Unlocking the Full Potential of the Valeton GP-5 with the Morningstar MC6 PRO

Why the GP‑5 Needs a MIDI Foot Controller

The GP-5 has a lot going for it, but adequate visual feedback and footswitches are not among those things. With all the power it has — coupled with its MIDI capability — the GP-5 stands to benefit hugely from a MIDI foot controller. Here's why:

• Instant Preset Recall: Jump to any preset immediately and engage the right tone.

  
  

• Preset Scrolling: Freely scroll up and down through GP-5 presets.

  
  

• Individual Effect Block Control: Toggle the GP-5's effect blocks — NR, preamp, distortion, modulation, delay, reverb, and EQ — or stack them with a single press.

  
  

• Real-time Visual Feedback: Quickly see which presets and effects are active at a glance. You can engage with them directly via their respective footswitches.

  
  

• Dedicated Tuner Access: Having a switch that allows you to engage the GP-5 Tuner anytime is a great and underrated quality-of-life convenience.

  
  

Direct tuner access is always so convenient

Plug-and-Play Compatibility: USB Host to USB

The GP-5 receives MIDI via its USB-C port, which can make it tricky for some MIDI controllers to communicate with it. However, it's a piece of cake for the MC6 PRO (and any Morningstar PRO controller).

To establish MIDI communication between the GP-5 and MC6 PRO, you only need to:

Connect a USB-C cable from the MC6 PRO's USB Host port to the GP-5 USB port.

That’s it — you now have direct USB‑MIDI communication between the MC6 PRO and GP-5.

MIDI Channel: The GP‑5 receives MIDI on MIDI Channel 1 by default (and it’s currently not changeable). On the MC6 PRO, set all your GP-5 MIDI messages to be sent via MIDI Channel 1.

Instantly recall any GP-5 preset of your choice

Recall GP‑5 Presets

The GP‑5 responds to Control Change (CC) messages for preset recall, which is a little unusual. Most devices respond to Program Change (PC) messages for preset recall, but using CC messages instead has no downside.

On the GP-5, preset numbers correspond directly with CC#0 and the corresponding CC value. This is a refreshing touch. No need to deal with PC#0 recalling preset 1 and the ensuing offset. CC#0 with value 1 recalls preset 1 and so on. It's really simple.

All GP-5 MIDI Functions Are Found in the Morningstar Editor

The Morningstar MIDI Dictionary contains all the MIDI messages you need to control the Valeton GP-5. This includes patch/bank scrolling, individual effect block control, tuner access, and more.

With this, you never need to refer to the GP-5 MIDI chart. Simply select the function you want to control from a dropdown list.

Valeton GP-5 MIDI commands ready for use in the MIDI Dictionary

Scroll Through GP‑5 Patches & Banks

The GP‑5 has dedicated CC messages for scrolling up and down through patches and banks. Of course, these 'Patch +', 'Patch -', 'Bank +' and 'Bank -' functions are also found in the MIDI Dictionary, so you can set them up really easily.

Freely scroll through GP-5 banks and presets with MC6 PRO

Quick Tip: Assign Press and Long Press to scroll through presets, and Double Tap to scroll through banks.

Program Press and Long Press to scroll through patches with single presses and switch holds. Program Double Tap to bank up and down (jump by 10 patches).

Toggle GP‑5 Effects

Like most multi‑effects units, the GP-5 receives Control Change (CC) messages to bypass/engage individual effect blocks:

• CC number: Identifies the block (drive, mod, delay, reverb, amp, etc.).

• Value: Controls state: 0 = bypass, 127 = engage.

  
  

Toggle individual effect blocks with just a tap

Keep Effect Switch States Matching with GP‑5 Presets

When you recall a GP‑5 preset, you want the MC6 PRO’s effect toggle switch labels to accurately reflect the GP‑5 preset's individual effect on/off states. This way, you always see what’s live before adding or removing an effect.

To achieve this, you simply need to add a Set Toggle message to each of your MC6 PRO switches that recalls a specific GP-5 preset. This message will be used to set the toggle states of the individual effect toggle switches on the next page within the same bank.

This message engages the toggle state of switch D (the preset switch itself) and switches G and J (which control the PRE and Delay effect blocks).

Conclusion

Using the MC6 PRO with the Valeton GP-5 significantly enhances your performance capabilities. The combination allows for seamless control over presets and effects, making it an essential addition for any musician looking to maximize their setup.

TL;DR

• Connect: MC6 PRO USB Host → GP‑5 USB.

• Channel: GP‑5 listens on MIDI Ch. 1 only.

• Presets: Use Control Change messages to recall/scroll through patches.

• Effects: Use Control Change messages to toggle blocks.

• Sync Effect Switches: Use Set Toggle message from MC6 PRO.