PaintAudio MIDI Captain Foot Controller (BLUE)

Yes, the MIDI  Captain support CC# / PC#/MIDI Note messages. You can indeed set each button to send only a specific type of command or a combination of several commands. In Normal Mode, you can configure one different command for pressing and releasing the button (2 in total). In Geek Mode, you can configure up to six different commands for pressing and releasing the button (12 in total), allowing for more advanced customization.

MIDI CAPTAIN is compatible with almost all devices and equipment that have a MIDI IN jack. It is specifically designed to work with various guitar multi-effects devices such as the Axe-Fx II, Axe-Fx III, Axe-FM3, Kemper Profiler, Quad Cortex DSP, Ampero, and GExxx series. Rest assured, FM3 is supported by MIDI CAPTAIN.

Yes, it is possible to use several pairs of MIDI Captains and Mates together. To achieve this, each pair of MIDI Captain and Mate needs to be set with the same wireless ID, which should be different from the IDs used by other pairs. By default, the wireless ID value is set to 8.

To change the wireless ID of the MIDI Captain, navigate to the device's setting menu by pressing the encoder button and selecting "SETUP TABLE". Within this menu, you will find the option to modify the wireless ID. You can choose any value between 1-100, allowing for a maximum of 100 people to use the devices together.

For the MIDI Mate, you need to connect it to a PC/MAC computer using a USB cable. Once connected, locate the "setup.txt" file in the MIDI MATE disk. Open the file and change the wireless ID number to the value set in the MIDI Captain with which you want to pair the Mate. Ensure that the wireless IDs of both the Captain and the Mate are the same and different from others. The two devices will then automatically establish a wireless connection.

We have tested the device on computers running Windows 10, 11, and Mac OS systems, and no additional drivers are required. However, if you encounter any issues where the disk does not appear, please check the following: ensure that you correctly press and hold key 1, verify the USB connection, or try using a different computer. If the problem persists, please contact us at support@paintaudio.com for further assistance.

Important Notice: When entering USB mode for the first time, MAC, iOS, or Windows systems may automatically write hidden files related to the system trash bin, which can take approximately 1 minute in the background. Please do not shut down or unplug the USB cable during this time.

For Windows 7 and 8, drivers may be required. You can click here to download and install them.

To update the firmware, please visit www.paintaudio.com and go to the MIDI Captain product page. You will find the latest firmware available for download. Additionally, there is a video on the page that demonstrates the update process.

The steps to update the firmware are as follows:

1. Download the latest firmware package from the corresponding product page on www.paintaudio.com and extract it.

2. Connect MIDI Captain to your computer using a USB cable. While powering on, press and hold the 1 button to enter USB setup mode. You should see the MIDICAPTAIN drive on your computer.

3. Delete all the contents from the drive, except for the "license" directory. On Windows, use Shift+Delete to permanently delete, and on Mac, empty the trash after deletion. Note that if you don't delete the files completely, they will still occupy space on the drive, and you may receive an insufficient space prompt when copying the new firmware files. The deletion process may take up to 1 minute.

4. Copy and paste all the extracted files and folders into the emptied drive. On a Windows PC, this process may take approximately 5-7 minutes, while on a Mac, it may take 15-20 minutes. If prompted to overwrite during the paste process, click "Yes."

5. Once you have confirmed that all files have been copied, you can shut down the device. After a normal restart, the new firmware will be in effect.

Important Notice: When entering USB mode again for the first time after a new update, MAC, iOS, or Windows systems may automatically write hidden files related to the system trash bin, which can take approximately 1 minute in the background. Please do not shut down or unplug the USB cable during this time. In any case where the device experiences a sudden power loss or shutdown during internal flash memory writing, it may result in the loss of system files, rendering the device unable to start up properly. However, in such situations, you can restore the device by performing a firmware update process again.

No need to worry, your device will not become unusable. Please contact support@paintaudio.com or zuow03@gmail.com (Wilson myself). We can provide special technical assistance to help you remotely restore the authentication information for your device.

