Line 6 FBV Control Application Basic User Guide
FBV Shortboard & Express MkII Controllers
Mac OS X, Windows XP & Windows Vista
Line 6 FBV Control: Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Getting Started....11
System Requirements.... 11 The Line 6 FBV Control Installer... 11 Connect Your FBV MkII.... 12 Take Control.... 14
Line 6 FBV Control Overview...21
Whats in it for Me?.... 21 Graphical User Interface.... 21 Opening and Saving FBV Presets.... 25. Preferences.... 26
Using Your FBV with Software Applications..31
About USB MIDI Ports & Channels... 31 Line 6 GearBox Control... 32 Controlling 3rd Party MIDI/DAW Software... 33.
Line 6 Monkey & Additional Resources..41
Login Account..... 41 Register Your Hardware.... 41 Grab Those Updates.... 42 Additional Resources.... 42.
Line 6, FBV, FBV Shortboard MkII, FBV Express MkII, POD, POD Studio, TonePort, GearBox, Spider IV, Line 6 Monkey, are trademarks of Line 6, Inc. All other product names, trademarks, and artists names are the property of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. Copyright 2009 Line 6, Inc.
Line 6 FBV Control: Getting Started

Getting Started

Congratulations if youve purchased one of the Line 6 FBV Shortboard MkII or FBV Express MkII Series Controller devices! The Line 6 FBV Control application is designed to run on your Mac or Windows computer to provide you the ability to create and customize your FBV MkII devices USB MIDI software control capabilities. This document will walk you through the basics for downloading, installing and configuring the Line 6 FBV Control software on your Mac or Windows computer. Lets get started.
This Basic User Guide is designed to get you up and running in a snap. For more details on using your Line 6 FBV MkII device as a USB MIDI software controller, or with Line 6 POD X3 hardware & Spider IV amps please be sure to go to the FBV MkII Online Help site and download the FBV MkII and Spider IV Advanced User Guides!

System Requirements

We recommend that you read the separate, Line 6 FBV Control Release Notes document for the full, detailed System Requirements, as well as up-to-date info on compatibility with other hardware and software. This document can be found within the Line 6 Support Community, or on the FBV MkII Online Help page. Line 6 FBV Control supports the following computer operating systems: Windows XP Home or Professional, with Service Pack 2 (or later), 32 and 64 bit versions Windows Vista Home, Business or Ultimate Edition, 32 and 64 bit versions Mac OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) Mac OS X 10.5.x (Leopard)
Note to Windows Vista users: It is not recommended that you exit Vista using the Sleep mode while you have the Line 6 FBV Control application running, or with your FBV connected to your USB port. Due to the inherent behavior of Vistas USB Class Compliant driver, some USB devices (such as FBV) will not properly initialize when resuming from Sleep mode.
Line 6 Software Compatibility
At this time, POD Farm 1.1 does not provide support for MIDI control. If you want to use your FBV MkII hardware to control the Line 6 GearBox software, youll want to install the GearBox 3.7 version (or later) for best performance. To get the latest GearBox version, connect your Line 6 USB audio device youll be using with GearBox (POD Studio, TonePort or GuitarPort hardware) and launch Line 6 Monkey, or go directly to the Line 6 Software Downloads page and choose GearBox.
The Line 6 FBV Control Installer
If you have not already installed the Line 6 FBV Control application, then youll need to obtain the free installer for your Mac or Windows computer. You can get it by using Line 6 Monkey, or directly from the Line 6 Software Downloads site.
For more details on Line 6 Monkey, check out Line 6 Monkey & Additional Resources on page 41.
If you already have Line 6 Monkey software utility installed on your computer.
Connect your Line 6 FBV MkII device to your Mac or Windows computers USB port and launch Line 6 Monkey. This will scan your system and point you to the latest Line 6 FBV Control installer (as well as any other recommended updates). Select the Line 6 FBV Control application within Line 6 Monkeys Updates page and it will walk you through downloading the software, and launching the installer. Simply follow the steps in the Line 6 FBV Control installer.
If you do not have Line 6 Monkey software utility installed on your computer.
You can get the latest Line 6 FBV Control application installer for free by going to www.line6.com/ software/. Be sure to choose your specific FBV MkII device from the Product selector, Line 6 FBV Control from the Software selector, and the specific Mac or Windows operating system version your computer uses from the OS selector. Once downloaded, just run the installer, following the steps along the way. The Line 6 FBV Control installer will also install the latest Line 6 Monkey version - it is not necessary for you to download these items separately. Note that there is no special USB device driver software needed to be installed for your FBV MkII hardware - Just connect the USB cable to your Mac or Windows computer and your operating system will automatically detect it as a new USB device.

Note to Windows XP users: You may see that Windows XP recognizes your FBV MkII as USB Audio Device. This is normal and just kind of a strange behavior inherent to the Windows Class Compliant USB driver. No worries - Your FBV will work just fine as a USB MIDI device!
To Uninstall Line 6 FBV Control
Should you ever need to remove the application from your computer, just follow these steps: Mac - Open the Finder and browse to the Applications > Line 6 directory. Just drag the Line 6 FBV Control application to your Trash to remove it. Windows - Go to Start > Programs > Line 6 > Tools and select the Line 6 Uninstaller utility. This handy application walks you through removing several Line 6 applications and device drivers. Youll have the option to choose to Line 6 FBV Control in the process.

Connect Your FBV MkII

The first time you connect your FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device to your computers USB port, your Mac or Windows operating system needs to install a device driver to allow your FBV to work with other hardware and software on your computer. On a Mac or Windows Vista computer, this process is done automatically, and you can skip to the next section to put your FBV to use. On Windows XP, youll need to click through a few dialogs to install the device driver. Once you connect the USB cable, you should see Windows XP detect the new device at the bottom right of your screen:
Next, the Windows Hardware Wizard will launch. Select No, not this time then click Next.
In the following screen, select the Install automatically option and click Next.
Note that Windows XP recognizes FBV MkII as a USB Audio Device. This is correct behavior since it is using the Windows Class Compliant USB driver.
Next you should see the final dialog telling the installation is complete - click Finish. Your FBV is now ready to rock!

Take Control

With your FBV MkII device connected to your computers USB port, launch the Line 6 FBV Control application. You can launch it from the desktop shortcut, or find the program here: Mac - Applications > Line 6 > Line 6 FBV Control Windows - Start > Programs > Line 6 > FBV > Line 6 FBV Control Once launched, youll be presented with the following informational dialog.
This is an important Line 6 FBV Control application behavior for you to be aware of, so please read the message in this dialog! Your FBV MkII device stores one FBV preset within its internal memory at all times, and this internal FBV memory is automatically updated whenever you edit any setting in the Line 6 FBV Control application with your FBV connected. This makes it super easy to change a few settings to customize your FBV MkII controller behaviors. You can also backup your current preset, or create as many additional customized FBV presets as you like, and store them on your computers hard drive. Please see Opening and Saving FBV Presets on page 25 for details. Click OK to proceed. The Line 6 FBV Control application will now automatically load the FBV preset from the internal memory of your connected FBV Shortboard or Express MkII device. The Control assignments that make up this FBV patch will be displayed in the applications interface. Your FBV MkII device functions as a standard USB - MIDI external controller device to communicate with any software on your computer that responds to the common types of MIDI control messages (MIDI CC, Bank & Program Change, MIDI Machine Control or Mackie Control message types). No need to go learn all about the intricate workings of MIDI to get things working though - you can simply start off with your current FBV settings, or by loading an FBV preset. Read on.

Graphical User Interface

In software speak, the main window of the Line 6 FBV Control application is referred to as the Graphical User Interface (or GUI if you want to sound hip around your software buddies). Here weve laid out descriptions for all the important things you need to know as you start clicking around in there. Refer to the numbered descriptions below for details.

