Yeks MFC-101 How-Tos page

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How to learn more about controllers, pedals and switches

read the Axe-Fx How-Tos in the Wiki.

How to upgrade its firmware

The MFC's Setup screen displays the currently loaded firmware version. You can download the latest firmware from Fractal Audio's Support page. To upgrade:

• Disconnect the MIDI cable from MFC-101's MIDI OUT
• Connect the MIDI OUT port of your computer's MIDI interface to MIDI IN on the MFC-101
• Power up the MFC-101 while holding down footswitch #1 to enter the Firmware Update mode
• Begin to transmit the firmware file using a MIDI utility (f.e. MIDI-OX, Snoize Sysex Librarian). The MFC-101 will display the percentage complete
• When the update is complete, the MFC-101 display will show a confirmation
• Power up the MFC-101 again

How to find its firmware release notes

The firmware release history is included with the zipped firmware files.

How to backup or restore MFC-101 settings

See page 63 of the manual.

How to get started

Read the Quick Start document to get started.

You may need to reset the Axe-Fx to its factory default settings. That ensures that controller numbers etc. are set correctly.

How to reset it to its factory default settings

See page 66 of the manual.

How to connect and power it

A 5-pin cable between the MFC-101 and Axe-Fx is sufficient for MIDI control, but it won't let the MFC-101 run on phantom power (see below), and display tuner and tempo info will not appear on the MFC-101.

Use a 9VAC power supply for power. According to Fractal Audio 9VDC will also work.

You can use "MIDI phantom power" instead. This means that power for the MFC-101 is carried through the MIDI cable. Requirements:

1. use a 7-pin MIDI cable between the MFC-101 and the Axe-Fx
2. connect the power supply for the MFC-101 to the Phantom Power input at the rear of the Axe-Fx (the Axe-Fx doesn't provide power itself, it needs the power supply)

The Axe-Fx doesn't push data to the MFC-10, except for tuner data and tempo info (requires 7-pin MIDI cable). So the MFC-101 won't follow preset switching done on the Axe-Fx.

How to configure the preset and IA switches

If you like to see how other users have configured their MFCs, check this thread.

How to program it

You program the MFC-101 using the hardware switches and its display. There's no software editor (Axe-Edit isn't used).

How to connect expression pedals

You can connect up to 4 expression pedal(s) to the rear of the MFC-101. Expression pedals need stereo 1/4" TSR cables. By default pedal #1 is mapped to CC 11 (global Output1 volume) and pedal #2 to CC 16 (External 1, often used for a wah).

If there's no expression pedal connected to the MFC-101, the output volume of the Axe-Fx may be muted. To solve this, disable expression pedal #1 on the MFC-101.

How to calibrate your expression pedal(s)

See chapter 7 of the manual.

Use the Beginning Value parameter to define the state of the pedal after switching presets. "PDL" means that the position of the pedal is retained, "Off" means that the pedal is off untill moved, or you can select a value between 0 and 127.

While you can define the range of an expression pedal (globally or per preset), you also use the Modifier menu of effects blocks on the Axe-Fx for this purpose.

How to connect additional (external) switches

You can connect additional switch(es) to the rear of the MFC-101. These can be momentary or toggle/latching. There are 2 inputs which, when using stereo cables, allow for 4 switches. A single switch can also be used (mono cable) but you need to disable the MIDI function of the second switch.

A switch controls a MIDI CC (globally or per preset), using value 0 for off and 127 for on.

External switches are meant to be used as IA switches, but the MFC-101 lets you send MIDI Program Changes with an IA switch too.

How to know which LED color represents what effect state

If the MFC-101 is in Axe-Fx Mode:

1. Green: the effect block is present in the preset and On
2. Red: the effect is present in the preset and bypassed
3. Off: the preset doesn't contain this specific effect.

How to assign an effect to an IA switch

In Axe-Fx Mode select the desired effect from the list (manual page 17). IA switches work globally.

Or you can select "None" and use MIDI commands to assign a function (likewise if not in Axe-Fx Mode. This will disable the 3 LED colors. Use value 127 to turn effects on, 0 to turn them off. Each switch (if not assigned to the list of Axe-Fx effects) can send two MIDI CCs, plus a MIDI PC, plus additional custom MIDI commands (you can control more than two CCs this way).

The switch can be toggle/latching (most common) or momentary, and can be given a 7-character name.

How to use an IA switch to toggle between two effects

Set up the switch to send a CC to one of the External controllers. Assign Bypass in two effect blocks to that External controller. Set the Start value of one block to 100 and the other to 0.

How to create a dedicated Boost or Solo switch

See the Axe-Fx How-Tos for this.