Yes, it is fine to do so and there is no need to worry about any damage.

Yes, both the MIDI Captain and Mate can be connected to iOS devices. For devices with a Lightning connector, you will need a cable called "Lightning to USB camera adapter" (also known as Apple OTG cable) to connect the standard USB jack to the Lightning connector. Remember to enable MIDI control in the apps. For devices with a Type C connector, such as the newly released iPad, it is much easier to find USB Type C OTG cables to connect. You can use a normal USB hub with a USB C connector to connect both the MIDI CAPTAIN controller and other USB audio interfaces to use software effects apps like JamUp, Bias, etc.

To disable the encoder wheel's control over PC stepping, we can follow these steps:
1. Enter the USB setup mode by pressing and holding the key 1 while powering on the device, which should be connected to the computer via the USB cable.
2. Navigate to the Setup folder and locate the GlobalsetupX.txt file, where X represents the current preset number.
3. In the GlobalsetupX.txt file, search for the line that reads WHEEL_MANUAL = [ON].
4. Change the [ON] value to [OFF].
5. Power off the device and then power it on again. 6. After performing these steps, you should notice that the encoder wheel no longer controls the PC program change.

This is normal. The encoder wheel is very sensitive, but the loading of pages takes some time. We designed it this way to serve two purposes: firstly, to prevent accidental triggering, and secondly, to slow down the selection speed during rotation.

Firstly, we would recommend our own two expression pedals, the EXP-AB Face and the Foot Captain.

The AB Face It is a unique dual-channel expression pedal with switchable polarity for toe and heel. This feature allows for new possibilities in blending and crossfading between two types of tone controls.

The Foot Captain is a cost-effective expression pedal that is fully compatible with standard output formats. In the conventional sense, it is a single-channel pedal, but it features two opposing output ports—one compatible with Tip output and the other compatible with Ring output. This makes it compatible with almost all multi-effect processors on the market that support expression pedal input.

Please note that our controller is only compatible with expression pedals that have Ring output. As for other expression pedals, most standard ring-out ones will work fine, such as the Zoom FP02M. However, please note that certain expression pedals, like the EV1 from Fractal, EXP from Boss series, EXP from Hotone series may use a different TRS cable connection method, the Tip output, which could lead to compatibility issues. We are planning to release a conversion cable soon to address this.

To enter Geek mode, you can either press and hold the 2 key or the 3 key while powering on the device. The difference is that entering Geek mode by holding the 3 key will result in a semi-bright and fully bright LED indicator light display. Both Geek modes share the same configuration files in the background.

On the other hand, if you press and hold the A key or the B key while powering on the device, you will enter Normal mode. The difference is that entering Normal mode by holding the B key will also result in a semi-bright and fully bright LED light display. Both Normal modes share all configurations and settings in the background.

Once the mode is selected, it will be saved and remembered. The next time you power on the device, you won't need any special startup operation to enter the same mode again.

Yes, it is possible. However, the process and functionality for changing the LED color differ between the Normal Mode and the Geek Mode.

In Normal Mode, to change the LED color, you need to enter the USB setup mode, navigate to the setup directory, and enter the current preset directory. Inside the preset directory, you will find configuration files named key0.txt to key9.txt. These files correspond to the buttons from the top row button 1 to the bottom row button "Down". There is a button mapping diagram available in the user manual for reference. 

Find the button configuration file that corresponds to the button you want to change the color for, such as button 2, which corresponds to key1.txt. Open this file with any text editing tool, and you will find the following two settings:

Key_Color_Overwrite = [0] # 0: Disable 1: Enable
Key_Color_User = [0x00FF00]

To make the color change take effect, we need to set Key_Color_Overwrite = [1], and also set Key_Color_User to the desired color. The color is represented in hexadecimal RGB format. You can search online for the desired color and its corresponding format.
Here are a few examples:

Red: [0xFF0000]
Green: [0x00FF00]
Blue: [0x0000FF]
Yellow: [0xFFFF00]
Purple: [0x800080]
Orange: [0xFFA500]
Pink: [0xFFC0CB]
Cyan: [0x00FFFF]

Remember to use the hexadecimal RGB format for specifying the color in the Key_Color_User setting. While this method may seem somewhat complex, it allows for a wide range of precise color customization.