Device Controls

1 - FBV Image: A graphical image of your selected FBV MkII device is displayed here. To edit the MIDI assignment for any control on your FBV, click directly on the footswitch or pedal in this image, or on the corresponding row in the Control Properties list below to select it. See the Control Properties List description for edit options.
Note: The FBV Control application will automatically detect and select your USB-connected FBV device (Shortboard or Express MkII). However, you have some other options when launching with no FBV device or multiple FBV devices connected. See the Preferences section for details.
2 - Footswitches: Click directly on any footswitch here to select it and its related row in the Control Properties List, where you can edit its MIDI assignment. All footswitches on your FBV MkII hardware can be set to send any type of MIDI settings available in the Control Parameter lists columns, regardless of how the footswitch is labeled on your FBV hardware chassis. Youll see the LED on the top portion of each footswitch on your FBV light up as you press it to indicate the MIDI Command is being sent. When the Switch Mode option for the footswitch is set to Toggle youll see the LED alternate between staying lit and unlit, corresponding to the alternating two switch behaviors that are sent on each successive press.
Note: These LED behaviors are based strictly on the footswitch control settings, as configured in the Control Properties list. The FBV MkII device does not respond to MIDI data from your MIDI or DAW software.
3 - Pedal Wah and Vol: These provide you with two assignable functions for your FBV on-board pedal (referred to as Pedal 1). To edit the assignments for these Pedal 1 functions, click directly on the WAH or VOL indicator items in the image, respectively (or directly on their rows in the Control Properties list). You can assign each of these Pedal 1 functions to send any MIDI CC value you like so you can toggle between controlling two different parameters in your software by pressing the pedal full forward and clicking the Toe Switch. Also see the next description about the Toe Switch for related functions. When the WAH LED is lit on your FBV hardware, this indicates that the Pedal 1 Wah assignment is in use. When VOL LED is lit, this indicates Pedal 1 Vol assignment is in use. 4 - Pedal 1 Toe Switch: Click here to select the Toe Switch that is located beneath the on-board pedal. This switch actually has two functions: The Toe Switch can be assigned with any MIDI command, just like any other FBV Footswitch. This can be especially handy for some related Pedal-based effect parameters. Additionally, as a fixed, non-editable behavior, the Toe Switch will toggle Pedal 1 to utilize either the Pedal Wah or Pedal Vol assignment, as configured in the Control Properties list. The WAH and VOL LED lights on your FBV unit will indicate which function is currently in use. The Toe Switch always performs this action, regardless of the settings made to the Toe Switch options in the Control Properties list. Also see the 3 - Pedal Wah and Vol description above for more about pedal settings. 5 - Pedal 2 (Shortboard only): FBV Shortboard MkII offers an Expression Pedal jack on the back where you can connect an optional expression pedal (such as the Line 6 EX-1). To edit the assignment for the expression pedal, click directly on this Pedal 2 area in the image, or directly on the Pedal 2 row in the Control Parameter list below. You can configure Pedal 2 to send any MIDI CC and value range to continuously control a knob or slider parameter in your software.

6 - Control Properties List: This list displays all editable Footswitch and Pedal controllers for your selected FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device. As mentioned in the above descriptions, you can click directly on a switch on the Device Controls - FBV Image, or click on any row here in the Control Properties List to select it and edit its MIDI settings. To follow are descriptions for each column and the options provided. Control: The static name of the physical Footswitch or Pedal, as labeled on your FBV MkII device. MIDI Command: The type of MIDI message the Control will transmit when pressed. You can choose between the following types of MIDI commands for all Footswitches (note that Pedal Wah, Pedal Vol, and Pedal 2 Controls offer only the MIDI CC and Unassigned options): Unassigned: Sends no MIDI data. Basically, this is to disable the Control. Bank Change: A numerical value typically used to switch through Preset Banks.
Note: Any FBV Bank Change command always also transmits a Program Change as part of its MIDI message. This provides the behavior where the first preset is automatically recalled within the new, selected Bank. For example, if your software is currently on Bank #1 and preset #23, if your FBV Control is configured to send a Bank Change, Increment, Value 1, this results in recalling Bank #2 and preset #1 in your target software.
Program Change: A numerical value typically used to switch through Presets within a selected Bank. MIDI Continuous Controller (MIDI CC): A set of Value and Range numbers commonly used by MIDI software and hardware to provide access to parameters. MIDI Machine Control (MMC): Specific commands for commonly used for controlling things such as transport parameters and mechanical functions (Play, Stop, Record, etc.) Mackie: Specific commands in the Mackie Universal Controller format, commonly used for transport parameters and mechanical functions (Play, Stop, Record, etc.), on MIDI software that supports the Mackie Control format. Value: Allows you to select a MIDI Value for the selected MIDI Command. These options differ depending on the type of MIDI Command selected (see the MIDI Command descriptions above). If the MIDI Command is Bank Change or Program Change, with either Increment or Decrement as the Switch Mode, you can select a value of 1 thru 10* to provide switching through Banks/ Presets by this amount per click.

*Note: It is actually possible to select a value of 0 for the Bank or Program Change command type when set to the Increment/Decrement Switch Modes, however, this is not recommended since this is not a valid option for most MIDI applications to receive.
If the MIDI Command is Bank Change or Program Change, with Fixed as the Switch Mode, you can select any value of 0 thru 127 to switch directly to this numbered Bank/Preset. If the MIDI Command is MIDI CC, you can choose a value of 0 through 127, or Custom. If Custom is selected, the Toggle 1/Up and Toggle 2/Down options in this control row become selectable, so that the each Toggle action can be defined with its own separate MIDI CC value. If the MIDI Command is MMC, you can choose between the options Play, Stop, Play/Stop, Record Punch-Pro Tools, Pause, Fast Forward, or Rewind.
If the MIDI Command is Mackie, you can choose between the options Play, Stop, Play/Stop, Record Punch, Pause, Fast Forward, or Rewind. Toggle1/Up Toggle2/Dn CC/Val Columns: These columns become selectable when the MIDI Command is set to MIDI CC and Value is set to Custom. Individual values can be then be entered manually here to specify the Toggle 1/Up and Toggle 2/Down alternating switch behaviors. Port: The FBV Control software MIDI Out port the data is to be sent out. The FBV MkII device offers four independent USB MIDI Out Ports that are selectable by other MIDI software on your computer to receive the MIDI Commands FBV is transmitting. You can choose Port 1, 2, 3, 4 or All independently for any Control. Channel: The MIDI Channel that the data is transmitted out on for the selected Port(s). You can choose any single channel, 1 thru 16. If the you have selected All in the Ports column for the Control, the current MIDI Channel setting is used for all four MIDI Ports. (To change the channel number, click directly on the value and drag up/down, or use your mouse wheel!) Switch Mode: The options available here are dependent on the currently selected MIDI Command. (There are no Switch Mode options for the Pedal Wah, Pedal Vol, or Pedal 2 controls.) If the MIDI Command is Bank Change or Program Change, the options available here are Increment, Decrement, or Fixed: Increment: Sets the footswitch to increment thru Banks/Programs by the amount of 1 to 127*, as set in the Value column. Decrement: Sets the footswitch to decrement thru Banks/Programs by the amount of 1 to 127*, as set in the Value column.
Fixed: Sets the Footswitch action to jump to a specific Bank/Program number 0 through 127, as set in the Value column. If the MIDI Command is MIDI CC, the options are Single, Momentary, or Toggle to provide these types of footswitch behaviors. If the MIDI Command is MMC or Mackie, there are no selectable Switch Mode options.

