XSONIC AIRSTEP MIDI FOOT CONTROLLER

Started by admin, July 21, 2020, 07:20:16 AM

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admin

https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstep

From Now On, You Only Need One Controller


Comprehensive MIDI functions

AIRSTEP has comprehensive and powerful MIDI control functions. It has 2 5-PIN MIDI output interfaces, 1 Bluetooth MIDI interface and 1 USB MIDI interface. Together, they can control all the MIDI-related devices and effects apps at the same time. AIRSTEP can be placed on a pedalboard, next to a synthesizer stand, or under computer desk, and can easily be carried with a mobile phone or tablet.



AIRSTEP can send all types of MIDI messages, Control Change, Program Change, Note On/Off, SysEx, Real Time, etc. You can send up to 8 different MIDI messages at a time when you press each switch, which means that each switch can control up to 8 different MIDI devices, all at the same time. All the required MIDI messages can be easily edited through the AIRSTEP APP, and stored as presets. You can edit and store countless presets in the companion APP, and load AIRSTEP with one click whenever you want. There are a large number of factory presets already in the APP, which can meet the control needs of most of your gear.



AIRSTEP also has a powerful MIDI forwarding function. It has a traditional MIDI input interface, Bluetooth and USB can also be used as MIDI input. All MIDI input messages can be forwarded to any MIDI output interface, which means connecting your traditional MIDI keyboard or controller to AIRSTEP, they immediately become a wireless MIDI device, AIRSTEP can also forward a MIDI message sent from your computer or mobile phone to your hardware effector to switch presets.





What is AIRSTEP?



AIRSTEP is a universal foot controller that offers unprecedented flexibility and control of your music related devices and effects app ecosystem.



AIRSTEP can control hardware effects and amplifiers with MIDI input, and can also be used as traditional relay footswitches to control amps and effects without MIDI interface. AIRSTEP can control DAW and effect apps in a mobile phone, tablet or computer through Bluetooth, and even turn your traditional MIDI controller into a wireless controller.



AIRSTEP can be used as "a computer keyboard placed on the ground", it can control the page turning of tabs or music scores on the computer, tablet or mobile phone. When you watch video guitar lessons on a website, it can also control the pause, playback speed, and the transport controls of the video. Free your hands completely!



AIRSTEP has 5 footswitches, and can wirelessly expand 5 more footswitches. Each step on the footswitch can send up to 8 different control messages at one time. All control messages can be easily edited through the free AIRSTEP APP. Programming and editing isn't your thing? Just load any of the massive library of built-in app presets with just one click. You can find the controller presets of your favorite gear right inside the APP, truly plug and play!



AIRSTEP is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, no external power supply is required. Its compact footprint and sturdy metal casing is built to meet the most stringent environments faced by working professional musicians.




                                           Features





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AIRSTEP

Smart Multi Controller


Computer keyboard on the ground

AIRSTEP can send HID messages via Bluetooth. HID messages are actually messages sent by a computer keyboard, so you can use AIRSTEP as a wireless keyboard placed on the ground. You can map any key value on the keyboard to the AIRSTEP's footswitches. Pressing the footswitch your foot is equivalent to pressing the key on the keyboard. When you are playing guitar while watching video lessons, practicing, covering, or recording, you always need to stop playing and use your hands to control the pause, playback, fast forward, rewind, or page turning of the music. Now, all of these can be controlled with your feet, and you can finally concentrate on your performance!



​​​​​​​All the key values on the computer keyboard can be mapped to any step on the AIRSTEP through the APP. As with MIDI messages, up to 8 different HID messages can be sent by one footswitch.







Traditional Relay Footswitch

AIRSTEP can be used as traditional relay footswitches to control amps or stompboxes with traditional relay footswitch interface. As long as your device can be connected to an ordinary foot switch, it can be connected to 4 RELAY interfaces of AIRSTEP to achieve the functions of amp channel switching, toggle effects, tap tempo, and even can be used as the sustain pedal of keyboard instruments. Similarly, you can use the mobile phone APP to edit RELAY control parameters for footswitches.