How to maintain delay looper playback when switching presets

This is currently not fully supported.

How to activate or bypass multiple effects

A block that you won't typically use (and doesn't take up many CPU-cycles) can serve a surrogate for any number of Axe-Fx blocks, in Axe-Fx Mode (source: Matman).

1. Pick your surrogate such as VOL4 or FILTERx, set to NULL. On the Axe-Fx go to I/O > CONTROL and assign the same MIDI CC to your surrogate and all of the effects you want assign across the single footswitch
2. Place the surrogate effect block (disconnected) in every preset which has your target block(s)
3. Set its bypass state and that of the assigned effect(s) to the same initial state
4. Assign the surrogate to the Axe-Fx IA in the MFC-101

Now you have've got bi-color-LED-enabled control over different multiple blocks across different patches from a single IA switch.

Alternatively: assign the same CC (or an external controller) to all desired effects (multi-color LEDs won't work).

How to arrange presets for use in songs

Use the Song and Set Modes. You can use up to 15 presets per song (depending on the Bank Size setting). The MFC supports a maximum of 100 songs.

How to get access to Axe-Fx banks B and C

By default the MFC-101 selects presets in bank A of the Axe-Fx. Change the Default Bank setting to set this to bank B or C.

How to display the tuner and see the tempo blink

To show Axe-Fx's tuner in the MFC-101 display and let the Tap Tempo LED blink in the correct tempo, the MFC-101 must be in Axe-Fx Mode. Use a 7-pin MIDI cable (with all pins connected) for bidirectional communication. On the Axe-Fx set the parameter Send Realtime Sysex (I/O > MIDI) to All.

How to use MFC-101 presets instead of Axe-Fx presets

In Axe-Fx Mode the MFC-101 always syncs the IA switches with the state of the effects in the Axe-Fx preset. To create variations of an Axe-Fx preset with different effect states, disable Axe-Fx Mode, select a preset, enable/bypass the effects on the MFC-101 and store the preset on the MFC-101. MFC-101 preset names are preced by a "P" (instead of "X").

How to change the number of presets per bank (Bank Size)

The MFC-101 defaults to 5 presets per bank. Use the parameter Bank Size to change this to 1, 10 or 15 presets per bank, depending on how many IA switches you want per bank. Note that this also influences the layout of the Song and Set modes. When using 1 preset per bank, use the Up and Down switches to switch banks, which will then automically load the preset.

How to load a preset automatically when changing banks (Bank Style)

Use the menu item Bank Style to instruct the MFC-101 to automatically load the first preset of a bank after switching banks ("First"), or the current selected switch after changing banks ("Current", default), or nothing ("None").

How to retain effect states when switching presets

Currently, if you switch an IA switch on or off, its state will not be carried over when switching to another preset. However it's possible to accomplish this (aka Stomp Box mode or Global IAs) by using external switches.

How to use the Global Preset feature

Turn the Global Preset feature on (off by default) and assign a preset to it. Now this preset can be recalled at any time by pressing a preset switch twice. Only a preset can be selected as Global Preset, not an IA switch/CC.

How to create a "PANIC" switch

It can be handy to have a switch available at all times that lets you reset all effects within the current preset to their saved states. In other words: restore the preset to its original state after having activated several effects. A way to achieve this on the MFC-101 is to press a preset switch a second time. This will resend the MIDI Program Change of the current preset to the Axe-Fx and return all effects to their saved states. This only works if the Global Preset feature is switched off (otherwise the second press would activate it), and if the parameter Ignore Redundant PC in the MIDI menu is set to Off. Note that resending the PC like this will cause a short audio dropout.

How to change additional effect settings

Use internal CCs to change effect settings (parameters), without the need to assign switches. Internal CCs can be given names.

How to select an effect within a group (Link Group)

The Link Group Select setting lets you define a group of switches. Within that group only one setting can be active, so selecting one switch will automatically disable the others within the group (mutually exclusive). There's a maximum of two groups and 5 switches per group. It's not possible to select "none" within a group, so one of the grouped effects is always on. Link Group is particularly useful to switch amp channels with the use of the MFC-101.

How to connect the MFC-101 and Axe-Edit to the Axe-Fx at the same time

See this Wiki page.

How to adjust the contrast of the display

You can adjust the contrast of the display in Setup.

How to deal with error messages

See page 68 of the manual for a list of MFC-101 error messages and solutions.

How to solve the "Waiting for tuner" issue

If the Axe-Fx Tuner is not on its first page, then activating Tuner on the MFC-101 may generate the message "Waiting for tuner".

How to get labels for the switches

There are several label suppliers and solutions to be found on the Fractal Forum.