Any word or headway on a method of controlling the beatbuddy without bending over yet? I know that you have created a way to move between folders using the footswitch (a new foot switch needs to be purchased mind you), but this really doesn’t help much as I think I’d rip my calf muscles clicking so many times to scroll through a few hundred songs. 
Hoping something is on the horizon. Thanks very much.
Sounds like your suggesting an external touch screen display. I hope that is in the works that would be nice but expensive. Any other way would require the feet action… I’m in the process of saving for a midi foot controller.
General FYI
Some midi foot controllers that forum users have mentioned, from least to most expensive (~MSRP pulled from Reverb.com; most of these can be bought for less on the used market):
- Behringer FCB 1010 $149
- Molten Voltage Master Control $199
- Disaster Area Designs DMC-4 Gen2 $199
- Yamaha MFC10 $299
- Keith McMillen Instruments KMI Softstep 2 $299; (Note: you will need the KMI Midi Expander ~$50)
- Gordius Little Giant 2 $699 (built to expand and improve upon the Behringer FCB 1010)
Of course there are all of the BlueTooth-iPad-etc devices out there as well.
Several of these makers also have standalone midi tap tempo devices.
Thanks Persist, but I don’t see how a midi foot controller is going to help… using foot pedals to scroll through dozens of folders and hundreds of songs on the fly is incredibly tedious.
If you’re just a basement hobbyist, I agree, you probably don’t need a midi foot controller (MFC) if all you want to do is quickly get to a song in a folder. Good folder and song organization renders decent results. If you have dozens of folders with dozens of songs in each, it probably isn’t very efficient for quickly getting to a beat that you need. :eek:
Couple of different ways of quickly getting to your beats. Most performers using the BeatBuddy probably have a set list already loaded onto their BeatBuddy pedal and they just advance through their songs in sequence. No need to scroll other than to just advance to the next song in the set list.
Most MFCs include software to program presets. For example, you can program your midi controller to directly select different BeatBuddy songs or parts of songs as well as to change tempo. These MFCs aren’t limited to working with just the BeatBuddy as they can control other midi-capable effects pedals (loopers, delay, modulation, compressor, etc) in your signal chain. Take a look at p.15 of the BeatBuddy-MIDI-Settings-New-Firmware guide on how midi can be used in an MFC for BeatBuddy song selection.
Is a midi foot controller for everybody? Probably not, however, if you are gigging and want to minimize having to dance through several effects pedals to set up for or use during a song, an MFC might be for you—or not :).
We use set lists so foot pedal navigation is of great use to me.