5 Footswitches and 5 wireless Footswitches

AIRSTEP has 5 footswitches, each footswitch can send up to 8 different messages to the specified output interfaces at a time, and the output message type can be any combination of MIDI, HID, and RELAY messages. AIRSTEP has three trigger modes: press, long press, and release. Each trigger mode can be assigned different message outputs to achieve the most flexible control. You can short press the footswitch to toggle effects, long press the same footswitch to switch presets, or you can press to open and hold on boost until the pedal is released. Footswitches can also be set to toggle mode. In the same trigger mode, the first trigger and the second trigger can send different messages. All these functions can be easily edited and stored through the mobile APP.



If 5 footswitches are not enough, you can also connect AIRSTEP Lite wirelessly and expand to a total of 10 footswitches. The extended 5 footswitches have the same assignable functionality and they are connected wirelessly! The wireless footswitches can control all devices connected to AIRSTEP!







APP Editing

All the parameters may be edited using AIRSTEP APP. There is no editing method that is more intuitive and convenient than the mobile APP! AIRSTEP APP connects to AIRSTEP via Bluetooth and displays its working status in real time. All parameters are stored in presets. The APP can store a limitless number presets as you want and you can load them into AIRSTEP with only one click. AIRSTEP can store the 5 most commonly used presets locally, and can also be used when no APP is connected. The AIRSTEP APP supports iOS/Android and may be downloaded from the Apple App Store or XSONIC official website. (To explore this free APP in advance, you can search "AIRSTEP"in App Store or Google Play)



USB HOST

USB HOST is a unique feature of AIRSTEP. It is equivalent to the USB interface on the computer. Devices that can be connected to the computer USB around you can also be connected to AIRSTEP. For example, AIRSTEP can connect and control multi-effect processor such as ZOOM MS Series with only the USB interface, or you can connect a USB MIDI keyboard to directly supply power to it, and upgrade it to a wireless Bluetooth MIDI Keyboard through AIRSTEP's powerful MIDI forwarding function.







MIDI Trigger

MIDI trigger is another feature of AIRSTEP. AIRSTEP's MIDI inputs can receive up to 8 specific MIDI messages, which are triggered when these specific messages are received. MIDI trigger can realize the same message output functionality as an AIRSTEP footswitch, and can output up to 8 different assignable MIDI, HID, and RELAY messages at a time. As an example, you can connect a traditional MIDI pedal to AIRSTEP and turn it into a wireless computer keyboard to send HID messages.






AIRSTEP Lite

AIRSTEP Lite is a simplified version of AIRSTEP, with only wireless functionality. No USB and traditional MIDI interface, no RELAY interface, and no expression pedal interface. Other than that, all other functions and applications are exactly the same as AIRSTEP. AIRSTEP Lite is mainly suggested for wireless control, connecting a computer, tablet or a mobile phone to send Bluetooth MIDI and HID messages. When you only need to control a computer or a mobile phone, you can consider choosing AIRSTEP Lite.



But more importantly, Lite can not only be used independently but can also be used as an AIRSTEP's wireless extension footswitches. It can wirelessly control all wired devices connected to AIRSTEP! So you can have both AIRSTEP and AIRSTEP Lite at the same time without worrying about the duplication of functions.



Connect All Your Devices



Additional Function

Vaeious Interface

  ↵

Parameters





MIDI OUT:

MIDI IN:

● Bluetooth MIDI out

● Bluetooth MIDI in

● USB host MIDI out with 5V power out

● USB host MIDI in with 5V power out

● USB device MIDI out

● USB device MIDI in
● Original MIDI out x 2

● Original MIDI in

● Send all kinds MIDI message                                   

● MIDI in can through to all MIDI out



● MIDI in with CC and PC, can trigger to all message type






HID OUT:

RELAY OUT:

● Bluetooth HID                                                               

● Relay switches out x 4 on 2 TRS ¼" jacks                         

● USB HID, Send keyboard                                                   

● Momentary and latching action assigned on a per switch basis

and consumer HID message                                                 













Expression Pedal In:   

LED indicator:

