Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2

[Elantric]

Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 is a USB Class Compliant MIDI Foot controller 
http://line6.com/footcontrollers/fbvshortboardmkii.html

FBV Shortboard MkII isn't your average foot controller. It's a full-on remote control that keeps you at the foot of the stage instead of tied to the front of your Line 6 amp or POD®.



FBV Shortboard MkII delivers out-of-the box, plug-n-play connectivity. Stomp the 13 steel footswitches to quickly scroll and select channel presets, synchronize your time-based effects with Tap Tempo, activate effects, the chromatic tuner, and more.

When paired with Spider® IV and Spider Valve™ MkII guitar amplifiers, the footswitches can activate many on-board amp effects including Quick Loop, Pitch Glide and Smart Harmony, and provide up to 128 user-created presets.

The burly, full-sized volume/wah pedal feels solid under your foot and features plenty of grip. Clicking the toe-switch toggles between volume and wah control (with an illuminated LED to match).

Oversized and backlit, the LCD is big, bright and easy to read. It displays the active preset name and number, and the chromatic tuner (when activated).

FEATURES

Total hands-free control of most Line 6 amps and POD processors
13 steel channel switches for preset bank select, bank scroll, effect select, tuner, tap tempo & more
Burly, full-sized volume/wah pedal with plenty of grip
Bright, oversized LCD shows active preset name/number and chromatic tuner
FBV Control software allows for easy and unlimited mapping of FBV controls via USB (Mac®/PC)
Self-powered via included locking RJ-45 cable
Back panel: USB jack, RJ-45 jack, 1/4-inch expression pedal jack

FBV CONTROL SOFTWARE

Take full advantage of FBV Shortboard MkII with the free and downloadable FBV Control software. The application shows you a graphical representation of your FBV Shortboard MkII and lets you customize the midi commands you send via USB.

Assign each FBV control a MIDI CC, a bank change, a program change or even transport commands to drive many popular audio applications including ProTools®, Propellerhead Reason® and Record, and more!

Create and save endless variations - a few for gigs, a few for the studio - and easily add them to your FBV Shortboard MkII via USB.

[Elantric]

After my battle with KMI SoftStep (EMI Noises and high failure rate)
(read about it here:)
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=3242.0

- I'm reviewing the Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 as an all around MIDI Foot controller.

These can be found for around  $150 on Ebay  - there is a lot to like,  has a LCD Display that supports patch names, and Dual Expression pedals  and a Win/OSX GUI Editor for programming MIDI CC# assignments.


It can be used with the Raspberry Pi to control the Boss GP-10, or used with a powered USB Hub to control IOS Ipad  / iPhone apps like Yonac ToneStack, JamupPro XT, etc.   


http://line6.com/data/6/0a060b316ac34f0593cc41922/application/pdf/FBV%20MkII%20Series%20Controller%20Advanced%20User%20Guide%20-%20English%20(%20Rev%20B%20).pdf

[whippinpost91850]

Curious, I know I'm probably missing something: If it's USB class complient why would you need the Raspberry PI to use it with the GP-10

[Elantric]

" USB Class Compliant" means it works using USB Standards without a proprietary USB device driver for the target Operating System
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#Device_classes

The Boss GP-10 "officially" requires the Roland proprietary USB device driver for the target Operating System (available for Windows and Apple OSX only)
The GP-10 is not USB Class Compliant (our members discovery of the Raspberry Pi functionality relies on the Linux JackAudio driver to translate Boss GP-10 "MIDI over USB" to 5 pin MIDI)
and You can't connect 2 USB Client peripheral devices (like the Boss GP-10 and FBV Mk2) together without a USB Host. (Raspberry Pi)


http://www.eeherald.com/section/design-guide/esmod14.html

[whippinpost91850]

Thanks got it. I knew I was thinkin backwards

[stevelukather]

Hi, first at all , sorry for my english (it's not my native language).

I have the Line-6 FBV shortboard Mk2.

Works ok with Midi-ox and GP-10 .... BUT!!!

There is no way to get working BANK CHANGES and PROGRAM CHANGES continously....

BANK CHANGES increment +1 , and BANK CHANGES increment -1
but A,B,C,D only can assign a ONE and only ONE Program changes ( A=PC1 , B=PC2 , C=PC3, D=PC4 ... but no increment with bank shifting ...)

My fcb1010 , send's program changes continous .... (bank 0 -> program changes from 1 to 9 ... bank 1 -> 10 - 19 ...etc)
but line6 form factor is excellent.

I will try write a software (c# is my friend) to translate this behavior.

Bank Change in FBV send's 3 messages (I see though midi-ox monitor).

From the manual :

Any FBV Bank Change command always also transmits a Program Change as part of its MIDI
message

, but I see and extra msg.

My idea is take the last 3 msg's , and if it's a bank shifting , send Program Change..

Bye...

[Elantric]

Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 Owners manual

http://line6.com/data/6/0a060b316ac34f0593cc41922/application/pdf/FBV%20MkII%20Series%20Controller%20Advanced%20User%20Guide%20-%20English%20(%20Rev%20B%20).pdf

I found time to play with my Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 - with the goal of using this with my iPad Rig and / or my Boss GP-10/MacMini Rig.

The Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 is 100% USB powered, and of course the iPad+CCK does not provide enough power.

Next I tried inserting a powered USB hub between iPad(+CCK) and the  Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2

To no avail - all I got after 10 seconds was a pop up error message on iPad
"The connected device, Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 is NOT compatible." and no MIDI data

Then I tried using my old original 1st release iConnectMIDI black box




- plugging Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 into the USb Host port on the front of the iConnectMIDI  - Eurecka - I could see that the Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 was working and sending all its MIDI data to the iConnectMIDI's USB and MIDI Outputs.

Next I tried feeding the Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 > ConnectMIDI USB Out > iPad+CCK - and had success with MIDI Data message from Line-6 FBV Shortboard MK2 into the iPad  - where i can use this for MIDI control of  Yonac ToneStack and IOS Synths patch changes when used with Tripleplay


I can pre-program the FBV using its Line 6 FBV Control GUI configuration app on my Mac


  -and save this to the internal flash memory inside FBV Shortboard MKII

Then power down and connect up to remote MIDI control my iPad/iPhone 24 bit audio  / Fishman Tripleplay rig described here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=10323.0