Note that your FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device holds one complete FBV preset at a time. When opening a new preset file as described in these steps, it will REPLACE all the USB MIDI Control assignments in your FBV devices internal memory with those from the newly opened.fbv preset file. Before opening a new preset file, you may want to do a Save or Save As of the current preset to your computer if you want to be able to recall these settings again later.

Saving an FBV Preset

While working in the Line 6 FBV Control application, at any time you can Save all the current settings within the Control applications GUI as an FBV preset file to your computers hard drive. It is a good idea to do so whenever you have a set of commands you dont want to forget so you can load them into your FBV device later on (remember the mantra - Save early and Save often!) Following the typical Mac and Windows software conventions. To Save the changes made to the current FBV Preset, overwriting the previous settings of this file, choose File > Save form the applications menu. To Save the changes made to the current FBV Preset as a new FBV Preset file, choose File > Save As from the applications menu. Youll then be prompted to name the file, and where to save it. To keep your FBV Preset files tidy and easy to find, you probably want to always save them in the directory where we already stored the factory presets during installation: Mac - Documents/Line 6/FBV/Presets Windows - My Documents\Line 6\FBV\Presets
TIP: Youll see the name of your currently loaded preset appear with an asterisk following its title (e.g. My Preset.fbv*) at the top of the application window whenever the preset is in an unsaved state.
Editing and Saving FBV Presets with No Connected FBV Device
Another possibility worth mention here is that you actually do not need to have your FBV Shortboard/ Express MkII device USB-connected to run the Line 6 FBV Control application to edit or save preset files. You can still use the above steps to Open, Save or Save As FBV presets on your computer. You might find this handy if you just want to do some edits or look over the settings of the FBV preset files stored on your computer without also loading the Preset into your FBV devices internal memory. To load any of these presets into the internal memory of your FBV MkII device, youll need to connect the FBV to your computers USB port, and then open a saved FBV preset as described above to have it auto-load into your FBV devices memory. When you launch the Line 6 FBV Control application without an FBV MkII device connected, you will need to instruct the application what type of device model format (Shortboard or Express MkII) to work in. This provides the perfect segue to the next section, where well look at these options in the application Preferences!

Preferences

As is the case with most other software applications, weve placed a few of those more geeky settings away in the Preferences. To get to the Line 6 FBV Control applications Preferences dialog: Mac - Line 6 FBV Control > Preferences Windows - File > Preferences

FBV Device Type Prompt

When no Line 6 FBV device is detected at startup, the Line 6 FBV application has the option of displaying either an FBV Shortboard or Express MkII device configuration for its GUI. By default, youll always be prompted on startup with a dialog to choose which you prefer. If you do not want to be prompted, select the preferred device here. Alternatively, you can check that little Do this every time box at the bottom of the prompt dialog itself to set this behavior, and you can change it here in the Preferences any time. Note that this does not affect how the Line 6 FBV application launches when your FBV MkII device is connected - it will automatically show the GUI for the connected FBV device type. Further, if you have more than one FBV MkII device type connected to your computer at the same time, (such as both a Shortboard and Express MkII), then youll be prompted to select which you want the Line 6 FBV Control application to work with.
Show Warning Dialog at Startup
This checkbox refers to that dialog that pops up when Line 6 FBV Control application starts, informing you about the important, automatic behavior where the changes you make within the software have instant effect on the memory stored within your connected FBV device (sorry to nag you, but it really is important!). If you dont want to see this warning, then you can uncheck this box here in the Preferences. Or, if youve hastily checked that Dont show again box in the prompt dialog itself but want to the reminder back, you can come to the Preferences and check this box here to have the prompt appear again. Just promise youll read the message before turning this off, OK?
Line 6 FBV Control: Using Your FBV with Software Applications

Using Your FBV

Software Applications
With the information in the previous chapters, you should now be ready to put your FBV Shortboard or Express MkII device to work to remotely control your favorite software applications! Well cover just a few tips on how to configure other software applications to communicate with your FBV MkII device.
About USB MIDI Ports & Channels
When connected to the USB port of your Mac or Windows computer, your FBV MkII device establishes one USB MIDI In port and four USB MIDI Out ports on your computer*. These are not physical hardware ports that require you to use a mess of MIDI cables - your FBV communicates all its MIDI data across your USB cable to these virtual software MIDI ports. Youll be able to access these FBV MIDI Ports within the Options or Preferences settings of any software on your computer that supports MIDI communication.

*Note that these FBV USB MIDI In and MIDI Out port names appear differently in your MIDI software depending on your computers operating system - See the following Ableton Live setup for an example.
Setting your Software to Receive Communication from your FBV MkII MIDI Port
Typically, youll just want to set the software application that you want to control via your FBV to receive MIDI control data from the MIDI Out port and MIDI channel to which your FBV device is transmitting its data. For example, in the Ableton Live or Live Lite software, the Preferences > MIDI/Sync dialog offers options to choose one or more MIDI controller devices. In your MIDI/DAW software, youll see FBV MIDI Ports 1 through 4 from which to receive MIDI Control data.
Note: Exactly how these four ports are titled is slightly different under Mac OS X, Windows Vista and Windows XP - Please see the setup example in the following GearBox software section for an example.
By default, all your FBV MkII Control assignments are transmitted to the FBV MIDI Out Port 1. However, you can set any individual FBV Control to transmit its MIDI control data to any FBV MIDI Out port 1 through 4 (see the Control Properties List section page 23).
Windows MIDI Port Communication
It is important to note that the Windows USB Class Compliant driver, which is used for your FBV MkII device on Windows Vista and XP, inherently will not allow more than one application utilize one USB MIDI port at a time. The Line 6 FBV Control application, when open, uses the FBV MIDI In port and the MIDI Out port 4 for communication with your FBV device. Therefore, if you have another MIDI/DAW software application also currently running on your Windows computer that is configured to also use these same FBV MIDI ports, only one application will be permitted to do so. If you already have your MIDI/DAW software running, and it has the FBV MIDI In port enabled, trying to then launch the Line 6 FBV Control application will typically result in the FBV Control application failing to detect the connected FBV device, since it is in use already by the other software. One possible solution is to disable the use of the FBV MIDI In port and FBV MIDI Out 4 port within your MIDI/DAW software to permit you to still use it while also using the FBV Control application. (You should be OK keeping the MIDI/DAW software enabled for receiving from the FBV MIDI Out ports 1 through 3, which allows you to still send MIDI Control commands from FBV to your software).
Otherwise, you should exit all other MIDI/DAW applications when using the FBV Control software to provide full MIDI port access to the FBV Control software for editing your FBV control settings.

Note: The Line 6 Monkey application also utilizes the FBV MIDI ports for its ability to detect and update your connected FBV device. It is always recommended that you exit the Line 6 FBV Control, as well as any MIDI/DAW software, before launching Line 6 Monkey.

MIDI Channels

Each USB MIDI Port carries 16 MIDI channels. You can think of MIDI channels just like channels on your TV - your TV is capable of receiving many channels, but youll only be able to see the program you want to watch if you tune your TV set to the specific channel. Same thing here in the world of MIDI. By default, your FBV MkII device will transmit its MIDI data to Channel 1 on the selected MIDI Port for each Control. However, you can set any individual FBV Control to transmit its MIDI control data to any MIDI Channel (see the Control Properties List section on page 23). You may find that your software offers options to receive only on a specific MIDI channel from the selected MIDI port, so you will want to be sure to configure any such MIDI Channel options to match those on which your FBV Controls are transmitting. Consult your softwares documentation for info on its MIDI Channel options.