● Expression pedal in x 2

● System LED x 1                                                 

● Support all expression pedal types

● Individual Foot switch LEDs x 5

● Send MIDI CC messages to all MIDI outs 

● Blue and Green


● Normal and toggle modes














AIRSTEP Lite :                                                   

Foot switches:                                                   

● A stripped down AIRSTEP with the following differences

● Foot switches x 5                                                                       

● No USB MIDI in / out, Bluetooth midi only

● Footswitch actions assignable to press, release and                       

● No original MIDI in / out   
long press trigger

● No USB HID, Bluetooth HID only



● No relay switch out



● No expression pedal in



● No expression pedal in



● Can be used as a wireless extension foot switch for AIRSTEP







Message send:

APP Editor:                               

● Message can be triggered by foot switches,       

● Each Midi trigger and footswitch message can be                   

MIDI in and expression pedal                                               

flexibly edited by App   

● Message type: MIDI, HID, Relay

● Connect to AIRSTEP by Bluetooth

● Send up to 8 messages in one trigger

●  iOS and Android support

● Each message can assign different

● All editable data can be saved as presets

physical output interfaces

● Unlimited number of presets can be 
● Normal and toggle message mode

saved and loaded into AIRSTEP


● XSONIC library of presets for all your favorite devices






AIRSTEP Local Preset:

Battery Power Supply:

● Up to 5 presets can be stored in AIRSTEP locally           

● AIRSTEP is battery powered and rechargeable by 5V - 9V DC

● Local preset can be switched by all 

● 300 hours of continuous use

triggers (except EXP), FUNC button, and App   


● Local presets can work without App









Firmware:             

Wireless Communication Distance:

● Firmware can be updated by Bluetooth and USB       

● 30m line of sight(LOS), between AIRSTEP and phone,

 

tablet, computer


● 30m line of sight(LOS), between AIRSTEP and AIRSTEP Lite







Appearance:



● Robust Aluminum extruded shell



● Detachable external antenna



● 300 x 70 x 45(H) mm



● AIRSTEP 700g | AIRSTEP Lite 650g









Compatible Device





iOS device:iOS 10 and above



Mac device:OS X 10.6 and above



Android device:Android 4.0 and above



Windows device:Windows 10



https://www.xsonic.cc/airstep





Headless68

#2
I just got an Airstep as my main foot controller - as it can support upto 3 Bluetooth5 connections I have my VG99 connected with CME Widi Master 5 pin midi to bluetooth
I have two MeloAudio mini expression pedals into the airstep, so in total I have 5 CTL Switches (10 if you include that press and hold can send a different command) plus two Exp pedals.
I have mounted them on a pedal train nano+ which fits perfect

super light weight - all the above are metal housings so its tough for live too.   

The editor on iOS is very simple to configure

The quoted latency is 10>20ms Airstep and 3ms CME - the real world reality is I can do everything just the same as if I was using an FC300 - including Wah no problem

Also - this now means I can control my VG99 + my iPad at the same time with the same controller (still no wires) - awesome

Totally recommend this!

Headless :-)

admin

#3
Always more than meets the eye on the entire XSonic product line

Deep dive into the manuals

They are current running a sale , the full AirStep has the most hardware. I/O , and can control amps via dual TRS outputs. And it can perform all duties of the recent "Airstep Lite" dedicated versions for PG Spark and Boss Waza Air/Katana Lite. And can control GT-1000


Has IOS and Android Editors which configure Airstep wirelessly


The full Airstep + Airstep Lite used in tandem becomes a powerful pedal board with 10 footswitches , with separate  assignable MIDI functions for switch depress, switch release, and switch Hold and has templates for bulk of gear we talk about (Kemper, Fractal, IOS /Android Guitar apps.


https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/support

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Electronics/xsonicaudio/posts/

On a whim I purchased a gently used Xsonic XTone Pro Audio interface with built in  MIDI controller , and was impressed with the build quality, versatility,  audio performance.
And as member Headless demonstrated above,  add CME Widi Master for wireless control of VG-99



admin

#5


I reached out to XSonic regarding using XSonic Airstep as a BLE wireless foot controller for Fender Mustang GT/GTX -they responded that if enough folks show interest in this effort, they could add support for Mustang GT/GTX with a firmware update of the XSonic Airstep.