In contrast, setting colors in Geek Mode is somewhat more limited, but it can still meet most requirements and is relatively simple to configure. 

We don't need to enter USB mode for this. When we press the encoder button and enter the function settings page for the current switch, we can rotate the encoder wheel to move the cursor to the position where the LED color settings are located in the top row. Then, press the encoder button again to enter a numeric setting. This number can range from 0 to 21, corresponding to 22 different colors. Starting from 12, there are mixed colors available to meet more cool and dazzling requirements. When selecting this number, the color of the LED will change immediately. You just need to choose the color you like and press the current footswitch again to confirm and save the selection.

The blue and gold versions of MIDI CAPTAIN only differ in color. They are considered our Pro versions, although we don't have specific markings. The black STD version has a different surface material, which is not anodized but spray-coated, giving it a more simple appearance. The main and only functional difference compared to the blue and gold Pro versions is that the black STD version does not have a built-in wireless module and cannot be combined with MIDI MATE for wireless control. Otherwise, they are the same in all other aspects, and the price of the black STD version is slightly cheaper.

We do not provide users with a calibration function, but the expression pedal has internal compensation for dead zones. This ensures that as long as you connect a properly formatted expression pedal, you will obtain a control range of 0 to 100%. By "properly formatted," we mean connecting an expression pedal with Ring output, including our own AB-Face series, Foot Captain series, and Zoom series expression pedals. It is worth mentioning that not having calibration is actually a good thing. If you were to use an expression pedal with Tip output, it may appear to achieve some control range, but it would be very narrow and completely non-linear. Even with calibration, it would still be unusable. By avoiding the use of incorrectly connected expression pedals, users won't be left wondering why it's not functioning properly and miss out on the opportunity to use an expression pedal correctly.

Many times, the expression pedal you have may not be compatible with your host device. In such cases, either it's not possible to calibrate successfully, or even if you calibrate it, it still won't function properly. At this point, you should understand that you may need an expression pedal with a different connection method. You can take a look at our Foot Captain, a versatile expression pedal that is compatible with both Tip output and Ring output. It's a pedal that you won't need to replace even if you frequently change devices.

Yes, I'm glad you discovered this feature.

Any button can be set to send a specific CC command and also function as a Tap button. This functionality can be configured in the button settings. The Tap speed can be set by the interval between two taps, and the LED will blink accordingly. It's important to note that the tap speed is calculated locally on the pedal and may have slight differences compared to the speed set by the host device after receiving the CC command. The blinking speed is just a visual indication. The Tap feature is included in several preset modes. If you want to customize a specific button in a preset, you can enter the USB mode, navigate to the setup folder, and open the KeyX.txt configuration file of the corresponding presetX folder where you want to set the Tap functionality.

We can find the following lines in the configuration file:
Key_Press_Eable = [1] # 0:Disable 1:Enable
Key_Press_MODE = [1] # 0:PC 1:CC 2:NOTE 3:UP 4:DOWN
Key_Press_PC_MODE = [1] # 0:AUTO 1:FIXED
Key_Press_PC_FIXED = [7] # 0-127 FIXED VALUE
Key_Press_CC_NUMBER = [81] # 0-127
Key_Press_CC_VALUE = [127] # 0-127
Key_Press_CC_SCENE = [0] # 0: OFF 1:ON Control the LED work as scene control
Key_Press_CC_TAP = [0] # 0: OFF 1:ON Enable when the key is for TAP using
Key_Press_CC_TOGGLE = [1] # 0:OFF 1:ON Auto toggle between SubNum and 0
Key_Press_NOTE_NUMBER = [D5] # 0-127 Please refer to the note table at the end
Key_Press_NOTE_STRIKE = [127] # 0-127 Note loudness

