GT and Ext. Control not recalled correctly

Lp59

Lp59

Well-Known Member
I have a preamp boost in the amp block controlled by Ext.4 in my Axe FX III.
Presets are saved with Ext.4 to Off, without boost, if I activate Ext4 with an IA switch the boost goes on, but if I switch back to another preset the boost is gone (normal off position) but if I activate the boost again, the first time I press the IA sw it will do nothing, if I press a second time the same IA sw. the boost goes on. I need 2 press of the IA to make it work.
I played with "Reset PC" on and off within the ext. sw. menu in the Axe, played with "send on preset change" and "update on preset change" in the GT without success.

How should I do to have the IA's assigned to ext. sw. behave normally. Thanks.
 
Make sure that Send on Preset Change and Update on Preset Change are both turned on for the IA button. Also, make sure that Send CCs on Preset Change is turned on in the Devices tab.
 
My “rule” is: never turn on Send On Preset Change and Update On Preset Change, unless:
- the button is assigned to an External Controller on the Axe-Fx (see above), or
- to solve a specific issue.
 
Update on Preset Change is a tricky setting, because it does more than the name indicates.

The primary function is to allow the GT to store the state of the IA button in each preset and recall the state of that button when you load up each preset. This happens when Update on Preset Change is on. If it's turned off, the IA button will only change when you actually press it.

But, there's another effect when using something like an Axe-Fx. When Update on Preset Change is turned off, it allows the button to be controlled by status updates from the Axe-Fx. This allows us to see effect bypass and channel changes when they happen on the Axe-Fx or in Axe-Edit.

External controllers are different, they are designed only to be changed from your controller. The Axe-Fx doesn't manage external controllers or send status updates to the GT. The GT has to take charge of those parameters, and always tell the Axe-Fx when the parameter changes, which is what Update on Preset Change does.

I've often thought about splitting it into two settings, one that controls the state store/recall on the GT, and one that controls whether the Axe-Fx has control of the button. But, I've never really gone through all the analysis of the implications. Any change like this in the GT has to be carefully analyzed, because every change can have unexpected side effects.
 
Thanks a lot Ron and Alexander. Your in depth explanation Alexander solved some questions I struggled with for a long time. I knew that external controllers were managed differently than block status, but the way you explained it made the light turn on in my head. (Without IA switch!) Your rule is also precious, as I never really knew if Send On Preset Change and Update On Preset Change had to be checked. Really tremendously helpful. In this case of External Controller, in Edit Modifier in the Axe, would you make PC Reset On or Off?
 
Lp59 said:
In this case of External Controller, in Edit Modifier in the Axe, would you make PC Reset On or Off?
Click to expand...

Depends on what it is controlling. What PC RST does (if it's turned on), is resetting the value of the controller parameter to its stored setting upon loading the preset. If it's turned off, the value of the controlled parameter is determined by the current position of the controller, such as the position of the pedal. I normally turn on PC RST in the modifier menu.
 
In some cases you may want to uncheck Send On Preset Change and Update On Preset Change for the button that controls an External Controller.

Example: say you always want to turn on the Preamp Boost (Ext.Ctrl 4) when using a specific guitar with low output pickups. In this case you want the activated boost to survive preset switching (not turn off when switching presets). This is accomplished by NOT turning on Send On Preset Change and Update On Preset Change. This will carry over the button's state to the next preset (which is a much requested feature for the Axe-Fx...).
 
Great, thanks a lot for the examples, the screen shots will go in my Bible. I can only recommend to everyone using a GT and Axe FX to save a copy of those informations.
 
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