Tap Tempo, Song Tempo or TC troubles

[jluparello]

Okay. So maybe I'm trying to do too much here but it's just not working the way I would expect. I'm trying to use two methods to set the tempo in my TC Electronics Flashback X4 which, although limited, does accept midi clock. First, I have tempos set for each Song, midi clock enabled and Ignore Preset Tempos set. Second, and intended as a backup, I have a button configured for Tap Tempo - Flash w/ Tempo and Update State on Preset Change.

The Tap Tempo works perfectly and in fact, seems to be the only piece of the equation working. When I bank to a new song, the set tempo displays on the screen and the tap button flashes at the new tempo of the new song. But the new tempo doesn't update in the pedal. The only way to get the tempo updated in the pedal is to override the Song tempo and use the built in Tap Tempo button.

There are a few potential issues here... I'm only a few weeks into my relationship with the PBC so I don't know what I don't know AND the Flashback X4 has grossly limited midi capabilities. So much so that even the manual for it isn't even correct. It was released as omni midi but shortly thereafter a firmware release set it to channel 1 with no ability to override this. Regardless, I don't know if I'm trying to do too much, if I'm not quite doing something right OR if it's just a bug/limitation in TC's midi capabilities.

Any guidance would be appreciated!!

UPDATE: Removing the Tap Tempo button doesn't make a difference, other than not allowing me to "manually" bring the Flashback into rhythm. Now I'm wondering if the Ignore Preset Tempos isn't working as expected and I should change the presets from Same to Song or Off.

 

[rjmmusic]

It would be worth trying that (setting preset tempos to "Song"). Ignore Preset Tempos should do the same thing, but you never know...

Do you have any buttons with BPM actions on them? They could be interfering as well.

 

[jluparello]

It would be worth trying that (setting preset tempos to "Song"). Ignore Preset Tempos should do the same thing, but you never know...

Do you have any buttons with BPM actions on them? They could be interfering as well.

No BPM actions.

But I've deduced it's the Flashback's problem. And after doing a much deeper dive through their forums it absolutely is a defect of the Flashback, exacerbated by the PBC. Because I now have the ability for all kinds of crazy presets in the PBC, I've also pushed the Flashback to it's limits by using multiple delay types in a single song rather than sticking with a single setting for a single song. The Flashback doesn't have Global Tap Tempo. So although the tempo is accurately set on the first preset, if I change to one of the other presents within the Flashback with a PC from the PBC, it reverts back to the default tempo setting and essentially ignores the midi clock until I bank to the next song. I'm going to see if I can force it to work with BPM actions on each preset change per song but what an unbelievable inconvenience from an otherwise awesome delay pedal.

 

[rjmmusic]

Interesting. Thanks for letting me know. I don't know why TC has had such problems with MIDI on the Flashback when they've done fine with many other products.

 

[jluparello]

UPDATE: i finally found a resolution but it wasn't easy... i went so far to try assigning BPM actions to each preset which helped to a degree but if i tried to use the same preset more than once in a song, the action didn't run a second time. that got me closer but still not quite what i was looking for. and since my delay needs aren't super deep to justify or get value out of something like a timeline i scrapped the TC for the wampler metaverse. solved all my problems. just don't tell my wife.