Control Freak FAQs
Q) How do I reset my Control Freak to its default settings.
A) Turn the unit off. Hold down the four buttons directly above the data wheel (shift, store, edit, edit) while you turn the power back on. When the display says "updating memory", you can then release the buttons. Note that this will reset all the profiles back to their factory default settings also.
Q) I have downloaded the profiles from your website, but how do I get them into my Control Freak.
A) The easiest way is to use the Virtual Control Freak editor for PC which is available for free download from our website. There are now also MAC versions for OS9 and OSX.
Q) When I try to load profiles into the Control Freak, I get the message "Unexpected EOX". What does this mean?
A) This usually means that the profiles have become corrupted, either during download or by the application you are using to load them. Try downloading the website profiles again, and make sure that there are no SysEx filters enabled in the loading application.
Q) When I run the Virtual Control Freak Editor software I get the message:
Run-time error '35603' Invalid key
A) Error 35603
This problem seems to originate when the Windows environment is not in English. It is not known to occur on Windows NT systems. If this happens in your computer, try to do the following:
- Click on the "Start" button in the task bar. Choose "Settings", and then choose "Control Panel".
- Double click "Regional Settings".
- A window should appear with a map in it, and above the map there should be a box with your current regional setting (e.g. French). Change it to "English" (there are several English options, choose any one of them). Changing the above option will not affect any capablities concerning your language. It will only change some settings which Windows uses (for example, the default currency). All the settings which will be affected are listed in the other windows of the "Regional Settings" (above the box with your regional setting, there are tabs which you can use to set certain settings). You may play with some of these settings afterwards (for example, the default measurement system can always be changed between "Metric" and "U.S").
Q: Can I use profiles for the Freak 8 on the Freak Studio Edition?
A: Yes. Profiles for the Freak (8-slider version) as found in the download section may be used with the Freak Studio Edition (16-slider version).
Note that if you want to load 8 channel freak profiles, you can do this but you have to set device number (in global edit) to "8 channel freak" and store that setting. Then 16 slider freak will accept 8 chan profiles and put the even numbered profiles 0,2,4 etc. in the left 8 sliders and the odd 1,3,5 etc. in the right 8 sliders. You can now remap the incoming profiles to directly put them where you want them to go.
You have to have the LCD showing the location for remap to be active.
Q. What can the Kenton Freak do that the Peavey PC1600X can't?
The Control Freak is easier to edit.
The Control Freak has a free PC editing program to simplify editing even more - download from http://www.dialspace.dial.pipex.com/dheard
The Control Freak can send multiple messages from the same slider or button - of different types, on different channels and even inverted if required, so up is down.
The Control Freak can utilise the data from two or more sliders in one message. For example a button can be set up so it sends a note on/off messages taking the note number from one slider and velocity from another.
The Control Freak has a built-in MIDI clock generator.
The Control Freak has 4 (x2 with the shift key) programmable function keys in addition to the 8 or 16 buttons.
The Control Freak has 512k of memory space.
The Control Freak has 14 more setups.
Top of pageQ. Where is the "Sysex load mode" in the Freak Studio Edition menus?
A. You don't need it any more - the 16 slider version is always ready to receive sysex.
Top of pageQ. How do I know if my MIDI equipment is compatible with a Control Freak?
A. The Control Freak is 'compatible' with any piece of MIDI equipment that is capable of external MIDI control! It is a common misconception that the Freak will only work with equipment for which there are profiles, or with programs which 'support' the Freak. The degree to which a piece of equipment may be controlled depends largely on its MIDI implementation.
For a list of pre-programmed profiles, please visit the download section of our website or give us a call on +44-(0)20 8544 9200.