Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro User Manual
GROUND
CONTROL
Pr o
PRO GRAMMA BLE
MID I FOOT
CONTROLLER
OWNER’S MANUAL
Please visit our web site at:
www.voodoolab.com
Copyright 1991-2007 by Digital Music Corporation.
This publication is protected by copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted
y means or in an
by an
Voodoo Lab, Ground Control Pro, System Mix, and GCX are trademarks of Digital Music Cor
y form without the express prior consent in writing from Digital Music Corporation.
poration.
REV. 3 6/07
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Expression Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
QUICK START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
SETUP MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Enter & Exit Setup Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Device Name/Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Expanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Instant Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Special . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
SELECT PRESET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
10 Presets / Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
4 Presets / Bank with Instant Access . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
EDIT PRESET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Entering Edit Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Assigning MIDI Program Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Controlling the System Mix Plus VCA . . . . . . . . . . .18
Controlling the GCX Guitar Audio Switcher . . . . . . .19
Using Expression Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Naming Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Saving Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
LINE6 POD & FLEXTONE II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
ABOUT MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for buying the Ground Control Pro, the finest full-featured MIDI foot controller available.
The Ground Control Pro is compatible with all MIDI controlled devices. It provides the flexibility,
ease-of-use, and rugged reliability necessary to meet the needs of the most demanding professional
players.
The Ground Control Pro allows you to simultaneously control up to eight different devices, each
on their own MIDI channel. It will also control up to four GCX Guitar Audio Switchers and our
System Mix Plus stereo mixer. But even if you only use a modeling amp or a single processor, the
Ground Control Pro is the perfect choice to meet your performance needs.
The Ground Control Pro lets you instantly reconfigure your entire sound with the touch of a single
button. With the addition of the GCX Guitar Audio Switcher, you aren’t limited to MIDI devices;
your presets can also control pedal effects, select amp channels, plus many other functions.
You can name each of your presets on the Ground Control Pro’s bright, stage-friendly alphanumeric
display. Plus it lets you use volume or expression pedals to add real-time control of your sound using
MIDI continuous controller messages. This gives you access to effects such as wah and volume.
If you want to immediately use your Ground Control Pro to change programs on a single MIDI device,
read “Quick Start”. To get the maximum use and flexibility from your Ground Control Pro, please
take a few minutes and go through the rest of this manual. If you are not familiar with MIDI, you
may want to first read the section “About MIDI.”
2
CONNECTIONS
POWER
To use the supplied power adaptor, plug the body of the adaptor into a suitable power receptacle.
Then plug the cable into the jack marked “Power” on the Ground Control Pro.
If you have the GCX Guitar Audio Switcher, you don’t need to use the supplied power adapter.
The GCX will phantom power the Ground Control Pro through a standard 5-pin MIDI cable.
Note: If your Ground Control Pro doesn’t power up from the GCX, here’s the problem…
MIDI only requires 3 pins, so to save money some cables only have these 3 pins
wired. Since the GCX uses the 2 unused pins to send phantom power, these cables
won’t work! You need to make sure your cable has all 5 pins wired. Cables with all
5 pins wired are often labeled “5-Pin Active”.
If you are not using the GCX, but have a device that supports phantom power via a 7-pin MIDI
cable, this device can power the Ground Control Pro. Connect the 7-pin MIDI cable from
your Ground Control Pro’s MIDI Out to the 7-pin MIDI In on the device. Then connect the
Ground Control Pro’s Power Adaptor to the phantom power jack on the device.
MIDI
Connect a 5-pin MIDI cable from the Ground Control Pro MIDI OUT to the MIDI IN of your
first device. If you are using the GCX, it should always be your first device.
If you have additional devices, connect the MIDI THRU of the first device to the MIDI IN of
the next device. If the device has no MIDI THRU, then use its MIDI OUT. Continue to chain
your devices until they are all connected.
In some situations you may want to remotely call up presets on your Ground Control Pro, such
as slaving it from a sequencer or having your tech control it from off stage. You can also backup
or edit your presets with a computer. To do this, you’ll need to connect a MIDI cable from the
controlling device’s (computer, another foot controller, etc.) MIDI OUT to the Ground Control
Pro MIDI IN.
EXPRESSION PEDALS
There are two Pedal inputs on the
Ground Control Pro. Any passive
Expression or Volume pedal can
be used. You can tell if your
pedal is passive, because it won’t
use a battery or require any
external power.
GROUND CONTROL PRO VOLUME PEDAL
PEDAL MIDI POWER
12 INOUT
9VAC
INPUT OUTPUT
The Pedal input jacks take a
standard 1⁄4" stereo plug. To use a
volume pedal, you need a cable
3
RING
TIP
which breaks out a stereo plug to 2 mono plugs. These are often called “insert point” cables.
Connect the “ring” end to the volume pedal input (sometimes labeled “instrument”) and the
“tip” end to the volume pedal output (sometimes labeled “amp”).
To use an expression pedal, you need a stereo
1
⁄4" patch cord. For detailed information on how
to setup and use expression pedals, please refer to the section titled “Expression Pedals”.
4
QUICK START
You can use your Ground Control Pro right out of the box to select programs on any MIDI
controlled device. To do this, the Ground Control Pro must have its factory settings. If you’re
not sure, here’s how to restore them:
1. Enter Setup mode by pressing both [SETUP] buttons (the upper left and right) at the
same time.