Line 6 GearBox Control

If you use GearBox, youll be happy to know that most all amp and effects parameters in the software are capable of responding to MIDI messages from an external MIDI controller. This means your FBV MkII is just the hardware to take control!
Note: It is recommended that you have GearBox 3.7 version (or later) installed for use with FBV MkII. To get the latest version, just run Line 6 Monkey with your Line 6 USB audio hardware connected (POD Studio, TonePort, GuitarPort, POD X3, PODxt) and allow Monkey to point you to the necessary download.
To configure GearBox to receive MIDI Control data from your FBV MkII device, go to the GearBox Preferences > MIDI/Control dialog and set the MIDI Input option to receive from the desired FBV MIDI Out Port, as shown here. Note that youll see the four FBV MIDI Out ports named differently, depending on your computers operating system:

Mac OS X

Windows Vista

Windows XP

As shown above, there are four FBV MIDI Ports to choose from, so youll want to be sure to select the same FBV MIDI Out port that your FBV is transmitting to. By default this is the first selectable port in the list. You can check and edit your current FBV Control MIDI port assignments using the Line 6 FBV Control application.
Note: On Windows XP, the FBV MIDI ports appear as USB Audio Device - This is normal and just a function of the Windows Class Compliant USB device driver. These are indeed the FBV USB MIDI Out ports 1 thru 4.

GearBox always receives MIDI data on Channel 1, so youll also want to set your FBV Controls to all transmit on this MIDI Channel. As mentioned in the Getting Started chapter, just load the GearBox FBV Preset onto your FBV MkII device by way of the FBV Control applications File>Open menu and this will configure a very useful set of Control assignments for use with GearBox!
TIP: For a handy reference of all the MIDI CC assignments for GearBox parameters, please download the Line 6 MIDI CC Reference document from the FBV MkII Online Help page.
Controlling 3rd Party MIDI/DAW Software
Most popular music-oriented software these days includes some level of support for controlling its parameters remotely via MIDI control messages, just like those your FBV MkII device is capable of sending. The first step is to configure your software to receive communication from your connected FBV MkII devices USB MIDI port - see the above USB MIDI Ports & Channels section. The next step is to configure your FBV MkII to send the necessary MIDI commands to control the desired software parameters. Some MIDI and DAW applications make this all pretty easy, while others require more manual settings to access their parameters via MIDI.

MIDI Learn Functionality

Many applications now offer a handy MIDI Learn functionality, where you click on the desired knob/slider/switch in the GUI of the software to place it in a Learn mode and then simply access the control on your FBV MkII device and the software instantly maps the FBV switch/pedal to control the selected parameter. For example, Propellerhead Reason and Ableton Live applications provide exactly this type of functionality for most of their parameters - including their transport buttons, track options, and even their synth & effects parameters! For applications that offer this MIDI Learn capability, youll want to be sure that your FBV MkII footswitch and pedal controls have MIDI commands assigned so that the target software has something to learn. You can typically set each FBV MkII control to send a different MIDI CC command and the software will utilize this communication with FBV. To configure these settings, you can of course use the Line 6 FBV Control applications Control Properties List options (see page 23), or try loading the FBVDefault.fbv preset weve provided as a starting point. Please refer to your MIDI or DAW softwares documentation for specifics on configuring MIDI Control devices and parameter assignments.

Manual MIDI Control Assignment
For applications that do not offer a MIDI Learn feature, then the process is more of a manual one, where youll need to acquire MIDI reference documentation form the software manufacturer that lists specifically what MIDI Commands and Values are already set for the parameters within the software.
Most often, applications utilize MIDI CC commands for their parameters, Program Change commands for switching patches, and sometimes MMC or Mackie commands for transport buttons. With the manufacturers MIDI reference documentation in hand, you can then use the Line 6 FBV Control applications to map your desired FBV Footswitch/Pedal controls to match those that your softwares parameter MIDI assignments.
Please also see the FBV MkII Advanced User Guide and other MIDI documentation available on the Line 6 FBV Online Help page for more about setting up MIDI Control with 3rd party software.
Line 6 FBV Control: Line 6 Monkey & Additional Resources
Line 6 Monkey & Additional Resources
Line 6 Monkey is the intelligent updater utility automatically installed with your Line 6 FBV Control application. It is highly recommended that you run Line 6 Monkey at the end of your Line 6 FBV Control application installation, and to do so often to be sure you have the latest updates for all your Line 6 software and hardware products. Registering your Line 6 hardware is also very important because it ensures that youre dialed in for warranty service and makes it possible for us to contact you if new software versions or other cool enhancements are offered - cutting edge technology and such! So dont put this off any longer. Once youve installed the Line 6 Monkey software, connect your FBV MkII to your computers USB port (and please disconnect any other Line 6 USB devices for now since we only want Line 6 Monkey to check your FBV). Be sure to exit the FBV Control application as well as any MIDI/DAW applications that might be running. With your computers Internet connection active, follow these steps to launch Line 6 Monkey. On Mac, go to Applications > Line 6 > Line 6 Monkey On Windows, go to the Start button menu > Programs > Line 6 > Tools > Line 6 Monkey

Login Account

Youll need to Login so that Line 6 Monkey can communicate with the online Line 6 Server and provide you with exactly what you need. Its just a few clicks, and its free! If you have a Line 6 account, then type in your User Name and Password at the top of the Monkey dialog. If you have not yet created an account, click the New User button and youll be walked right through the steps.

Register Your Hardware

If you have not already done so, youll be prompted to Register your connected Line 6 hardware. You may be required to register your FBV MkII to be able to perform some upgrades or product activations. Its a painless process really, so click that Register Now button and fill in the blanks on the Web page. This page will list all your registered Line 6 gear in one place.

Grab Those Updates

Once Line 6 Monkey launches, it will automatically detect your connected FBV MkII device. On the Updates page in Line 6 Monkey, if you see any items where a newer version is available, then you should click on that item and let the little monkey fellow walk you through the installation steps. This is the easiest way to stay current on the latest Line 6 software and hardware updates.

Flash Memory Update

If Monkey tells you there is a newer Flash Memory version available then it is important that you install it for the best performance and product compatibility with your FBV. Just follow the steps as Monkey instructs you, including these important tasks: Exit any Line 6 or 3rd party MIDI/DAW applications that might be using your FBV MkII device. Be sure not to press the buttons, move the pedal, or change any cable connections on your FBV device until the update process completes. Once Line 6 Monkey tells you the update was successfully completed, exit Line 6 Monkey and launch it again to see if any additional updates might still be available.

Additional Resources

Hungry for more info? Weve got plenty of helpful resources just a click away. Additional Help documentation covering the latest FBV MkII product & MIDI Reference info is available here: FBV MkII Online Help For technical support, choose from the many options listed on the Line 6 Support, including the searchable Knowledgebase: Line 6 Support Cant get enough of that Line 6 Gear, or want to check out the latest accessories? Head on over to the Line 6 Store! Line 6 Online Store Join the Community! Pay a visit to the Line 6 Communities page, where you can find: Free iTunes and MP3 Jam Tracks. Free loops for GarageBand, Acid, Reason and more. Free guitar lessons from LA session pros. Free chord and scale practice tools. Information about contests and special offers. Access to discussion forums, software updates and more. Line 6 Communities

Connecting FBV MkII to Your Computer
To utilize your FBV Shortboard MkII or FBV Express MkII to control your software, simply connect a standard computer USB cable from the FBV units USB jack to any USB 1.1 or 2.0 port on your Mac or Windows computer. Power is supplied to your FBV MkII unit via this same USB cable connection. You should see the FBVs LCD display or LED lights illuminate to show it is powered up. The first time you connect your FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device to your computers USB port, your Mac or Windows operating system needs to install a device driver to allow your FBV to work with other hardware and software on your computer. On a Mac, Windows 7 or Windows Vista computer, this process is done automatically, and you can skip to the next section to put your FBV to use.
On Windows XP, you may need to click through a few dialogs to install the device driver. Once you connect the USB cable, you should see Windows XP detect the new device at the bottom right of your screen:
Next, the Windows Hardware Wizard will launch. Select No, not this time then click Next.
In the following screen, select the Install automatically option and click Next.
Note that XP recognizes and installs FBV as a USB Audio Device. This is normal behavior for the Windows XP USB Class Compliant Driver.
Next you should see the final dialog telling the installation is complete - click Finish. Your FBV is now ready to rock!

