Rocktron All Access Foot Controller

I have the All Access Limited Edition with Hex Pedal.
Very easy to use,the manual has a nice layout to it.
many options, iuse it in 10presets/5 instant access.This is the main reason i bought it.

quiet and nice switches,nice led screen

the black looks cool,it was worth the wait to get one.I had a voodoo lab gc pro before it and i like this much better,better built.

The manual is straight and to the point. Read up on midi if you dont know what you are getting into. This pedal will do everything and more. You can change the button mapping to different rows store an insane amount of presets. One can only imagine having that many :-)

HAHAHA BUILT Like a tank. It has a life time warranty! What else do you want!!

Incredible got someone right away. I purchased the midi mate and another pedal from rocktron they answered all of my questions right away! The support actually cares and has a clue as to what is going on!

Setup:
Racked: Line 6 - Pod Pro, Echo Pro, Mod Pro, Digitech Whammy 4 (Midi), Midi controller(Amplifies and cleans up the signal) Peavy 50/50 and 120/120.
Floor Board: Boss Delay 2, Rocktron All Access, Boss Tuner, Dunlop Volume pedal (Expression Pedal for midi effects) All running through the Cable Snake (Another awesome investment) if you have allot of rack gear.
I have tried almost every Midi pedal known on the market and spent hours and many days reading and re-reading the manuals to find out that they did not offer enough options. The Rocktron All Access is by far the best on the market! It is built like a tank, the size is perfect, and is reliable as hell! Way worth the price. I wish I would have bought this earlier. The only other midi pedal controller that holds a finger to it is the Berhinger FCB1010. I had the pedal for about 2 years and ended up breakin one of the pedals from wear. After I added more rack gear and a new midi Whammy 4 to my setup I ran out of options on the FCB1010. Spend the money it is way worth it. Trust me I have given this one the complete road test :-) and it passed with flying colors.

Good, Very easy if you are very savvy.

N/A--The sound will be effected by which router you choose.

2 thumbs up

Cool

I am a professional multi-instrumentalist and singer, composer; producer, performer. "Or as they say the next PRINCE--<<Well my name is "POA` "pronounce:Peh/Yawh/Weh>>" My favorite/primary instrument is the lead/rhythm guitar. I have a monstrous rig...

Dear Dave & fellow Musicians & Artist,

"I have to totally agree with you on your posting regarding the (GC Pro verse All Access). When I attempted to work with DMC they just simply replied that they could not be of any service to me because of the extent of my rig their GC Pro just would not be enough." In addition I have always noticed that GC-Pro's for sale on ebay would mostly have the same issues, "broken switches".

How ever even though the ALL Access is indeed a very mighty sword to use and will do the job for my needs, I will have to disagree on it being the best. I use a "SKRYDSTRUP R&D SC1 System Controller" and this is the very best there is, "State of the art". in addition for my rack routers I use a "SOUND SCULPTURE SwitchBlade GL & a (4) SKRYDSTRUP R&D MS8 Midi Switchers for my rack and pedal board a really serious state of the art rig"...

I recommend that you check these joints out..

Fill free to post this message in agreement with your message if you like, however you must be fare and send me a link to it.

Peace & B Wild,
POA`
Star On Eye Entertainment/Records llc.
www.PoaMusicClub.com ---- coming soon

I am a midi idiot...but i got this doing exctly what I wanted it to do within the first few hours of fooling with it. The maunal is a little rough to get through, but a little interpretation goes a long way. The footswitches and layout are nice, although those of us with big feet will inevitably hit the wrong footswitch on occasion.

No sound, just nice, clean midi switching

Looks like it's built tough. Only had it for a little while and (knock on wood) no problems yet. Nice aluminum casing, great, positivie feeling footswitches.

n/a

Right now i am using this unit with a TC electronic g-major (and a few other goodies). the Rocktron is unbelievably flexible, and is able to interface with all of my equipment in the exact way that I wanted it to. I play all types of music in 2 different bands (one cover band, one original band), and the ropcktron gives me infinite tweaking and switching power over any parameter i want it to. Definitely a recommended unit, and perfect for onstage use (or studio use).

I have to rate low here because i am not good at midi programing.. and the manual might as well be in chinese.. in the manual it makes references to things i dont know what they are in order to program something i am trying to figure out, but still havent... so then i get really lost.. i was hoping to find some kind of kurzweil type of instruction that sythn tek offers, so far no luck, i am looking though..

had it for about 7 months, and no problems, but maybe thats because i am still trying to figure out how to use it.. it's been powered up the whole time too..

Once i figure this thing out i plan to use it for kurzweil 2500 rack synth arrangements, digital mixer adjustments, and note on events for sub sonic bass tones to accompany the bass i play at key points in the arrangement, and effects adjustments too.. i have studied this things abilities, and it is capable..

