UnO Firmware for FCB1010
The "brain" inside the FCB is a small firmware chip. This firmware chip controls basic options and operations. Initially the only option here was the current/latest chip from Behringer (which is version 2.5.1E, or higher). Now there is another chip option which adds many new features beyond what the Behringer chip offers. This chip, referred to as UnO firmware, was designed and created by an FCB user. It is sold in both the US and Europe. Cost in the US is about $10.
A PC Editor is available that supports both the Behringer and UnO firmware options.
Pictures of the two different firmware chip options are shown below. Click on the picture for a larger image.
The UnO firmware includes a number of new feature areas:
Other information included below covers:
See here for the current users guide and other information that goes into more details about the specifics of these additions. Included below is a summary of the key changes areas.
The UnO firmware supports all the standard Behringer options, but also adds some important new features like stomp box mode. Stomp box mode allows the user to have buttons 1-5 select presets and buttons 6-10 control specific aspects of connected gear.
A simple example might be using an FCB pedal to control a Line 6 POD. Line 6 POD gear includes a number of programmed presets that include preset values for reverb, distortion, delay, and many other effects. However POD gear also allows those same effects to be controlled via MIDI while a single preset is in use.
The stomp box mode of UnO firmware allows a POD user to be able to control each of these separately, and to have visual indication of what has and has not been selected. For those users who might also be familiar with how the Line 6 POD XT Live operates, the UnO firmware stomp box mode is effectively identical.
Buttons 1-5 select a POD preset. Buttons 6-10 control specific things like distortion, reverb, compression, delay. The user can determine which buttons control which POD characteristics. When a preset is selected, the LEDs of buttons 6-10 turn on/off based on which of the effects are enabled for the selected preset. The user than press each of these buttons to turn on/off the effect while remaining within the current POD preset. The FCB LEDs tell you which preset is selected, and which of the effects are enabled. An example picture is shown below, where preset 3 is selected and stomp box controls 1,2 and 3 are enabled. Click on the picture for a larger image.
Stomp box mode really extends the ability to control MIDI gear. In summary, a preset in stomp box mode can do the following:
* Note: Since the stomp box settings are sent last, they will override any settings that are sent with the preset values.
Suppose the preset does not have expression pedal B enabled, but stomp box control 3 (which is enabled for this preset) has expression B enabled. Since it is sent after the preset values, expression B will be enabled with this preset is selected.
See the How MIDI commands are sent section for more details about how stomp box mode extends the number of CC and PC commands that can be send for a preset.
Many FCB owners use PC based software editors to program their FCB pedals. This can be much faster and easier and offers simple options for backup and restore of saved settings. When PC software is used, a SysEx file is produced. When this file is downloaded into the FCB memory, the FCB is then completely reprogrammed based on the PC software settings.
With Behringer firmware, a user had to have the pedal in Global configuration mode before Sysex data could be downloaded to the FCB. While this worked, it required completely turning the FCB on and off to get into this mode.
The UnO firmware supports the ability to download Sysex data into the FCB at any time. This is generally much faster and easier and requires no power up/down changes to the FCB or even having to press a single FCB pedal.
To use this option, the user must set the UnO based FCB to receive SysEx data. This is done once in global configuration mode. From that point on, it is not required again. See the UnO users guide for specifics on how to perform this action.
When a preset is selected on the FCB a number of MIDI commands are sent to connected MIDI gear. The number of commands and order they are sent varies by preset as well as to whether stomp box mode is enabled.
Non-Stomp Box Mode
In non-stomp box mode, each preset can send up to five Program Change (PC) commands, up to two Control Change (CC) commands and a note command. , In addition, up to two switch settings can be controlled as well as which of the two expression pedals are enabled.
When a preset is selected, the following is the order in which MIDI commands are sent:
* Note: CC commands sent vary based on whether toggling is set for a preset. If toggling is set (meaning that both CC1 and CC1 sent the same controller value), then only CC1 is initially sent when the preset is selected.
The reason that PC5 is sent last is somewhat targeted towards keyboard players. Many keyboards supports hundred of preset sounds arranged into banks. One can change bands via MIDI CC commands. By sending CC1 and CC1 before PC5, this allows the keyboard player to have a preset first select the desired sound bank, and then the preset within that bank.
Stomp Box Mode
In stomp box mode, each preset can send up to four Program Change (PC) commands, up to two Control Change (CC) commands a note command, as well as an assortment of PC and CC commands associated with each of the five possible stomp box controls. In addition, up to two switch settings can be controlled as well as which of the two expression pedals are enabled.
When a preset is selected, the following is the order in which MIDI commands are sent:
* Note: CC commands sent vary based on whether toggling is set for a preset. If toggling is set (meaning that both CC1 and CC1 sent the same controller value), then only CC1 is initially sent when the preset is selected.
Firmware Version
The current version of the PC Editor includes the feature to automatically query and display the FCB firmware version. This requires the user have a PC and the ability to connect the FCB via MIDI interface.
If you do not have a PC MIDI connection option, the only sure way to find out what version of firmware you have is to take the bottom plate off the FCB unit. This involved removing about 16 small screws connecting the bottom plate to the unit. When opened, the firmware chip is in the middle of the unit and has the firmware version printed on top. An example of an opened unit is shown below. Firmware chip is located near top center of picture.
The only way to upgrade the firmware is to install a new chip. There is NO normal software based download approach that can be used here.
If you have access to an EPROM burner, you can download a chip image (in the form of a ZIP file) from the Behringer or UnO web sites and use that to create your own updated firmware chip. Keep in mind that burning your own firmware chip is not an easy procedure and requires special electronics gear that very very few users will either own or have access to.
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