FBV Pedal Calibration

Note: The following calibration steps are not necessary if your FBV MkII device has the 1.00 Flash Memory version. However, any Flash Memory update past version 1.00 will require that you calibrate your FBV pedal for the best performance. To check your FBV MkII current Flash Memory version, or to download & install any newer Flash Memory version that might be available, please use Line 6 Monkey, following the Update instructions on page 12.
For the best performance of the on-board pedal of your FBV Shortboard or Express MkII device, it is recommended that you perform the following steps to calibrate the pedal before putting it to use with your computer or your Line 6 Amp or POD.
FBV Shortboard MkII Calibration Steps
Start with your FBV device not connected to any USB port or Line 6 device (and, therefore, powered off). Press and hold down the D labeled footswitch while you power on your FBV (by connecting to your computers USB port or Line 6 device with which you plan on using your FBV). The LCD will read CALIBRATE PEDAL until the D footswitch is released, at which point it will read 1 PEDAL TOE. Press the on-board pedal forward fully and hold down pedals Toe Switch until the LCD changes to 2 PEDAL MIN. This should occur instantly. Move the pedal to the heel (minimum) position. While holding the pedal in the heel position, press & release the D button. The LCD will change to 3 PEDAL MAX. Move the pedal to the toe (maximum) position, without clicking the Toe Switch. Allow the pedal to rest in the toe position and press & release the D button. The LCD will change to CHECK VALUE 127. Move the internal pedal and verify that the LCD reads CHECK VALUE 0 in the minimum position and CHECK VALUE 127 in the maximum position. If you happen to get different values that 0 or 127, then try repeating these calibration steps. If your values are correct, then calibration was successful - power off your FBV and power it back on and you are ready to go!

The PEDAL TONE1 options for FBV Shortboard with an Expression pedal are as follows: 1-W/OFF 2-VOL - Pedal 1 controls the Wah, with the toe switch toggling the Wah effect on/ off. Pedal 1 performs no function when the Wah is off. Pedal 2 controls the Volume at all times. 1-TWK 2-VOL - Pedal 1 controls the Tweak parameter that is currently assigned for Tone 1. (See the following TONE1 TWK description.) The toe switch performs no function. Pedal 2 controls the Volume for Tone 1. 1-W/V 2-TWK - Pedal 1 controls the Wah or Volume effects Position parameter, with the toe switch toggling between controlling these two effects for Tone 1. Pedal 2 controls the Tweak parameter that is currently assigned for Tone 1. (See the following TONE2 TWK description.)
TONE2 PEDAL - Use these TONE2 settings to configure the two modes of operation for Pedal 1 & Pedal 2 (if Pedal 2 is connected) for Tone 2. The options for the PEDAL TONE2 are the same as those described in the TONE1 PEDAL section above, but the settings here are strictly for Tone 2, to provide you with independent pedal behaviors per Tone. The values you have set for the PEDAL CNTRL setting (see previous description) determine whether Tone 2 will be controlled or not by your pedal(s). Also note the TONE2 TWK options below to configure what the TONE2 Tweak pedal options perform. TONE1 TWK - (Tweak) If youve assigned one of the TONE1 PEDAL options to control TWK, this is where you choose the parameter that will be controlled with that TWK-assigned pedal. The list of available parameters is too long to list here - turn the knob and see what you find! TONE2 TWK - (Tweak) If youve assigned one of the TONE2 PEDAL options to control TWK, this is where you choose the parameter that will be controlled with that TWK-assigned pedal. The list of available parameters is too long to list here - turn the knob and see what you find! TONE1 LP SW (Shortboard only) - This LP SW (Loop Switch) setting allows you to choose what the FBV Shortboard FUNCTION1 switch actually controls for Tone 1. (Note that weve recently expanded this to offer more than just a Loop Switch option, so dont the name fool you!) Your options for Tone 1 are: COMP - Toggles Compressor block on/off. AMP - Toggles Amp+Cab block on/off.

FBV MkII Advanced User Guide: FBV Control Application
The Line 6 FBV Control Application
The previous Getting Started chapter should have already gotten you up and running with your Line 6 FBV MkII controller. In this chapter, well provide you with an overview of the features and functions found in the Line 6 FBV Control applications user interface. It is also good idea to read through this chapter before going on to the POD Farm 2, GearBox or 3rd Party Software chapters, since youll be using the FBV Control application for all those setups. The following chapters provide additional specifics about controlling your software.

Whats in it for Me?

Your new FBV Shortboard or FBV Express MkII is a pretty sophisticated piece of gear, capable of controlling not only Line 6 Amp and POD devices (via an RJ45 cable connection), but also capable of controlling any software on your computer that receives common MIDI control messages (via a standard USB connection). The Line 6 FBV Control application is specifically for the latter function - it provides a simple yet powerful set of features to allow you to program specifically what type of MIDI message is sent from each of the footswitch and pedal controls to your desired software. Further, you can then store these control assignments as FBV Preset files, stored on your computer for recall anytime. Go ahead and tweak all you like to allow your FBV MkII hardware to do those naughty MIDI controller things you always wanted to try!

Graphical User Interface

In software speak, the main window of the Line 6 FBV Control application is referred to as the Graphical User Interface (or GUI if you want to sound hip around your software buddies). Here weve laid out descriptions for all the important things you need to know as you start clicking around in there. Refer to the numbered descriptions below for details.

Device Controls

1 - FBV Image: A graphical image of your selected FBV MkII device is displayed here. To edit the MIDI assignment for any control on your FBV, click directly on the footswitch or pedal in this image, or on the corresponding row in the Control Properties list below to select it. See the Control Properties List description on page 33 for edit options.
Note: The FBV Control application will automatically detect and select your USB-connected FBV device (Shortboard or Express MkII). However, you have some other options when launching with no FBV device or multiple FBV devices connected. See Preferences on page 39 for details.

2 - Footswitches: Click directly on any footswitch here to select it and its related row in the Control Properties List where you can edit its MIDI assignment. Note that all the footswitches on your FBV MkII hardware can be set to send any type of MIDI message available in the Control Properties lists columns - regardless of how the footswitch is labeled on your FBV hardware chassis. If you dont want a particular footswitch to send any MIDI command at all, just choose Unassigned in the MIDI command column. (Also see Footswitch LED Behaviors on page 36 for info on these indicators.) 3 - Pedal Wah and Pedal Vol: These provide you with two assignable functions for your Shortboard or Express units on-board pedal (well refer to this as Pedal 1 in this document). To edit the assignments for these Pedal 1 functions, click directly on the WAH or VOL indicator items in the image, respectively (or directly on their rows in the Control Properties list). You can assign these Pedal 1 functions to send any MIDI CC value you like so you can toggle between controlling two different functions in your software by pressing the pedal full forward and clicking the Toe Switch Also see the next description about the Toe Switch for related functions. When the WAH LED is lit on your FBV hardware, this indicates that the Pedal Wah assignment is in use. When VOL LED is lit, this indicates Pedal Vol is in use. 4 - Pedal 1 Toe Switch: Click here to select the Toe Switch that is located beneath the on-board pedal. This switch actually has two functions: The Toe Switch can be assigned with any MIDI command, just like any other FBV Footswitch. This can be especially handy for some related Pedal-based effect parameters. Additionally, as a fixed, non-editable behavior, the Toe Switch will toggle Pedal 1 to utilize either the Pedal Wah or Pedal Vol assignment, as configured in the Control Properties list. The WAH and VOL LED lights on your FBV unit will indicate which function is currently in use. The Toe Switch always performs this action, regardless of the settings made to the Toe Switch options in the Control Properties list. This is an internal switch behavior and the Toe Switch does not transmit a MIDI command when performing this function. The only MIDI command transmitted from the Toe Switch is what you have assigned in the Control Properties List for this control. Also see the 3 - Pedal Wah and Vol description above for more about pedal settings. 5 - Pedal 2 (Shortboard only): FBV Shortboard MkII offers an Expression Pedal jack on the back where you can connect an optional expression pedal (such as the Line 6 EX-1). To edit the assignment for the expression pedal, click directly on this Pedal 2 area in the image, or directly on the Pedal 2 row in the Control Parameter list below. You can configure Pedal 2 to send any MIDI CC and value range to continuously control a knob or slider parameter in your software.