Manual is pretty basic and brief. I was able to do some quick editing to map (2) Continuous control pedals, and presets within about 20 minutes. There is a ton of more complex setup that I would be afraid to get into.

Unit is transparent, does not effect the sound. Switches seem solic

Reliability has been crap. I had one for only a week, and like several other reviews I've read, the LCD went out. Rocktron paid to have it picked up from my door and sent me a new one within a few days. Now, with only 2 months of use, one of the cotinuous controller inputs is no longer working-- so I had to go through a gig with no wah affect. This sucked as we have a couple of songs that rely on it. So based on my experience with (2) separate units, Rocktron has some issues. I'm really suprised that a unit that has existed since 94 does not have the bugs worked out yet???

Jim Chouning is excellent, everyone else has been lame

The unit appears undestructible, switches work excellently, it's laid out really nice, large LCD display, can recall up to 15 presets without changing bank. However, it is unreliable. And at $600.00 --that is just unacceptable. I can't afford to haul 2 of them around in case one breaks. I had better luck with a PV board that also accepted (2) continuous controllers. However, after several years of use I had to start replacing switches. I thought I was upgrading when I went with the All Access-- Apparently not.

easy once you get the hang of it

well this is were it sucked i bought it new used it for one month and the LCD screen went it can still change channels and it runs normally but you cant edit or see the screen propelly there was mutiple lines and glitches in the LCD took it back and they gave me a new one thank god

well they gave me a new one but they took a week and a half to respond to e-mails

still the best midi controller ive used very over priced but worth ever penny

8- I found it fairly easy to program. Especially if you're just using the 10 preset bank mode and then I use the top 5 switches as on off toggles. I had it midi mapped in less then 30 min.

The all access does not generate tones, merely switches presets. At use it with a Rocktron Prophesy

Here's the thing. I purchased a brand new one and the second gig I used it on, only 9 days after purchasing it, the LCDs that display the program names and functions went out. Pedal still switched programs-so I survived the gig, but there is no way to reprogram because there is no way to know where you are in the setup.

I have had pretty decent luck getting my prophecy repaired due to a drop. I also had an intellifex repaired, and a Pirahna updated.

I'm fairly disappointed. After having numerous cheaper pedals fail on me, usually only after a year or two. I finally decided just to get the real deal. And 10 days later the unit has a major problem!

If you know your way around midi gear, then it's a breeze. If you're a stomp box kinda person, then you're going to need a bit of patience and logic to get the most out of this thing. There is of course a manual ! But, then again, I honestly don't think that a stomp box person would actually need such a highly complex piece of machinery. Especially if you're just going to change amp channels!!
That would be like fitting my car with the latest GPS navigation system, just to drive to my neighbour's house on the opposite side of the street---DUH !

Ummm....there is no sound in this thing.

Is it reliable ? This has got to be rhetorical, right.
It's built like a tank. It's compact and robust, and I think our crew could drive over it with their truck before, during and after the show and it would still work !!
I don't think a backup is necessary, but you know "Murphy's Law": if anything can go wrong, it will. So, yes, I've got a backup. I couldn't cancel a gig just because my board decided to strike. Even with reliable gear, the rule is: if you can afford it, get a backup ! I have to add that I play guitar for a living.

I've met the dudes at the Frankfurt Music Show in Germany on many occassion when I played there. I must say that they're a cool bunch.
I must add that I've never had a question or a complaint about their product, so I can't answer this objectively. But, ooh, they know how to party ! ( Hi Jeff and Joe ! Rock and roll boys !)

I'm a South African guitarist and singer residing in Germany. I've worked with fellow South African, Kevin "Caveman" Shirley who has produced and engineered Aerosmith, Iron maiden, Dream Theatre, Black Crowes, Jimmy Page, etc... I've played countless sessions, including a no.1 chart hit in South Africa with Jonathan Butler, who recently worked with Marcus Miller. I've supported American acts on tour in Germany, done music videos and T.V.appearances and will soon be releasing my debut album, "Stone". It's a guitar, bass and drum kick ass trio. (kinda "Police" meets "U2")

As I play professionally and need versatile, reliable and badass gear. This is it. If you're looking for a controller that doesn't just change your patches, but navigates you and your effects while you're still in the same patch, then this is one awesome piece of equipment!

I use it to control three Marshall Anniversary Amps (with midi), a Roland GP-1oo, an Intellifex and a Lexicon MPX-1. Two of the Marshall preamps are put in the loops of the GP-100 and hooked up to the stereo "A" outputs which are fed into the Intellifex and in turn go back to the amp inputs of two Marshalls for a stereo feed. They're mainly used for rhythm and chord work. (Got it.....? Good !)

