nd H90 effect (if utilized) would be for ambient tones. ie; cosmic web, granular, blackhole, wormhole, etc.
Otherwise, am I better off buying a Source Audio Nemesis ADT for delays instead? Then feeding it thru the CBA Mood MKII for ambient tones (since I can turn that on/off as necessary & it’s also analog-dry-thru)?
I write this in the spirit of helpfulness. Be careful when comparing the QC and the H90 and their “terms”. QC’s “presets” is the same as H90’s “program”. For the record, I own (and use regularly) both. I recommend both. That link is referring to essentially the same thing people on this forum complain about regarding preset changes (ie volume drop, latency). QC’s “scene” mode is comparable to the H90’s “presets” (a/b algorithms) which has no delay (like qc scene mode).
Personally I route the H90 stereo in/out with fx loop 1/2. Using the h90 inserts you essentially have another fxloop too (3/4 i/o). W/in the H90 routing menu u can route it pre/post series or parallel. *kill dry mode (which is NOT globally midi) gets rid of phase issues, but isnt always the friendliest with certain algorithms (cosmic web). These two units pair, extremely nice though, IMO.
Back to latency, when I switch a song on the QC (using “preset midi”) the h90 recovers its “program” before the qc executes its “preset” change.
I hope this info is received as helpful. Good luck.
If you’re worried about latency. I would try to find all your core tones and sounds for most of what you do just in the QC mini. I like the delays and reverbs in it. Putting any digital effect in the stereo effects loop adds latency due to all the digital to analog, analog to digital conversion and then back again.
I think the mood in the effects loop is nice for when you want to add some heavy ambience then you won’t really feel the latency as much.
Or you could put the mood after QC but then you lose the xlr outs and less flexible with routing
Do you plan to use a wireless? You may not feel any latency even with the H90 in the effects loop but depending on the wireless it might become noticeable.
Fair point, thanks man! I definitely appreciate the QC’s reverbs, especially after the newest 4.0.0 update!!
My main issue is the QC’s delays are (subjectively) inadequate in due to the tap tempo “warping” (specific to tape & analog delay blocks) when tapping in a new BPM live, and lack of deeper parameters. Furthermore, there’s no ability to self-oscillate delays or create any “textures” on the QC organically, especially not when playing live.
Just trying to decide which pedal(s) are best to solve those issues & pair with the QC Mini on a small flyrig
The warp/pitch-warble is unavoidable on the analog delays, true. (hopefully they’ll get around to our Feature Request for Transparent Tap Tempo)
but for self-oscillation I use an XP-workaround where the bypass and feedback are linked to the exp pedal. Then you can activate and oscillate (100% feedback) the delay simultaneously. Then roll back the XP and the delay turns off. Would that work for you?