Note that your FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device holds one complete FBV preset at a time. When opening a new preset file as described in these steps, it will REPLACE all the USB MIDI Control assignments in your FBV devices internal memory with those from the newly opened.fbv preset file. Before opening a new preset file, you may want to Save the current settings as an FBV preset to your computer if you want to be able to recall these settings again later.

Saving an FBV Preset

While working in the Line 6 FBV Control application, you can Save all the current settings within the Control applications GUI as an FBV preset file to your computers hard drive at any time. It is a good idea to do so whenever you have a set of commands you dont want to forget so you can load them into your FBV device later on (remember the mantra - Save early and Save often!). FBV Control follows the typical Mac and Windows software conventions: To Save the changes made to the current FBV Preset, overwriting the previous settings of this file, choose File > Save from the applications menu. To Save a the changes made to the current FBV Preset as a new FBV Preset file, choose File > Save As from the applications menu. Youll then be prompted to name the file, and where to save it. To keep your FBV Preset files tidy and easy to find, you probably want to always save them in the directory where we already stored the factory presets during installation: Documents/Line 6/FBV (Mac) My Documents\Line 6\FBV (Windows)
TIP: Youll see the name of your currently loaded preset appear with an asterisk following its title (e.g. FBV-Default.fbv*) at the top of the application window whenever the preset is in an unsaved state.
Editing and Saving FBV Presets with No Connected FBV Device
As mentioned above, you actually do not need to have your FBV Shortboard/Express MkII device USB-connected to run the Line 6 FBV Control application to edit or save preset files. You can still use the above steps to Open, Save or Save As FBV Presets on your computer. You might find this handy if you just want to do some edits or look over the settings of the FBV Preset files stored on your computer without also loading the Preset into your FBV devices internal memory. To load any of these presets into the internal memory of your FBV MkII device, youll need to connect it to your computers USB port, and then open a saved FBV Preset as described above to have it auto-load into your FBV devices memory. When you launch the Line 6 FBV Control application without an FBV MkII device connected, you will need to instruct the application what type of device model format (Shortboard or Express MkII) to work in. This provides the perfect segue to the next section, where well look at these options in the application Preferences.

Note: These four ports appear titled differently depending on your specific Mac or Windows operating system version - Please see the setup examples in the following sections.
By default, all your FBV MkII Control assignments are transmitted to the FBV MIDI Out Port 1. However, you can set any individual FBV control to transmit its MIDI control data to any FBV MIDI Out port 1 through 4 (see the FBV Control applications Control Properties List section on page 31).
Windows MIDI Port Communication
It is important to note that the Windows USB Class Compliant driver, which is used for your FBV MkII device on Windows, inherently allows only one application to utilize each MIDI port at a time. The Line 6 FBV Control application, when open, uses the FBV MIDI In port and the MIDI Out port 4 for communication with your FBV device. Therefore, if you have another DAW software application currently running on your Windows computer that is configured to also use these same FBV MIDI ports, only one application will be permitted to do so. If you already have POD Farm 2 standalone application or your DAW software running, and one has the FBV MIDI In port enabled, trying to then launch the Line 6 FBV Control application will typically result in the FBV Control application failing to detect the connected FBV device, since it is in use by the other software. One possible solution is to disable the use of the FBV MIDI In port and FBV MIDI Out 4 port within your POD Farm 2 or DAW software. (You should be OK keeping the POD Farm 2 or DAW software enabled for receiving from the FBV MIDI Out ports 1 through 3, which allows you to still send MIDI Control commands from FBV to your software.) Otherwise, it is recommended to exit all other applications when using the FBV Control software to provide full MIDI port access for editing your FBV control settings.
Note: The Line 6 Monkey application also utilizes the FBV MIDI ports for its ability to detect and update your connected FBV device. It is always recommended that you exit the Line 6 FBV Control, as well as any MIDI/DAW software, before launching Line 6 Monkey.

*Note: GearBox can also be used with PODxt and POD X3 as the connected USB audio interface device, however, it is recommended to connect your FBV MkII to these POD devices directly via the RJ45 cable connection rather than connecting your FBV via USB to your computer. When you control your POD directly with your FBV MkII, youll see the GearBox controls respond as well!
To get GearBox, connect your Line 6 USB audio interface to your Mac or Windows computer, launch Line 6 Monkey and let the little monkey fellow show you the enlightened path to the download. Or, go directly to the http://line6.com/software/ page and download it from there. If you have not already done so, also go ahead and download and install the Line 6 FBV Control application. Youll need this to load and edit the MIDI control information your FBV device will use to communicate with GearBox. See the The Line 6 FBV Control Application on page 31 for details.

Get Connected

To run GearBox, youll of course need to connect your Line 6 USB audio interface to your computer, and youll additionally want to connect your FBV MkII device to another USB port. Once connected, follow these steps to configure GearBox to receive MIDI control data from your FBV MkII device. Launch GearBox from /Applications/Line 6/GearBox (Mac), or Start menu\Programs\Line 6\GearBox (Windows) In GearBox, go to GearBox > Preferences > MIDI/Control (Mac), or Edit > Preferences > MIDI/Control (Windows) In the MIDI Control settings, de-select the Send MIDI option and choose the first available Port of your connected FBV MkII device.*
Uncheck the Send MIDI. option Select the first Port of your FBV MkII device here
Click OK to exit the dialog.
* Note that the FBV MkII MIDI Out port names appear within differently depending on your computer operating system (for FBV Express MkII, youll see Express in place of Shortboard in these titles): Mac OS X
This completes the configuration needed within the GearBox software. Next we need to configure your FBV MkII to send the specific MIDI commands to trigger the desired GearBox functions. The easiest way to do this is to select the GearBox.fbv FBV control preset that weve provided with the Line 6 FBV Control application. Launch the Line 6 FBV Control application from /Applications /Line 6/Line 6 FBV Control (Mac), or Start menu\Programs\Line 6\Line 6 FBV Control (Windows) Go to File > Open and choose the GearBox.fbv preset file from these locations: /Documents/Line 6/FBV/Presets (Mac) /My Documents\Line 6\FBV\Presets (Windows) This automatically loads the complete set of GearBox MIDI control assignments into the internal memory of your FBV MkII device. The Control Properties list should now display all these settings:

Configure your FBV Pedal to Control a GearBox Knob Parameter
There are also lots of knobs in GearBox, and you can configure your FBV MkII Pedal (as well as the optional Expression Pedal on a Shortboard) to just about any of these GearBox knobs! For example, say you want to have your FBV PEDAL WAH control adjust the GearBox Modulation Mix parameter rather than the Wah Position parameter. Looking at the GearBox MIDI CC Reference Chart, the Modulation Mix parameter lists its MIDI CC assignment as CC #56, with Min. and Max Range Values of 0 to 127:
This tells you that you need to create these settings in the Line 6 FBV Control application for the PEDAL WAH row in the Control Properties: MIDI Command: MIDI CC Value: CC# 056 MIDI Port: 1 (Optionally, you can choose any available port here, but your GearBox MIDI In setting needs to match to receive the command - see Get Connected on page 51.) MIDI Channel: 1 (GearBox receives MIDI on Channel 1 only.)
The Min. and Max Range Values shown in the MIDI CC Reference chart tell you that this parameter can be controlled from 0 to 100% (the equivalent of 0 to 127 in MIDI CC value terms). Therefore, there are no other settings you need to create for the Pedal to control the full range of the Modulation Mix parameter. You can follow these same steps to configure your FBV pedal for any other parameter you see in the GearBox MIDI CC Reference Chart.
TIP: Want to set your Pedal to control the GearBox Bender Position knob, to foot-control some wild pitch bending? In the Line 6 FBV Control - Control Properties, set one of your Pedal settings to MIDI CC for the MIDI Command and CC 79 for the Value. In GearBox, you probably want to set the Bender effects Mix knob to 100% so you hear only the pitch effected signal, and set the Heel and Toe knobs to the desired amount of pitch change (these are in semi-tones), and wham on that pedal!
Configure a Footswitch to Toggle your Amp or Effects On/Off
The GearBox.fbv preset already configures the GearBox amp and effects items to be toggled on/off, but if you want to change the assignment of any switch, you can refer to the Line 6 MIDI Continuous Controller Reference PDF, and take a look at the GearBox MIDI CC chart. Look up the desired GearBox effect parameter and note its CC number. For example, say you want to make your C labeled FBV footswitch toggle the GearBox Delay effect on and off. In the GearBox MIDI CC chart, youll see this has CC #28 listed as the assignment:
You can also see in the Notes column that the CC Values of 0-63 will set the Delay Off, and 64127 will set the Delay On. But you do not need to manually configure these CC toggle values, since setting the Switch Mode for your FBV footswitch control to Toggle will set them automatically for you, so that the MIDI message sent alternates between 127 (On) and 0 (Off) for each successive press of the footswitch. Therefore, the settings you want to enter into the FBV Control applications Control Properties list for the C footswitch control are as follows: MIDI Command: MIDI CC Value: CC# 028 MIDI Port: 1 (Optionally, you can choose any available port here, but your GearBox MIDI In setting needs to match to receive the command - see Get Connected on page 51.) MIDI Channel: 1 (GearBox receives MIDI on Channel 1 only.) Switch Mode: Toggle

MIDI Input Options in your Software
In some MIDI and DAW applications Preferences or MIDI Options, you may see only a set of MIDI Input settings (rather than a specific Control Surface or MIDI Control option, as described above). If your MIDI/DAW softwares documentation instructs you to use this for selecting MIDI controller devices, then youll want to select the FBV MIDI Port to which your Controls are transmitting. By default, all your FBV MkII Control assignments are transmitted to the FBV MIDI Out Port 1, but you can change this MIDI Out Port setting per Control within the Line 6 FBV Control applications Control Properties List (see page 33).
Each USB MIDI Port carries 16 MIDI channels. By default, your FBV MkII device is configured to transmit its MIDI data to Channel 1 on the selected MIDI Port for each Control. However, you can set any individual FBV Control to transmit its MIDI control data to any MIDI Channel (see the Control Properties List section on page 33). You may find that your software offers options to choose one specific MIDI channel from the selected MIDI port, so you will want to be sure to configure any such MIDI channel options to match those that your FBV Controls are transmitting to. This allows you to set your FBV MkII controller to transmit all its MIDI commands out one common MIDI port, yet with some of its individual controls fed to different channels, thus allowing your MIDI/DAW software to filter and receive only the desired commands. Consult your softwares documentation for info on its MIDI channel options.

MIDI Learn Functionality

Many MIDI and DAW software applications make using an external MIDI controller very easy by way of a MIDI Learn functionality built into their software. With a MIDI Learn feature, you typically click on the desired knob/slider/switch in the GUI of the software to place it in a Learn mode. Then you simply access the control on your FBV MkII device and the software instantly maps the accessed FBV switch/pedal to control the selected parameter. For example, Propellerhead Reason and Ableton Live applications provide exactly this type of functionality for most of their parameters - including their transport buttons, mixer faders, track options, and even their synth & effects parameters! For applications that offer this MIDI Learn capability, youll want to be sure that your FBV MkII footswitch and pedal controls have MIDI commands assigned so that the target software has something to learn. The nice thing about a MIDI Learn feature is that, typically, you need to only configure your controller to transmit MIDI CC commands of any Value - the software simply listens and learns whatever it receives when in learn mode. Some applications parameters might also require a specific Switch Type setting though (Single, Toggle or Momentary). As always, it is a good idea to read through your MIDI/DAW softwares documentation on its MIDI Learn options for details (or, some applications have such a feature with a different name). Please see the tutorials for several popular DAW applications later in this chapter for some helpful examples! For use with your MIDI Learn software, you can set each FBV MkII control to send a different MIDI CC command and the software will utilize this communication with FBV. To configure these settings, use the Line 6 FBV Control applications Control Properties List section options (see page 33 ), or try loading the FBV-Default.fbv preset weve provided as a starting point, and customize it as needed.

Click the arrow here to expand the effect module.
Click the Configure button to add a POD Farm Plug-In parameter to this module
Now, in the POD Farm Plug-In window, click directly on the Wah edit panels Position knob to select this parameter.
Once youve selected the Plug-In parameter, youll see a slider appear in the Line effects module for that parameter.
Now just follow the same steps as in the previous examples to enter Lives MIDI Map Mode, click on the parameter in the effect module, and then move your FBV Pedal to map it. For our example, we now have successfully mapped Channel 1, MIDI CC 5 from our FBV Pedal to the Wah Position parameter. Exit MIDI Map Mode.
Go ahead and hit Play in Live and work the FBV pedal and youll hear the mapped effect parameter do its thing. You might also see the control for the selected parameter within the effects own window move in response as well. In our case, the POD Farm Plug-In Wah Position knob moves in response. But wait - it gets better! Read on for more fun with mapped parameters!
Control Automation Recording with your FBV Pedal
Once you have a parameter mapped to your FBV pedal, in many cases the DAW software will also allow you to record your pedal moves in real-time as an automation envelope on your track. The perfect example for this is for us to use the POD Farm Plug-In Wah mapping we just created in Ableton Live, and record our FBV Wah pedal moves to add some snarky wah action on our guitar track. Other DAW applications differ in the exact way they offer track and effects automation, so be sure to check your DAW softwares documentation. But this example should give you the basic idea. With the FBV Pedal successfully mapped to the POD Farm Plug-In Wah (or the Plug-In parameter of your choice) try the following steps: In Lives Arrangement View, youll want to make sure your audio track is not armed for recording (since we only want to record automation on this track, not audio). You should also see the POD Farm - Wah parameter shown here on the track. Note that right now when you move your FBV Pedal, an existing, flat envelope line across the track moves up and down in response. Keep this track Record Arm button off for these steps
Once we mapped the POD Farm Wah-Position parameter in the previous steps, our Live audio track shows this parameter in its automation selector, and shows an (unedited) envelope across the track. If you move your FBV pedal, youll see this envelope line respond Rewind to the start of the track, click Lives main Transport Record and then Play button. Once Live starts rolling, just start working the FBV pedal as desired to record the Wah pedal automation to your track. Youll see envelope edit points added, capturing your pedal moves as you go.