Post
" I want Airstep to support Fender Mustang GT/GTX"

at the Xsonic Facebook page
https://m.facebook.com/xsonicaudio/
https://m.facebook.com/groups/2739502289623862/

If enough Fender Mustang GT/GTX users request, Xsonic may provide Airstep remote wireless footswitch control for Mustang GT/GTX

Suggest join Xsonic Facebook page and post if that is something you would like, they indicate they could do it if enough folks show support for this endeavor

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/the-official-fender-mustang-gtx-amp-thread-2020.2113060/page-334#post-33767790



admin

#8
Airstep now works with Katana amps

https://www.facebook.com/groups/boss.katana/permalink/1578081925897192/?app=fbl

https://www.facebook.com/groups/boss.katana/permalink/1578081925897192/

The Ultimate Wireless Footswitch for KATANA 50!

Calling KATANA MK1 & MK2 users, The AIRSTEP can control those Amps now! We need your suggestion to make it an ultimate one.

For now, these things gonna happen after connecting AIRSTEP to KATANA via USB:

1. Wirelessly edit and share patches by the mobile App on iOS/Android/Mac. The App can be "BTS for KATANA-AIR" or "KATANA Librarian", both will work wirelessly! Your KATANA finally becomes a Bluetooth Amp!

2. Change channels and toggle effects, just as same as GA-FC.

3. You can finally get a full-function footswitch for your KATANA 50 : Change Channels & Toggle Effects.

4. Support KATANA 50/100/Head/Artist MKI & MKII.

5. Do we need a $99 version named AIRSTEP Kat Edition for this?

What else do you want? Please leave comments. Cheers.

Learn more about the AIRSTEP Series
https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstep
https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepbwedition
https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepsparkedition
https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepytedition

BenoA

Do you know if the "tap" feature on the Katana has a MIDI cc number? Would be cool to bring it back on the Airstep for the MkII.





Chumly

#14
Is there any real-world difference between the Airstep Lite, Airstep Kat, Airstep Spk?  Or can any one be made to function like the other?
I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. - Richard P. Feynman

admin

They feature distict hardware

Review the comparisons

The full Airstep can install any firmware

gumtown

I should have an Airstep KAT version here in a few weeks,
 shall see what it does and explore the Bluetooth side of it.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Chumly

Too bad they all cannot be firmware upgraded to perform equivalent tasks to the dedicated ones, I figured as much but it's not entirely clear they actually cannot, perhaps Gummy will shed further light on what might turn out to be more marketing criteria than hardware limitations.
I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. - Richard P. Feynman


gumtown

I have my Airstep KAT now, and it seems to do the job as required on bot the Mk1-100 and Mk2-50.
Also discovered by accident, that the Airstep modifies the pass thru data sysx header to fool the connected software editor to think the hardware is a Katana AIR.
(converts F0 41 00 00 00 00 33 xx xx .... to F0 41 00 00 00 00 50 xx xx ....)
This was done to make use of the Katana AIR phone editor app on a regular Katana.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/


Elantric

QuoteThe other thing will be finding a way to extend the USB cable. It's a C type connector on the side of the AirStep KAT



Protect the fragile  Airstep KAT USBC connection with a right angle adapter




https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBQX4SDR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details


Then use a qualified 20 ft USBC to USBB data cable to the Katana


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HS57YDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


okletsgogogo

Hi all.
Bought a pedal combo. AIRSTEP KATANA. There is a moment that I do not like, the button does not work at the moment of pressing, but at the moment of releasing or after 2 seconds of holding. Can this be fixed somehow? Set the switch exactly at the moment of pressing, as on any other pedals. Maybe somehow flash or replace the buttons.
For such pedals there is a separate application for adjusting such nuances, but it only works with AIRSTEP and AIRSTEP LITE (official support confirmed this).
Maybe you can replace the buttons or somehow flash it?