Issue 1: What was your ratio when using Foot Controller 2 (FC2)? Also, when using FC2 - the default setup is to control Superknob. Did you disable this? If not, then adding Foot Controller 2 to the Mod/Control->Control Assign matrix will not defeat this. You will have both Superknob and your Control Assign destination moving when you sweep the FC7. This may have an impact on the outcome.

Otherwise - yes, ribbon controller assignments need to find a new home OR you can MIDI-in a ribbon controller from a different keyboard. OR ... you can "cheat":

1) [PERFORMANCE] (HOME)
2) Touchscreen (TS): Touch the Performance name at the top
3) TS: Choose "Edit" from the popup
4) TS: Select menu "Control" -> "Control Number"
5) TS: Edit parameter "Foot Ctrl 2" - it says "Super Knob" as the default. Change the value to match the Ribbon - which is "16" for me.

Now your foot controller will both not modulate Superknob - but will now modulate the foot controller. I have tested this works for me by doing this on an "Init Normal (AWM2)", doing the above steps, then taking Part 1 and adding Mod/Control->Control Assign assignment with source=Ribbon and destination=pitch. Moving the foot controller did change the pitch.

It's probably easier to do it this way although there are plenty of other options available.

While I'm here - the defaults for FC1/FC2 are in the Data List. "modx_en_d0.pdf" page 187 is what I'm looking at. Lower right corner

The default CONTROL NUMBERs of ASSIGNABLE CONTROLLER are as follows:

BREATH CONTROLLER 2
FOOT CONTROLLER 1 11
FOOT CONTROLLER 2 Super Knob
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 1 17
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 2 18
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 3 19
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 4 20
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 5 21
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 6 22
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 7 23
ASSIGNABLE KNOB 8 24
RIBBON CONTROLLER 16
ASSIGNABLE FUNCTION 1 86
ASSIGNABLE FUNCTION 2 87
MOTION SEQ HOLD 88
MOTION SEQ TRIGGER 89
FOOT SWITCH Arp SW

Still, I recognize the critique because I've made a similar one myself. The information is in lots of different spaces and you have to be fairly well "in the know" to guess which documentation is most likely to turn up the information you need. Data List, Reference Manual, Owner's Manual, Supplemental Manuals, Parameter Manual is the order I usually go in to dig. Sometimes forgetting supplemental manuals. And wishing rather the master docs would be updated with the changes - although I do appreciate the lifting this would entail. It may be worthwhile to manually merge the docs just so you have one PDF search if you give up hunting and can just turn to your uber-doc-with-everything and search there. There's not a great answer. Docs today are greatly improved vs. the past.

... I did read on and noticed you mentioned:

I then also changed FC2 CC to "04" from "SuperKnob" (after reading a different forum post from Bad Mister). But the results were the same.

So eventually any interaction from Super Knob was removed - so I suppose this wasn't your issue. When you recall "Init Normal (AWM-2)" and have your FC7 plugged into FC2 - what does superknob do when you go from full-heel to full-toe? Does superknob go full-sweep? Just checking if you're getting full range out of the FC7 or not. Or if there's a cornhole beanbag lodged in there. Just making light - but it'd be important to know if the behavior is because you're not getting full swing out of the FC7 doing something easy to look at.

Issue #2: No, not assignments - MODX and Montage have the same pitch bend implementation. Just make sure pitch bend isn't disabled.

Edit the Part(s). "Mod/Control" -> "Receive Sw". Make sure "Pitch Bend" at the top is ON. If it's off, that would disable its use as a source controller.

Hi J,

Pitchbend was definitely ON in the Receive Switch screen.
I noticed for that Tutorial Performance, the Pitchbend did not alter pitch either. It just seemed to have no function at all.

I will check FC7 and Pitchbend are working units when I get back to my MODX, but I am pretty sure they are.

You mentioned Ratio when using FC. The Ratio (in Mod/Control) would have been the same for whatever the Ribbon Control was using - I didn't change it. I can check later and get back to you.

P.S. Just to be safe, I forgot to mention, I did a backup then did a Reset All to make sure I hadn't accidentally altered any MIDI data while on my learning curve.

You mentioned Ratio when using FC. The Ratio (in Mod/Control) would have been the same for whatever the Ribbon Control was using - I didn't change it. I can check later and get back to you.

If the ratio is too small (and I don't know what it "should" be to achieve full swing) - then you won't get to where you want to get to even with full swing of your source controller.

Since you're dealing with Feedback + Skirt, there's going to be a couple places to check in the Control Assign area.

I doubt these are off - but it's just among the things, in general, that would cause this sort of thing. Although there are a number of items at play here where fooling with ratios may be barking up the wrong tree.