Close the Controllers/Surfaces dialog when done. Next, go to Views > Toolbars and ensure the Controllers/Surfaces box is selected, then close the window. Youll see this adds some handy ACT options to your SONAR Toolbar.
In the ACT Controllers toolbar options, click the Controllers/Surfaces Properties button that is at the right end of the Control Surfaces toolbar.
In the ACT MIDI Controller dialog, select the Default preset from the Presets menu. When this preset is loaded, youll see that the cells in the dialog allow access to numerous SONAR parameters. Also, when you click on a Plug-In or Software Instrument edit window to shift the focus to it, the parameters for that plug-in/instrument become available in the ACT dialog cells. However, your FBV Controllers are not yet mapped to control any of these parameters with the Default preset. To configure a mapping, you can use the MIDI Learn function.
The ACT MIDI Control dialog - Default preset selected (the SONAR main window has focus)
Using the SONAR ACT MIDI Learn Function
Here is an example of how to map the FBV Pedal Wah controller to the Wah Position parameter of the Line 6 GearBox Plug-In, allowing you to remotely control the GearBox Wah in real-time as you hear the input monitor recording signal or playback of your audio track. These mapping steps are the same to map any knob, button, footswitch controller to any other available parameter in the ACT MIDI Controller dialog as well. Open the SONAR ACT MIDI Controller dialog with the Default preset loaded, as described above. Leave this dialog open and where you can see it. Create an audio track in your SONAR project, and record or insert an audio file so youll have something to hear your Plug-In effect applied to. A nice clean guitar recording wold work nicely here. Click on an FX Bin Insert slot for this audio track and insert the GearBox Plug-In. In the GearBox Plug-In window, load a Tone preset, and click on the Wah pedal effect to make sure it is on and to show the Wah effects edit settings in the edit panel.
The GearBox Plug-In Edit Panel, Wah effect
With your focus still on the GearBox Plug-In window, you should now see the many GearBox Plug-In parameters shown in the cells of the ACT dialog. We specifically want to access the Wah - Position parameter. To see this youll need to select Bank 4 of the top row of Rotary cells, and the Wah - Position parameter should appear in the Rotary 1 controller slot. The Default preset is selected. In the Controllers tab, select Bank 4 for the top row of cells. The GearBox Plug-In Wah-Position parameter appears in the Rotary 1 slot.

Select MIDI Port Setup

Uncheck the All Inputs box for all the FBV USB MIDI Ports
Check the first FBV USB MIDI port, and uncheck the FBV ports 2, 3, & 4 Note that since were using Windows XP in this example, the FBV MIDI ports appears as USB Audio Device. They will appear named differently if using Windows 7, Vista or Mac OS X (see page 61).

Cubase Parameter Control

Cubase offers support for many 3rd party MIDI Control Surface devices - large hardware units designed to emulate analog mixing consoles with dozens of hardware faders, knobs and buttons. Your Line 6 FBV MkII device is not one of these Steinberg-supported Control Surface devices, however, it is still possible to map any of your FBV MIDI controllers to the many Cubase parameters. This is accomplished by configuring your FBV MkII device as a Generic Remote device. To accomplish this, go to the Cubase Devices > Device Setup dialog once again: If you do not already see the Generic Remote under the Remote Devices in the left panel, click on the + button at the top left of the dialog and choose Generic Remote from the menu to add it. Select Generic Remote Select the first FBV USB MIDI port as the MIDI Input
In the top right panel you will now see a list of Cubase parameters that you can map your FBV devices controllers to. The easiest way to do this mapping is to use the Learn function. For example, to map the Fader 1 parameter at the top of the list to your FBVs Pedal Vol, follow these steps: Make sure your FBV pedal is set to Pedal Vol (the Volume LED indicator on your FBV is lit). In the Cubase Device Setup dialog, click directly on the Fader 1 Control Name in the top right panel. Move your FBV pedal. Press the Learn button at the right of the dialog. You should see the MIDI Channel and other settings in the Fader 1 row change, indicating it has Learned the MIDI CC message that your FBV Pedal Vol controller is transmitting (which is MIDI CC 011, on MIDI Port 1, Channel 1, per the settings in the Line 6 FBV Control application). Now look at the Cubase Mixer window and watch the channel strip for track 1 - you should see its fader respond to the FBV pedal moves. Repeat the above steps to map other FBV controllers from your device to other Cubase parameters in the list. Note that youll need to use pedal controllers to map to the Cubase fader, knob and slider type parameters, and footswitch buttons to map to the Cubase switch type parameters. Also, these Cubase parameters typically need to receive MIDI CC type commands, so youll want to make sure that your FBV footswitch or pedal controller is transmitting this type of MIDI message, using the Line 6 FBV Control application. The lower right panel also allows you to map to more channel strip parameters, beyond track 1 - 16. It is also possible to customize these Generic Remote parameter lists using the other options in this dialog. Please see the Cubase Help documentation for details.

USB/MIDI Q&A

I already installed my FBV, but when I plug into a different USB port, why is Windows asking me to install it again? This is normal behavior on Windows computers - it will need to install a USB device the first time it is installed into a different USB port (see Getting Started on page 11). Go ahead and run through the Windows device installation if prompted. You should not be asked to install FBV again when plugging into the same USB port thereafter.
If FBV MkII is a MIDI device, why does it not have any 5-pin MIDI cable connectors on it? FBV MkII does all its MIDI communication via its USB connection to your computer. When you launch any MIDI or DAW software, youll be able to select any of the four FBV USB MIDI Out ports to receive MIDI from it. No messy MIDI cables are needed! Can I use FBV MkII to control POD Farm 1.x Plug-In or standalone application? Since POD Farm 1.x version does not support remote control via MIDI, it is not possible to directly control it with FBV. However, when using POD Farm Plug-In within a DAW host application, you typically can set FBV to control any Plug-Ins parameters in real-time, and to record automation. Therefore, it is also possible to control POD Farm Plug-Ins parameters this way as well - please see the Ableton Live - FBV MkII Setup Tutorial on page 64 as well as the other setup tutorials and your MIDI/DAW software documentation. The newer POD Farm 2 version Plug-In and standalone application both fully support MIDI control via FBV MkII controllers (see FBV MkII with Line 6 POD Farm 2 on page 41). My MIDI/DAW software requires SysEx messages to control some functions - can I customize and send SysEx with FBV MkII? FBV MkII devices can be set to transmit MMC (MIDI Machine Control) messages, which is one type of SysEx message, however, the Line 6 FBV Control application does not provide extended capabilities to allow you to manually type in or import/export SysEx MIDI data. Why doesnt my software see FBV MkII as an available MIDI device? The most typical cause of this is launching your MIDI/DAW software before connecting your FBV USB cable to your computer. Try exiting all software, be sure your FBV is connected and launch your software again. Also try connecting directly to one of your computers on-board USB ports rather than a USB hub if you still experience problems. How can I edit and save an FBV preset on my computer without also automatically overwriting the settings currently stored on my FBV device? When using the Line 6 FBV Control software, changes to any settings in the software are instantly sent to the connected FBV device, updating the current settings stored in FBVs internal memory. But you can simply disconnect the USB cable from your FBV and still use the Line 6 FBV Control application if you want to edit and save any FBV preset file. Then, whenever you like, just connect your FBV again and go to File > Open and select your saved.fbv preset file to load it onto your FBV device. My friend has an FBV MkII too - can we share preset files? Sure! You can create, edit and save your own custom FBV presets using the free Line 6 FBV Control software, and then simply send the.fbv file to any other FBV MkII user to load. Note that the files are also compatible even if one of you has a Shortboard MkII and the other an Express MkII (the additional Controls of a Shortboard-created preset are simply ignored by an Express unit).