Lexicon MPX R1

This is an update to my previous review as I've since found out how to service the switches that let this otherwise fantastic piece of kit down.

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I manged to get some switch cleaner onto one of the other failing switches, they are TACT switches. This sorted the problem once the cleaning spray has evaporated after 15 minutes. All works perfect now. I did research the aftermarket replacements, basically you need 12mmx12mmx4.3mm TACT switches with an operating force of 160(ish) g/f (you can get these from RS for 25p each but be prepared to pay a rip-off shipping fee), these are readily available but I did notice that two other TACT switches of the same dimensions are commonly available, one with a lower operating pressure (130) for 69p from Maplin electronics (UK), and one with a 260 operating pressure from RS. As a footswitch the higher pressure ones will probably be more robust. All these 3 TACT switches have a manufacturers expected operating life of over 100,000 operations, way more than the Lexicon originals, I guess that they were let down badly by their supplier.

Lexicon were very quick to give me their official part number for replacement switches, however this is unfortunatly not the cheapest option or quickest (as you would expect) and there was no info on the brand and manufactuers expected switch life.

Once again, the R1 make the MPX-1 so easy to use, its like the ideal combo for the guitarist, so easy to switch between your custom patches, turning reverb, chorus, pitch, delay etc on and off with the dedicated switches on the R1. Now I know how to service & repair the thing I'll have to give it a 10. I checked out the #1000 TC Electronic G system, not really any better than the MPX1 & R1 (thats if like me you use your tube pre-amp and dont want some digital copy).

Dead easy to use woth the MPX1, just make sure your MPX1 has version 1.1 firmware, there is an extra menu item with V1,1 to initialise the R1.

Sound quality? its a footswitch!

Hmm bad switches, one was cleaned up with switch cleaner, the other is harder to get at with the spray, i gues it needs totally stripping and the switch replacing, if you were the previous review please ocntact me with info on the switches.

Lexicon were slow to tell me where to find the V1,1 rom. But at least I got one!

Would be a 10 if it wasnt for the crap switches as it makes the rack device so easy to use!

I use the MPX R1 Floorboard together with the MPX G2 Effectsunit. Its a perfect match. Very easy to use, great!

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The R1 has one MAJOR PROBLEM, the switches. After some time of usage the switches go crap and wont work properly anymore. The switches are very expensive (5 to 8 Euro) and you have to replace them with an soldering iron. I was able to get original spare part switches for 3 Euro (US$4) per piece (you need 16) if you need switches let me know on my email account, i can provide them and will ship worldwide. To bad Lexicon discontinued this item.

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Nice Unit.

It was very easy to use when I took it out of the box!

This footswitch is crap. I've been using it for a couple of years now and about everything on it is broken. Almost all the buttons don't work anymore (only if you push hard). The pedal falls down while you're playing. I'm looking for an other one. I'm checking out the Behringer FCB1010 now. Looks fine...

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Don't buy this if you're going on the road. It's a great footswitch really but DON'T TOUCH IT!! :-))

Simple to use if you are using it in combo with the Lexicon MPX G2 or MPX1 - other than that, I am not sure. It can get a bit tricky if you want to use relay to change the channels on your amp, but I managed to get it working with the awesome customer support. Now I can just step on a button and call up any of my own presets and have it change my amp channel as well - all in one click of the button.

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The first one I owned - there was some trouble with the pedal, but Lexicon and the Music Store I purchased it from took care of that fast - I had a new MPX R1 the next day - no questions...

A perfect 10...

Perfect for me, if I could change one thing it would be the ability to have more control over the relay switch(s) :: Want to see my full rig, see some Video Clips & MP3s? Check out my website @ www.jim-horne.com

If used with a lexicon product like G2 or MPX 100 it is just plug and play. But try to use it with something else and you better have the manual out. I found it very difficult to program the latches for chanel swiching.

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It work fine for about a month then the swithing started having problems, skipping banks, difficulty toggeling effects on and off. When I call Lexicon Suport about this they admitted to haveing bad switches and that they would put new and better ones in if I shipped it back to them. VERY VERY poor customer service on that call. Why didn't they recall the unit and fix it before it was sold?? I have gigs and shows lined up and because of this I have to do with out a main piece of geer. And get this when I took it back from where I bought it they also admitted to knowing about the problem but didn't bother to tell me about it are say "see you in a month or so ..."
So BEWARE it is a good chance that you will have to return this unit very soon after you buy it.

See Reliability notes, Didn't seem to bother them that I would have to do with out equipment for two weeks or more.

I have been playing 10 years, and went through many types of midi pedals to help manage my effects systems. This would have been by far best if it was reliable enough. for the price paid you would think it would have had the best quality parts to begin with.

A controller of this magnitude did require use of the manual to get the most out of it. However, I'm new to MIDI and this is not mind boggling by any means. It was basically plug and go. I did have two complaints that caused me to return it. The major one was the 5 second update could not be turned OFF. Every 5 seconds are so, the R1 transmits the current patch through the midi cable. Although it's only supposed to effect other Lexicon products (G2, etc), my Sansamp also received it. Thus, I couldn't tweek any of the Sansamp settings unless I unplugged the midi cable (i.e. the Sansamp would reset to the original patch upon the update). Major flaw. Maybe there's a way to turn off this update, but I couldn't find it. Secondly, I'll ditto someone else on the bank switches blowing by your desired bank. I had the unit 30 days and on a lot of occasions, I would hit the switch to go up one bank and it went up two banks (on one occasion, went up three). The 0-9 switches worked like a champ and I have no idea why the bank up/down switches would cause this problem. I would have thought it a fluke, but someone else here had the same issue. Those two reasons called for it's return.