For pitch bend, make sure you turn assignable knob 6 or assignable knob 7 clockwise to bring up the level of the Res1 or Res2 modulator. Without either of these active, pitch bend isn't going to affect anything. Maybe you're already doing this - but it's another thing that can possibly get missed.

I didn't have any issue with my FC2 connection-to-ribbon-hack changing the sound as drastically as manually changing the values. I didn't load up Manny's Perf - I just hand created one constructed the "same" way.

Keeping in mind you have to place your FC7 pedal in the middle between heel and toe to adjust the parameter freely. If the FC7 is not in the middle, it will be offsetting the parameter and "fighting" your manual control. So it may be possible, for example, that the FC7 is in full toe position "saturating" the parameter with a large offset that cannot be adjusted by moving the parameter around manually. I know you didn't necessarily say this was an issue - but keep in mind that the ribbon is set to "snap back" to the middle in Manny's original setup. So to emulate this, you need to apply some middle FC7 position to try to get it to the "64" sweep value - which would be +0 offset.

You can probably get pretty close to the middle by using the superknob linked to your FC7 - and pay attention to the angle of the pedal when superknob is at 12 o'clock. There's even a readout of superknob telling you the current value and you can look at that to see you're at superknob=64. And maybe find something that can fit under the FC7 to "calibrate" it to the middle position. Something just the right thickness. Just in case this was something you wanted to do vs. other available methods.

I'll check when I get home to see if there are any calibration settings on the FC7, I haven't checked this.

The FC7 doesn't really have calibration. There's an adjustment but it's not necessarily for calibration.

By "calibration" I mean that there isn't a "groove" to tell you when you're dead center. So you'll have to find something to help you achieve dead-center of the rotational angle between full toe (toe all the way down) and full heel (toe all the way "up" ). Somewhere between those two points is "the middle" - where the foot controller will be telling MODX "I'm at 64 - that's 1/2 way between 0 and 127". You can actually read the absolute value of your foot controller using MODX itself. Edit the Performance and "Motion Control" -> "Super Knob" menu will show in the upper-right corner "Super Knob" and its current value. You can use this to see exactly what angle gives you 64 - which is the middle. And the "calibration" - is for you to calibrate yourself to achieve this physically. With your foot, hand, eye, or wedging something the right size under the FC7 so you can achieve this angle at will. That's one way to do it. We're just using Super Knob here as a way to tell you "64" (that you're in the middle). Not that Super Knob is any part of this in your FM-X exploration.

With something like the foot controller - it's actually easier to NOT use bipolar. Because - it doesn't return to the center well - as the above paragraph demonstrates by describing some hoops you would have to go through to do so.

Instead, you can edit the parameters that are modulated by the foot controller (what were previously modulated by ribbon - or even now if you set foot controller to the ribbon) - change all of these parameters to 0 (if not already). And then do not use bipolar. Instead, use a standard curve uni-polar and a positive ratio.

Now when you put the FC7 at full heel - this is +0 (no offset) and your values should be 0. When you move the FC7 towards full toe - the value will increase. There's no need to know where the middle is anymore in order to get at bipolar's +0 because now unipolar's +0 is just full heel.

ISSUE #1
The problem here seems to have been Uni vs Bi and the associated Ratio. I've set it so all Feedback and all Skirt Values are at base Zero(0). The Mod curve is Standard (Ramp), Polarity Uni, Ratio +32, Param 5 (straight line). The Fback and Skirt parameters are now changed by FC2 from 0 (Heel Down) to 7 (Toe down). So you get the full range.

At the moment, all I care is, its working.

After some messing about, I get the feeling there is some auto calibration on the FC7. I think the MODX assumes the FC7's position when it is "added" into Mod/Control - is Zero. So if the FC7 is not full heel down when added, whatever position it is in, will be treated as Zero. I will make a mental note and test this at another date.

Assigning the Ribbon CC16 to FC2 didn't work, although I can't see why it didn't.... Js suggestion seemed perfectly logical. (Note: I did set Ribbon CC to Off [no value] as well). I used CC04 in the end because I at least knew that did work to some extent last night.

FC2 is currently assigned to CC04 and that works.

ISSUE #2

Pitch Bend still does nothing. I checked it on Manny's original unedited preset, it doesn't work there either.

I checked on other standard presets.... PB bends notes no problem, so the hardware is working.

I can assign Resonance to an Assign Knob - no issues.

I thought I could change CC , but in Edit Common/Audio - Control Number , PitchBend is does not appear as an option.

In Edit Part Common PitchBend ^ and v are both set to Zero and if you change them, the PB will change the pitch.

Might it be in the software? Pitch Bend is assignable in any Part, AWM or FM, but I've not got it to change anything on any Assign, in any preset.