A mono signal from the "B" outputs of the GP-100, gets sent into the input of the third Marshall and the Lexicon is subsequently put in the effects loop of that Marshall and is used for solos. It gives an amazing spill-over when changing between amps.(are you still there....?)

Mmmm...there's still the Nady wireless system, two Morley EV-5 pedals used as real time controllers with the All Access, a Cry Baby, and a George Dennis Vol/Tremolo pedal. (Hello.......?)

I use Blade Strats (Abilene and Vintage Texas models)and Gibson Les Pauls. What more do you need ?
(No, don't answer that, it was supposed to be rhetorical!)

So let's cut the crap here. If you just want to change patches, then buy the cheaper midi boards out there. They'll do what they're supposed to do. But if you want total control, like a power-hungry crazy guitar geek, then get this thing !

With out a doubt, one of the more complicated controllers out there. With complex comes flexability. If you want to use this pedal like a Bradshaw or Ground Control, meaning taking a more global approach to your instant access switches, it is a breeze. If, like me, you need to have your switches set up per preset, it will take some programming.

No sound

This puppy is rock solid. I have used other models, like the Ground Control, and this thing never misses a thing. The GC would sometimes not send a message when you chane presets. The Rocktron, with those heavy duty carling switches, never makes a mistake. Very, very reliable.

If you can get Jim on the line, your in good hands. He has always been available to me.

This thing is the queen mother of midi foot contollers. It may have been Bradshaw inspired, but his RS 10 cannot match the features of this thing. Most manufacturers approach their foot controllers from a global philosophy. The problem this creates is if you assign a foot switch globally to talk to a certain effect and you are not using that effect in a given preset the switch is wasted. I assign a foot switch as a Distortion foot switch and on any given preset it could be changing amp channels on my Rivera, turning on the distortion of my Digitech 2112, turning on my Ibanez TS 9, it's really up to me. If this were a Bradshaw controller you wouldn't have any flexability. The common perception is that guitar players are retards and like things simple. Maybe this is true but it seems these guys are catering more towards Dimebag and not Edge. Give us some credit guys. Some of us can think out side of the box and would welcome that flexability. The bottom line is that the All Access is the only one that can "do it all." Unfortunalty they are being made in Asia now so you never know what kind of switches they will start using ect... I actually sold one and all my patchmates 5 years ago because I needed cash on my way to becoming a Veterinarian. I bought a DMC ground control and 2 GCX's. The GCX's are fantastic but the ground control sucks. I eventually sold it all off and bought back a AA and 2 patchmates. I'll never do it again. If you only have a small system then the DMC, or Bradshaw stuff might work for you. Bradshaws RS 10 can only change programs on 5 units per preset and all of his instant access switches are global. The AA can talk to 16 different midi devices and all of the foot switches are not only per preset defined but can be configured as latching, momentary or a hold function. This thing simply blows away anything out there. Mario from axess is smart fella. He is making a new controller but he also is fixed in a global head set. If your system needs to grow, look no further. If someone tried to steal it, I'd kill him twice!! The last thing I can say about this thing is this. My system consists of 5 digital processors and over 10 analog devices and a Rivera amp that has 6 foot switchable functions. My devices need latching switches, momentary as well. Every time I try to integrate a new piece of gear into my rig and a problemn presents it self, the AA saves the day. It has solved so many integration issues that I consider it a member of the family.

Easy - I was put off by some of the reviews but dived in and it's very straight forward allowing up to 16 MIDI channels to be changed simultaneously along with 2 continuous controllers

Clean quiet switching

Fine so far - been rock solid - very well constructed and very professional

Had no need to contact them

I use this with 5 line 6 boxes, a MIDI audio routing unit, a TC Gforce and a Yamaha preamp. It's very flexible and is as comprehensive as anyone could realistically hope for a foot controller. I switch a lot of stuff simultaneously with it and make extensive use of the continual controllers for all my devices.

Alternately, if you're looking for a desktop MIDI controller rather than foot pedal - look at something like a Kenton Control Freak - that's more slider type control and is also very good (however it does only switch one channel at a time).

Read the manual and you'll be fine.

no sound

I've only had it a week

They were very helpful in answering my questions.

I use it to control a sansamp psa1 preamp, a tc electronics g-major, and a dmc gcx switcher. This thing is ungodly! It controls the tap tempo function on my processor as well as turning the effects blocks off and on. And, there's still switches left to change the preamp channel and turn the fx loops off and on. Basically it turned a rack system into a relatively compact pedalboard. I love it!

I've also owned the behringer 1010 midi footcontroller, which left me unimpressed. not enough control changes to run the gcx. And I still own the axess electronics mfc5. A kick ass pedal but, it didn't have the flexability that I needed to have full control over the rack.