On the plus side, having 10 channels per bank is really good. It prevents you from changing banks all the time for different settings for various songs. The built in expression petal worked fine and the tension can be adjusted to taste. Being able to switch to function mode was also good.

One the minor side

This was used to control a Sansamp and TC Electronics G-Major. I wanted something to change patches, effects on/off, and have volume+expression petal capability. With the use of an external expression petal, this did all that.

It is build pretty solid. I didn't have it long enough to check long term.

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I've been playing for 22 years in various classic rock bands. Irregardless of the refresh issue to the Sansamp, I would have returned it for the bank switching issue. At this price, I don't need those kind of problems. I'm trying out different ones now, but haven't found a replacement. The Yamaha MPC-10 looks good - it doesn't have near the capabilities as this, but appears good for my price/performance.

I give it an 8 because it's a 10 out of the box when plugging it in and using it, but when your trying to program the thing, I give it a 6, therefore an 8 overall in ease of use....if you never programmed a pedal before this one is difficult to get used to but once you get the hang of it you can do anything with this pedal. I have a triple rectifier amp head and a lexicon G2 processor. Using the midi obviously I make program changes on the G2, using the relay jack on the pedal I change channels on my amp the same time I'm making a program change on the G2 therefore I can eliminate a whole pedal (the pedal that came with my amp).

the pedal sounds great when you take it out of the box

the pedal is a tank...big peice a metal with a whole lot of buttons that can do a whole lot of things. It has never crapped out on me. It may be the most reliable piece in my rig. My amp has tubes, could blow up and the processor is a processor, i don't trust any of them. The pedal has nice stop-box type buttons and seem as thought they can take a lot of abuse before they start to break if ever.

Customer support for this thing was great, ask for Jim Kalil. He answered every question i had. When using the relay you have to do some programming with the pedal. This was my firstlesson in pedal programming so i had no clue. Today i can program a button to do whatever i want it to in about 30 seconds. Whenever i come into a problem with somehting, Jim helps me out.

Theres almost mothing this pedal can't do. Most elaborate pedals on the market require you to buy a patch bay of some sort in order to make multiple changes on many different processors at the same time along with amp channel changes etc. This pedal can go a long way until you need a patch bay. It is very reliable, i never had a problem with it and have been using it for over 6 months. Email me if you have any questions on this item, Great item, one of the best maybe the best foot controller on the market. The price is not the bad either considering other pedals in the same range, it's deffinately the best one.

You use this midi-board in two modes ( switchable )
Program Mode - Fx Mode

Pretty easy to get aware of how to program this midi-floorboard...
you do the programming by pushing a small button on the back
( to enter the edit mode )then you start programming it !

you use the bank up/down buttons to switch parameters and the yes/no buttons to change the setting of that parameter...

you have two modes in which you are editing it in...
Program mode and Fx-mode... the Program settings are for such things like setting midi-channel and similar parameters...
Fx-mode are for setting all the CC-numbers for your buttons...
( for all your real-time-FX-changes )
be AWARE of that it is one button which you CAN'T change the
CC-number of: the TAP-button ( for your tempo delays and such things )
this button is "hardwired" to CC-number 120...
CHECK THAT ALL YOUR FX:S SUPPORT THIS NUMBER !!!

One thing that's hard with the programming of this floorboard is to remember what all the "shortened" names actually say... since you've only got a 3-digit display...
for example:

byp = bypass ( not too hard to guess )
pc = internal pedal calibration ( ?!! )
ppb = programs per bank ( not too hard either )

and you have about 34 "parameters" to edit... but the Lexicon company are kind... they have sent a list on all "parameters" which you can put on the underside of your floorboard for a "quick acess manual"

this floorboard does NOT output any own sound...

Now here's something I don't like with the MPX R1:

Sometimes when you going to change bank it may "fast-change" a bank and goes directly to the next one... for example:

I'm on program 1 and want to change to prg 35... this mean that I have to change bank 1 to bank no 3 ( where I choose no 5 )
but sometimes when I pushing the bank up/down button... it might "skip" no 3 and goes directly to no 4... and I have to push the bank button down to 3... an VERY annoying problem...

All this happens when I change bank rapidly... it works more stable when switchin slowly... but it isn't all the time you do so, right ?

this is a "dangerous" feature when playing on gigs...

I'm gonna check this out with lexicon...

Have just e-mailed them once yet...

and they answered after a couple of days...

I put an 5 here to be neutral in my opinion.

Unfortunately you can't fit this thing into a 19" rackcase...
so you have to find an other way to ship it...

what makes this floorboard good is that its programmable ( duh ! )
so you can control all your FX in realtime by CC-numbers...

for example:
sending DIST OFF to one box, FLANGER ON to another box, DELAY ON to the 3:rd box and TREMOLO OFF to the 4:th box... just by pushing ONE single button ( with the MPX R1 in FX-mode of course )