Knob assignment for Multi-FX

Each of the 25 Multi-FX's has several tweakable parameters, and you can use the assignable knobs to control them. The manual (page 48) has a memo indicating this, but as usual, I wish it explained the process better. For anyone figuring out why and how to assign M-FX knobs, this entry is for you.

You have probably noticed the second row of knob labels, reading M-FX CTRL 1-3. Now, if you look at the descriptions on pp. 48-61, you'll see below each M-FX that its parameters are listed with [CTRL 1], [CTRL 2] and so on. Roland has decided that the first three parameters in each list are the ones you probably will want to tweak most often while playing live, so they've made it easy for you by dedicating the second-row knobs to them.

If tweaking these three is enough for your needs, you don't need to do anything; just point the red arrow to this row and go to it.

But you may want to adjust other parameters instead, and there are many options. For example, M-FX 1, the 4-band EQ, has 11 parameters, the most of any list. To tweak [CTRL 4-11] easily during performance, Knob Assign is useful.

Before you do anything below, keep two things in mind: 1) Whatever changes you make to the knob assignments get saved to the User Set you have chosen without an easy way to Exit out if you change your mind. So if you're not completely sure you want to reassign something, remember what your original knob assignment was so you can change it back. (I like to reserve one User Set for experimentation.) 2) If you're not planning to tweak these parameters live, the knob assignment effort probably isn't worth it.

Procedure:

Hit Knob Assign, and you'll see the User Set (#1-10) listed up top along with its four current knob assignments. Choose the knob you want to reassign with button F1-F4. Scroll left-right until you highlight MULTI-FX, and hit its F button. Whatever M-FX you have assigned to the current pattern, its list of parameters will appear. You can then scroll down to the parameter you want assigned to that knob; hit Knob Assign and bang, it's saved to that User Set until you change it again.

Other notes:

1) This procedure assigns the knob a CTRL number, not an M-FX set. So if you assign it to CTRL 9 and then switch to another pattern that uses a different M-FX set, tweaking that knob will adjust the new M-FX set's CTRL 9 parameter (if it has one).

2) You can of course assign CTRL 1-3 to these knobs too, if it's more convenient to have them in your User Set (i.e. if you don't want to keep messing with the red arrow button).

3) If you tweak the knob and nothing seems to be happening, make sure you've got the M-FX Switch turned on for the Parts you want it to affect (via the Setup -> Part Mixer menus).