When this button has already been defined to send a CC command, simply set Key_Press_CC_TAP = [1] , and this button will have the LED blinking function. The blinking speed indicates the tap tempo, supporting music beats ranging from 40 to 250. It is important to note that in a preset, only one button can be assigned as a tap button. Having multiple tap buttons will result in led action confusion. At the same time, it is important to understand that whether the tap effect is actually present depends on whether the host device has the capability to receive CC commands for tap functionality.

Yes, I'm glad you discovered this feature.

Many hosts, such as AXE FM3, HX Stomp, Ampero 1&2, QC Quad Cortex DSP, can use CC commands for scene control. In fact, we can treat scenes as sub-presets within a main preset. This means that switching scenes is similar to switching presets. We need the LED to enter a selecting mode where only one current selection is illuminated at any given time, resembling PC control. However, this contradicts our setting for CC control. Therefore, we have added a parameter called CC_SCENE to specify the behavior mode of the LED for the assigned key. If you want to customize a specific button in a preset, you can enter the USB mode, navigate to the setup folder, and open the KeyX.txt configuration file of the corresponding presetX folder where you want to set the SCENE control LED functionality.

We can find the following lines in the configuration file:
Key_Press_Eable = [1] # 0:Disable 1:Enable
Key_Press_MODE = [1] # 0:PC 1:CC 2:NOTE 3:UP 4:DOWN
Key_Press_PC_MODE = [1] # 0:AUTO 1:FIXED
Key_Press_PC_FIXED = [7] # 0-127 FIXED VALUE
Key_Press_CC_NUMBER = [81] # 0-127
Key_Press_CC_VALUE = [127] # 0-127
Key_Press_CC_SCENE = [0] # 0: OFF 1:ON Control the LED work as scene control
Key_Press_CC_TAP = [0] # 0: OFF 1:ON Enable when the key is for TAP using
Key_Press_CC_TOGGLE = [1] # 0:OFF 1:ON Auto toggle between SubNum and 0
Key_Press_NOTE_NUMBER = [D5] # 0-127 Please refer to the note table at the end
Key_Press_NOTE_STRIKE = [127] # 0-127 Note loudness

When this button has already been defined to send a CC command, simply set Key_Press_CC_SCENE _CC_TAP = [1] , allows the assigned key to enter a selection indication state. It is worth noting that when multiple keys are used for Scene control, this setting needs to be set to 1 for all of them.

Yes, currently in Geek Mode, the button indicator lights are limited to the selection mode. From this perspective, Geek Mode doesn't offer the same display diversity as the Normal Mode. We will work on improving this in future versions. However, it should be noted that increasing the display diversity in Geek Mode will also increase the complexity of its configuration. The main challenge is that the core advantage of Geek Mode is sending multiple commands, and each command may have its own LED indication requirements. It's difficult to simultaneously satisfy both display diversity and configuration simplicity. If you have any good suggestions, please let us know at support@paintaudio.com or directly to my email zuow03@gmail.com

Please let us know at support@paintaudio.com or directly to my email zuow03@gmail.com You can try the following steps firstly.
1.  Still you can enter USB disk mode by powering on the device while pressing key 1.
2.  Check the computer's disk and manually create an empty folder named "license" at the root of the disk.
3.  Download the file "midicaptain.mpy" in this link:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0656/8312/8548/files/midicaptain.mpy?v=1685587925
4.  Copy/paste the file into the "lib" folder, replacing the existing file.
5.  Power off the device and then power it on again (Holding key A at power on to make sure the recovery process running), allowing it to recover normally. You can now replace back the midicaptain.mpy file with the one inside the /lib folder in the newly downloaded FW package. No need to do a full update again.

For future updates, remember to backup the license folder before proceeding with the update.