2. Press [UTILITY].
3. Press [SELECT 2] twice, it says “INIT MEM Y/N”.
4. Press [+/YES]. It says “YOU SURE Y/N” and press [+/YES] again. When it says
“WORKING…DONE” the memory is restored.
5. To exit Setup mode, press either [SETUP] button. It says “EXIT Y/N” so press [+/YES].
Remember, Quick Start is for those users who want to just plug in your Ground Control Pro
and use it to control a single device as quickly as possible. To fully utilize its power and
flexibility, you should continue reading this manual!
CHANGING MIDI PROGRAMS
To call up a program on your device, choose a BANK for the first digit by pressing
[BANK 1 or 2], then press [0-9] to choose the second digit.
For example, to call up program #21:
1. Press [BANK 2] until you reach BANK 2. (The BANK number is the leftmost digit
in the display).
2. Press [1] to Load (activate) Preset 21; the display says:
2 1. INIT
Your device should change to its program #21. To access programs 100 through 128, just press
[BANK 2] and go to banks A (100-109), B (110-119) or C (120-128).
If your device isn’t changing programs, make sure that it’s set to respond to MIDI channel #1.
It can also be set for “omni”, which means that it will respond to any MIDI channel.
5
SETUP MODE
Setup mode is used to configure the Ground Control Pro to properly control your system.
Setup mode is divided into the following categories:
DEVICE NAME/CHANNEL: Assign names and channels to each of your MIDI controlled
devices.
PEDAL: Enable any volume/expression pedals being used as MIDI expression pedals.
EXPANDERS: Enable up to 4 GCX Guitar Audio Switchers and the System Mix Plus
Remote Volume (VCA).
MIDI: Enable MIDI IN to receive program changes. Backup and restore memory with MIDI
System Exclusive.
INSTANT ACCESS: Define the function of the 8 Instant Access buttons.
UTILITY: Change speed of directory scrolling. Select number of presets/bank. Restore factory
settings.
SPECIAL: Load factory setups for use with specif ic devices.
ENTER & EXIT SETUP MODE
To enter Setup mode, press both [SETUP MODE] buttons at the same time.
The Ground Control Pro will display:
...
Buttons 2 through 8 are also labeled DEVICE NAME/CHANNEL, PEDAL, EXPANDERS, etc.
While you are in Setup mode, you can press buttons 2-8 at any time to select a new Setup
mode category.
To exit SETUP MODE at any time, press either [SETUP MODE] button and answer [+/YES]
to the prompt “EXIT Y/N”.
SELECT 2-8SETUP MODE
DEVICE NAME/CHANNEL
This is where you setup your Ground Control Pro to be able to change programs on your MIDI
controlled devices, such as multi-effects processors or a digital modeling amp.
The Ground Control Pro is capable of controlling up to eight different MIDI devices at the same
time. Each of your MIDI devices can be set to respond to program changes sent on a specific
MIDI channel (1-16). If you don’t know how to do this, please refer to that product’s instruction
manual. You’ll need to set each device to respond to a different channel.
For example, let’s say you have a MIDI preamp and a multi-effects processor. You should set the
preamp to respond to MIDI channel #1 and the processor to respond to MIDI channel #2.
6
Note: You don’t have to enter anything here for the GCX or any non-MIDI devices (like
stompboxes) which will be switched through the GCX audio loops.
Enter Setup mode by pressing both [SETUP MODE] buttons at the same time. Then select this
category by pressing [DEVICE NAME/CHANNEL]. The display will read something like:
1. DEVICE /01
ChannelNameNumber
Number
The Ground Control Pro can control eight MIDI devices. This number tells you which of the
eight devices you are entering. Press [SELECT 1 or 2] to choose a different device location.
You can put each device in any of the eight locations. The only difference is that this is the
order that they will come up in when you edit your presets.
Tip: The channel # is after the “/”. If this is “--” then that device location is disabled. You
may want to scroll through each location by pressing [SELECT 2] and make sure
that every location you aren’t using has a “--” for the channel.
Name
Since after you have everything setup, it will be difficult to remember which devices were
assigned to which MIDI channels, we let you assign a name to each device. Now, when you
create and edit your presets you can refer to each of your devices by their name. You should
enter the actual name of your device here, such as “MPX-1”, “EVENTIDE” or “TRIAXIS”.
The Ground Control Pro starts with device #1 named “DEVICE”. Devices 2-8 are blank. You
change the name using the [DATA] and [CURSOR] buttons.
Note: If you press and hold a button it will repeat. You can press both [DATA] buttons at the
same time for a space.
Channel
Each of your devices must be set to respond to a particular MIDI channel, 1-16. The channel
must match the number you enter here.
Each of the devices (1-8) which are not being used must be set to “--”. This turns off the device.
To set the channel:
1. Press and hold [CURSOR 4] until the channel is blinking.
2. Press [DATA +/-] to select the desired channel number or “--” for off.
Note: Each device in your system must be set to its own MIDI channel to respond properly.
Start Number
Most MIDI controlled devices number their programs starting from 1. If your device starts
numbering its programs from 0, then the device will always be off by 1 from what is displayed
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