On/Off is not a destination. What is a destination would be Dry/Wet. Not all effects have this. How you achieve on/off for an effect as dictated by the assignable switches may vary. If you want a really wasteful way to do it - you could have duplicate PARTs. One set with the effect turned on, one set with the effect turned off - then use A.SW 1 or 2 as XA control to switch on one set of PART's elements vs. another. Or use A.SW 1 or 2 to mute one set of PARTs vs another. That's a big "waste" - but one valid way to get there.

If you give specifics -- it's always best to start with some specific preset so help can be based on something specific -- then it would make this easier.

Not knowing what you're doing there exactly, I'll throw out my own specific.

"3o3 Talker". InsB for that one is "easy" to turn on and off because it has a "Dry/Wet" parameter. Not all effects have this parameter (such as EQs) and would require a different set of actions to "turn off". For 3o3 Talker, I would go into the InsB effect, touch the Dry/Wet parameter, then touch [CONTROL ASSIGN], press [A.SW1] then setup a square curve with a negative ratio and make sure it's aligned to the right side of the curve graph (Param 1 = 6, Param 2 = 5). In this particular preset, A.SW1 is set to momentary - so I set that the "Latch" so the button toggles. After all this, when I press A.SW1 to turn the light on - I no longer hear the echo. This defeats InsB.

Note that this effect also has an EQ section. For this Performance - it's set to +0dB for both bands - so there is no EQ applied. However, if there was anything other than 0 for both bands - then you would also need to offset those. The EQ is not part of the "dry/wet" section. It's applied in its own stage apart from the dry/wet stage. You'll notice if you crank up the EQ all the way - it doesn't matter if the effect is fully dry - you will still hear the EQ. Offsetting the EQ is possible. It's a little more difficult to deal with.

Is this a hassle? Yes. Would a simple "on/off" switch, as an option, been better? Yes. But you'll have to work around that and it's different for each class of effect and depends on how the effect has been setup.

Ultimately, it's a lot easier to duplicate PARTs and have one set with the effect applied an another set with the effect turned off. At the expense of resources. If you have the resources to burn - consider that approach as it does not vary depending on the effect type.

Thank you Jason for the thoughtful explanation. I guess there is more than one way to skin the cat. I used the method you outlined for the 303 talker and it does exactly what i need it to do. Bravo!

Maybe its not said enough but i'm sure i'm not alone saying i greatly appreciate both you and Bad Mister's timely , intelligent and thorough responses.

Perhaps in a future update they will include on / off as a destination?

Perhaps in a future update they will include on / off as a destination?

Not likely. By the nature of the type of Effect, an On/Off Switch is not available for real-time Controller assignment (it is not an oversight, nor would it be an improvement).. These are Insertion Effects... this means in a very literal sense the signal flow passes through the Effect... an Off Switch could/would often cause a catastrophic result. Dry/Wet Balance is found on those Insert Types that are true Effects (versus those Inserts that are ‘utilities’... by utilities I am referring to devices like EQs, Compressor/Limiters, etc., — where you don’t even find a Dry/Wet or Mix parameter setting).

In many of the Insertion Effect Types you wind up changing the Gain structure, an abrupt Off would be sonically disturbing as there might be a huge change in signal amount. The Dry/Wet Balance or Mix can be used in place of the On/Off with less disturbance to the flow of signal. In a situation where all Elements/Carriers are routed through the Dual Insertion block A—>B, for example, you can see why an Off Switch would be catastrophic (or perhaps you don’t but) if you switched Off Insert A in such a case, all signal flow would be stopped... however, using the Dry/Wet or Mix balance, signal would continue to reach InsB and continue on to the 2-band EQ and on to the rest of the routing options.

Would it be better to have an On/Off? Actually, no. What you want to achieve, in most cases, is stop applying the effect, and while Off might seem to do the trick, the better way would be reduce Wet (effected) signal, and continue to deliver Dry signal. Make sense?

When effects are turned "off" in Montage, the effect is bypassed. This, request of bypass, is the context which "off" was requested. Using the term "off" follows the keyboard's own convention - not inventing a new one. Equating "off" with stopping the signal flow is not a paradigm in accordance with how Montage presents the effects. Case in point - the effects routing screen shows "on" / "off" buttons inside InsA and InsB. Neither of these, when off, stop the signal flow.

I'm not against the entirety of your presentation - just (primarily) the part which twists "on" and "off" into something other than what the keyboard itself presents.

I think if you're modulating a bypass switch at a kHz frequency - you're asking for trouble and and whatever sound that would generate. Any artifacts may even be useful in their own right. However, there is utility in having the control for latch-it-and-leave-it-then-change-it-later type applications.