Yeks MFC-101 How-Tos page

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How to learn more about MIDI controllers, pedals and switches

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

How to upgrade its firmware

Go to Edit > Setup to see 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

Go to Edit > Setup > Sysex Data. More information: 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 are set correctly and that tuner and tempo information is transmitted to the MFC-101. If you reset the Axe-Fx, be sure to check all important system settings and adjust where necessary (Global, I/O, Tuner).

How to reset it to its factory default settings

Go to Edit > Setup > Delete. See page 66 of the manual.

How to connect and power it

Use the supplied 9VAC adapter to power the MFC-101 directly. According to Fractal Audio 9VDC will also work, but DC doesn't work as well over long distances.

You can use "MIDI phantom power" instead. This means that power to 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. All pins inside the cable must be connected!
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!)

How to program it

You must program the MFC-101 using the Edit menu on the device itself. There's no software editor.

How to configure the preset and IA switches

First choose the desired Bank Size (Edit > Setup, see below). Decide whether you want to use Axe-Fx Mode or not (Edit > Setup). Then use Edit > Midi to configure the IA switches.

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

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. Use Edit > Setup and Edit > MIDI to configure the pedals. The Edit > Preset lets override global expression pedal settings.

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. Note that it's normal for pedals not to employ the full value range (0 - 127). If your pedal only gets to 100 or so, it can still perform 100%.

Use the Beginning Value parameter (Edit > Midi) to define the state of the pedal after switching presets. "PDL" means that the position of the pedal is polled and recalled, "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 set the second switch to Off.

Use Edit > Midi to configure things. An external switch can only control a MIDI CC, using value 0 for off and 127 for on. So you can't use them for preset switching. Note that external switches, unlike the onboard MFC-101 switches, are able to retain (carring over) their state after switching presets ("stompbox" mode).

How to know which LED color represents what effect state

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

1. Red: effect is present in the preset, bypassed
2. Green: effect is present in the preset, enabled
3. Off: effect is not present in the preset.

How to assign an effect to an IA switch

In Axe-Fx Mode go to Edit > Midi > IA Switch and select the desired effect for each switch from the list (manual page 17). IA switches in Axe-Fx Mode work globally.

If you select "None", the switch is not assigned to an effect and is available for general MIDI use. You can use MIDI commands to assign a function. This way you can send 2 separate MIDI CCs, plus a MIDI PC (changing preset), plus additional custom MIDI commands. Use value 127 to turn effects on, 0 to turn them off. Note that external switches only let you send a MIDI CC, not a Program Change.

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 an External Controller. Assign Bypass in two effect blocks to the same 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

Read the Axe-Fx How-Tos.

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 up to 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 (Edit > Setup) to set this to bank B or C. Or use MIDI Mapping.

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. Also, 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 (Edit > Preset). MFC-101 preset names are preced by a "P" (instead of "X").

Note: 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 change the number of presets per bank (Bank Size)

The MFC-101 defaults to 5 presets per bank. Use the parameter Bank Size (Edit > Setup) to change this to 1, 10 or 15 presets per bank, depending on how many IA switches you want directly available above the preset switches. 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 (Edit > Setup) 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 setting), or nothing ("None").

How to retain effect states when switching presets

Currently, if you chnage the state of an onboard IA switch, 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) using external switches.

How to use the Global Preset feature

Turn the Global Preset feature on (off by default) (Edit > Setup) and assign a preset to it (Edit > Preset). 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. Turn off this feature if you want to be able to recall a preset as it was saved by pressing a preset switch a second time (see Panic switch topic).

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 again 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 Axe-Fx (I/O > MIDI) is Off. Note that resending the PC like this may cause 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. Use Edit > Setup and Edit > MIDI.

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. Link Group is particularly useful to switch amp channels with the use of the MFC-101.

It's not possible to select "none" within a group, so one of the grouped effects is always on. Solution: make a block that does nothing at all, such as a neutral Vol block, part of the group).

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

See this Wiki page and this thread.

How to adjust the contrast of the display

You can adjust the contrast of the display in Edit > 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 generates 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.