Pitch Bend Wheel sends a message (called Pitch Bend), it is a Channel message, whether or not the receiving sound responds is totally a parameter setting in the receiving sound. Each Part has a parameter for “PB Up” and “PB Down”, which if both set to 0 will mean the Part will not respond by changing pitch. This I think you know... just stating it for the record.

The Wheel still sends Pitch Bend, just the sound in the current Part is not responding with any change.
Select the Part, say it is Part 1 and it is an FM-X Part
Press [EDIT]
Part 1 - Common
Touch “Pitch/Filter” > “Pitch”

If it is an AWM2 Part
Press [EDIT]
Part 1 - Common
Touch “Part Settings” > “Pitch”
Find “Pitch Bend Down” and “Pitch Bend Up”

Additionally, “Pitch Bend” can be deactivated for a Part on the “Mod/Control” > “Receive Switch” screen
“Pitch Bend” is NOT a CC message, it has a category all its own.

Troubleshooting:
If you discover that a control assignment is not able to be made or is not working as you expect, part of your checklist should include whether all 16 Source/Destinations are already in use for the Part. If so, see if you can eliminate some to make room for what you want to do. I’ve noticed in some of the tutorial articles - they make all 16 Destinations assigned to something — I always prefer to make the assignments as I need them (why have a Knob assigned to Element Level if I don’t intend to change that level?)

I have not been successful programming something other than Pitch to the Pitch Bend Wheel, since they increased the PB resolution, so I have no knowledge base on which to draw. I know that the resolution is extreme compared to your standard 0-127 or -64 ~ 0 ~ +63 Type controllers. So picking it as substitute for the Ribbon may not be a good choice. Yes it goes above and below a center value, but it is unique among all controllers.

__ I will try to find out if that recent change has affected how the PB Wheel functions as a non-Pitch Bend control... and whether that is the result/trade-off or just a bug. I’ll let you know...

After some messing about, I get the feeling there is some auto calibration on the FC7. I think the MODX assumes the FC7's position when it is "added" into Mod/Control - is Zero. So if the FC7 is not full heel down when added, whatever position it is in, will be treated as Zero. I will make a mental note and test this at another date

Uni and Bi directional control... does ‘assume’ some things...

When “Uni” is the setting - you can move in one direction and back... from the *stored* value toward either maximum (+) and back; or from the *stored* value toward minimum (-), and then back to the stored value. But it is programmed for one direction.
When “Bi” is the setting - the stored value is actually somewhere between the minimum and the maximum - you can move from the *stored* value toward maximum (+) or from the stored value toward minimum (-)... and back to center - the stored value is your starting point and you can go above or below the stored value.

Substituting a Ribbon with a Foot Controller is substituting a controller that works Bi-directionally by design, with one that works Uni-directionally by design. The reason it is not a good fit should be obvious.

Also a Ribbon can be set to Hold position or Reset, when released.
Foot Controller is always Hold position (until a change in program)... when a program change is made the defaults are typically recalled...

Ribbon defaults to Center
Foot Controller defaults to maximum.

The idea of using the PB Wheel is a good one... it moves above and below a center value... but as you have discovered it cannot be reassigned in the current firmware (I’m pretty sure that this is a recent change to how things work).

An Assign Knob can be either 0-127 or above/below a center point and would be a better substitute for the Ribbon. But a readout appears in the screen to let you know the current value — “64” is considered Center on a 1-127 scale.

Thanks BM.

If the PB can no longer be assigned as a parameter control source, thats OK. As long as I (we) know that to be the case, then we'll no longer try.

If Yamaha could make an update... I think removing PitchBender from the list of available sources would be sufficient.

In this case, it was no big problem.... it was just a "convenience" stored into a Tutorial.

Ironically, I started out trying to learn FM, and as a bonus have become an expert on Control Assignments too... lol :p

Hmm - I was unaware PB got removed from the viable list of sources. I don't yet have the latest firmware - I'm usually behind the update curve if I don't currently need the latest-and-greatest features. So it still works for me. If this is also removed from Montage - it was done so silently. I had, then removed comments about pitch bend and the resolution and speculating. It matched BM's speculation - so nothing new there. Thanks for looking into this BM. Pitch bend shows up fairly prominently on the list of source controllers as the first one (#0) - leader of the pack.

Outside of the impact on Manny's tutorial performances, I wonder if this had any impact on factory presets which employed the option to modulate something other than pitch as you use the pitch bend controller.

That mystery is demystified. I had too old firmware to run into that.

And yes, the "right" approach, as mentioned, is not to bother with trying to calibrate your foot or use a beanbag to make FC7 go to dead center (at will) to "emulate" the behavior of a controller that is able to easily center. The approach is to use one extreme or the other as a resting point and adjust your curve parameters (and destination parameters) to match this. Life (and the gig) is too short to spend trying to balance a see-saw in the middle when sitting one end on the ground is the easy/fast/"right" approach.