We're excited to announce the release of Firmware v3.8.1 for the MC3, MC6MKII and MC8 MIDI Controllers. As with every update, this firmware brings a whole lot of new features and improvements to the table. We have also enhanced the Editor and added tons of features that will help you better manage your MIDI workflow.
The new firmwares can be found on our Downloads page. The new Web Editor is now live. If you are not ready to update your firmware, the links to the previous editor versions are available at the bottom of the Editor webpage.
Here are some of the features that we added in this firmware update.
The Bank Arrangement feature, which allows you to re-arrange the banks in any way (even duplicate banks are possible). In the Editor, it is as simple as dragging and dropping your selected banks into the Custom Bank Sequence list, and then instructing the controller to follow your new custom bank sequence.
Re-arrange Presets within a Bank
Rearranging Presets within a Bank is also now possible using the Editor. It's as easy as dragging, dropping and save.
TRS MIDI Out added to MC3 and MC8
The MC3 and MC6MKII devices can now do TRS MIDI Out, turning the expression jacks into what we have on the MC8 - Omniports. The settings can be set in the Controller Settings, where there is a choice of
- Standard MIDI TRS, for devices like Boss
- Tip active only, for devices like Meris
- Ring active only, for devices like Chase Bliss
Saving and loading Preset data
It is now possible to save Preset data from the Editor into a file, and then loading them back into the Editor when you need them. This allows you to organise your Preset data in files, and then load them back into the editor whenever you need to make changes in your controller.
Connecting multiple devices to the Editor
The Editor is updated to handle multiple controllers connected to the computer. If you have multiple controllers connected, you can select which controller to connect to from the Editor. If you are using the Web Editor in Chrome, you can have multiple instances of the Editor open in different tabs, and edit your controllers at the same time. You can even copy the preset in one editor and then paste it to the other.
This feature does not work in Windows, if 2 or more of the same device (2 MC8s, for example) is connected.
Keystrokes
In this update, we added Keystrokes as a Message Type, so you can program your presets to send out Keyboard commands to control apps on your computer. This is great for controlling apps such as YouTube and OnSong.
Some USB MIDI Host devices cannot detect the controllers with a Keyboard implementation. We have published an additional firmware with a "NO_KEYBOARD_INTERFACE" suffix in the filename for this issue.
We also introduced the Sequence Generator feature, which allows you to step through a list of values and automate the sending of CC messages between specified intervals. Up to 2 of these Sequencer Engines can be run at any one time.
The Waveform Generator engine is also upgraded. It is now possible to run up to 4 Waveform Generators running at different intervals and sending different CC messages with selectable minimum and maximum values. You even have the option to start the Waveform Generator with a BPM set to match the internal MIDI Clock BPM. Try combining this with a MIDI Clock Tap message type and explore the possibilities.
Sending PC or CC messages upon engaging and disengaging Expression Pedal
You can now send a CC or PC message as soon as you move your expression pedal, which enables you to trigger certain functions like a Wah effect, or engage a Preset, before sweeping through the values with your expression pedal. After you're done, you can even program the controller to send a PC or CC message to, if your device allows, disable the effect that you were using your expression pedal to control.
More Message Types added in Bank Presets
Since we introduced Bank Presets in Firmware v3.7, we were thrilled to see how much utility users were getting out of it. In Firmware v3.8, we added more Message Types, such as PC Scrolls, Looper Mode and MIDI Clock.
Having Looper Mode in a Bank Preset is useful because, for example, you can now have a Bank dedicated to controlling time-sensitive Looper functions, and the controller can enter Looper mode automatically upon entering the bank, and exiting Looper mode after you change banks.
With MIDI Clock, you can have the controller start sending MIDI Clock messages at a specified BPM upon entering the bank.
Kemper Tuner Integration
Kemper users rejoice! We have integrated the Kemper tuner functionality into the MC6MKII and MC8 controllers. Like the AxeFX tuner integration, the tuner data can now be displayed on those controllers when connected to the Kemper Profiler.
Custom functions for Aux Switch
Your Aux Switch buttons can now be mapped to specific functions with the new "Fixed Sw Custom" setting. Previously, the functions were only limited to Bank Up, Bank Down and Toggle page. You can now assign functions like Bank Up, Bank Down, Toggle Page, MIDI Clock Tap and many more to each of your aux switch.
Bank and Preset selection in the Editor
Selecting Banks and Presets to edit in the Editor just got easier. Clicking on the current Bank or Preset label in the Editor will trigger a dropdown box for you to select the Bank to change to, or the Preset to load in the Editor. The Bank and Preset names are also displayed for better ease of use.
There are a lot more improvements and new features listed in the Release Notes. Please take some time to read through the changes and see if it will affect your current workflow.
We have also documented a number of these features in our Knowledge base.
If you are having any issues during the upload, please refer to this article.
If you have any questions regarding the updates, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Keep making awesome music!
The Morningstar Engineering Team