It's kinda expensive but, I feel that it's worth the money.

formidable, yes, but once you get the hang of it, it's a real snap. not bad considering all the options. the manual sucks at first, but gets easier to read with time. definitely not plug-and-go, but it's pretty comprehensive which translates into not-easy-to-program. once you do get it programmed, it's stupid-easy to use.

uh...i can't get it to make any sounds. this amp sucks. all it does is send midi messages and i just wanna rock.

no sounds, dude.

well, two months into my ownership of the all access, i believe the crystal has gone out...as in, it doesn't work right now. i'm having it repaired in a few weeks (tech's out of town), so hopefully we'll be up and running soon enough. until then i'm dead in the water, so to speak. jim chowning from rocktron has been most helpful...

when it works, it works great. when it breaks, it really breaks.

kudos to jim chowning and rocktron for superb customer support (in the tech division, at least).

as i mentioned, once you get the hang of it, this is one great board. i can't imagine using something of "lesser" quality and flexibility. not for the faint-of-heart, but well worth the time you invest into getting it up and running.

I can just agree with the 2 rewiev's b4 me. I got one of theese sturdy ones and there is nothing this controller can't do.
Once You've got the hang of editing the controlls, it get's pretty obvious what to edit or not. It only gets as hard to program as You want to make it. Using it for a rig of a few Rocktrons, it's a piece of cake, but when it comes 2 different brands of equipment, theres a good use of manuals :)

Very quiet.

It gives what it get's :)

Have not been in need 4 it yet.

This one's 4 PRO's, with regular stagebuisness.
For easier use, look at the Patchmate.....

This thing is a bitch to program. Like most other high end gear, you sacrifice simplicity for functionality. Having the manual close by is absolutely mandatory when programming. A PC-based editor for managing patches would be really nice . . .

It's a MIDI controller.

This thing is built like a main battle tank. Very solid and heavy, top notch components throughout. I've never seen MIDI jacks which are this solid. Even the wall wart is heavy duty, putting out 1.5 amps! The only thing which might happen is that the plastic film covering the screen, switch labels and Rocktron logo is pretty easy to dent / tear, rip off. No big deal (I actually think they built it that way so you can slide your own labels in) but could be a bit nicer (Lexan?).

Haven't needed to talk to them.

This thing shreds anything else on the market, but it's pricey. Not sure how much Bradshaw's new stuff is going for these days, but it's probably more. I use this controller in conjunction with a SoundSculpture SwitchBlade GL to transparently repatch my entire (very large and complex) rig with only one toe press. I could've bought anything and after months of trial and error this is the switching / control combination I ended up with, and it's the cleanest and most flexible thing going. The All Access can send SYSEX bursts with each preset -- not too many controllers can do that. It's also got two continuous controller inputs and can be phantom powered. Unless you're communicating with a rack full of complex MIDI devices I'd probably advice you to use a cheaper controller. But if you're a gear geek and looking for the Holy Grail of MIDI foot controllers, look no further. I'm giving it a 9 'cuz it's really a pain in the ass to program without a PC based editor.

The All-Access is a Heavy duty midi foot controller with 3 rows of 6 switches. Once it is programed to your specifications it is a breeze to operate and maintain, but the programing is the difficult part even with the 74 page manual I had to call Rocktron several times to get it right but they where very very helpful though. I hope that it never crashes on me I have forgotten all the Rocktron dudes words of wisdom by know I would be lost!!

N/A it is a midi controller

This is one solid piece of gear built like a tank, the switches look like they have been inspired by the headlight dimmer switch from a 70's Econoline Truck. I have taken to numerous gigs without any problems whatsoever it has been dropped, spilt beer on,abused in transport the whole 9 yards, solid as a baseball bat to the forehead. I have had other things in my rig screw up but never my All-Access and I have had it almost 2 years.

Rocktron is one first class organisation my questions during programming after I had bought the unit was amazing, the tech was patient thoughtful and when we had a logjam he went and figured it out and then called me back 30 minutes later problem solved, I wish I could remember his name to pass on he was good. When I had a problem with a different piece of Rocktron gear Dave Dion was always just an e-mail away and he was in Europe (doing Rocktron seminars)to boot

This is a serious piece of gear for complex guitar rigs utilising programable switchers and midi FX units. I run a Rocktron Patchmate with my All-Access which in turn controls every aspect of my gear from midi channel changes, amp channel switching, and switching on/off my analog pedals in the loops of the Patchmate. I owned a ADA-MPC and the ADA couldn't do half the tasks that the All-Access can do. The All-Access makes a complex rack system into a piece of cake, I wish that everything else in the world worked as well as this. I am giving this rating a 8 only because it is expensive easily the priciest midi controller around but you get what you pay for THE BEST!!!!