You let your fingers do the programming, but there are other ways of talking to your MIDI system. Ian Waugh puts his foot down.

Yes, the name is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? But at least it tells you what Hot Foot is - and the publicity blurb completes the picture... "Hot Foot - when you can't put your finger on it". It comes in two parts - a rackmount system unit and a foot pedal remote: you program from the system unit and perform from the foot pedal.

The pedal itself looks like it was made in a Russian tank factory; it's so solid it could almost be roadie-proof. It actually comprises eight individual pedals numbered 1 to 8 - each with an LED above it - plus a further two labelled S (for Shift) and P (for Performance) with a 2-digit LED above to tell you what mode the unit is in and which Performance has been selected.

As you might imagine, it is when these pedals are pressed that MIDI data is actually transmitted, but they can also transmit messages when released or when held down.

They may be programmed with just about any kind of MIDI message (including SysEx data) and these are referred to as Data Streams. They're organised into eight Banks of eight Groups, to give 64 Performance Memories in all, each holding 32 Data Streams which can be accessed using Shift on the pedal board (bearing in mind that the pedals can send a message when pressed and when released). However, the unit can only hold 150 Data Streams so not all of the possible 2048 (64 x 32) settings can be different.

The system unit has a mammoth 40-character-by-2-line display which gives you information in English - and none of the abbreviated hieroglyphics which most instruments seem to rely on. It also includes two independent sets of MIDI Ins and Outs so you can send data to separate sections of your MIDI setup. Connection to the remote unit is via an 18ft-long cable which terminates in a latching plug so it won't come out if you trip over the wire.

There are three sets of buttons - a group labelled Name, Performance, Assign and Stream; another group labelled OK, Cancel, Insert and Delete; and a pair of cursor buttons. There's also an alpha wheel which is used to change parameter values.

Using the Name button, you can christen your Performances and Data Streams etc, with titles of up to 16 characters - making it possible to get quite descriptive. Performance mode is selected when you want to use the pedal board, while Stream lets you browse through and select the individual Data Streams which may be edited by pressing the Assign button. Incidentally, Performance Memories are battery-backed and can also be saved to an optional data card.

To help with your programming you can copy Performance Memories and Data Streams, and set the number base to decimal or hex. Most manufacturers use hex for SysEx, and computer freaks like to use hex too. But there is a utility which converts between decimal and hex in case you're not a wirehead. There's also a Help mode which is a useful aide-memoire if the manual isn't handy.

Speaking of which, the manual is well written but it's essentially a reference book. No tutorial is included apart from a 2-page Quick Reference guide in the Appendix which shows how to define a Data Stream and assign it to a pedal in a Performance Memory. A few hands-on - or foot-on! - walk-throughs (sorry!) would have been very helpful.

As the Quick Reference section confirms, the biggest complication with Hot Foot is setting up the commands. It's not difficult, it's just that there are a lot of steps to go through and the steepness of the learning curve isn't improved by the inclusion of so few function buttons. That said, once programmed, the controlling front end is superb; the designer is obviously a member of the Musicians' School Of Friendly Interfaces.

So, could you benefit from using Hot Foot? Well, it was principally designed as a real-time device for live use, and if you're someone who finds yourself flitting between settings and setups during a gig, it would certainly merit further investigation to see how much time and effort it could save. Even master keyboards can't easily handle the amount or variety of messages Hot Foot can generate.

If you find that you regularly have to configure and reconfigure your gear on stage or in the studio, then Hot Foot could save you considerable time and trouble, too. Remember, it can do a whole lot more than simply send Program Change messages.

The only alternative to Hot Foot (assuming your master keyboard can't cut the mustard) is a sequencer or MIDI data filer, but then you are totally in the hands of the programmed sequence. You can't easily go round the chorus again, for example, or tell the band that you're going to segue into a different number. But the importance of such an inconvenience will depend on how rigid your sets are.

Another use which springs to mind is the control of MIDI lighting systems. You can stomp on the pedals to activate different effects which might be suggested to you by the venue or the action of the punters on the dance floor.

You'll probably know by now if Hot Foot can help you in your music. It's a solid unit, versatile and (once programmed) easy to use in the field. If you're still not sure, Ablesure is offering a 14-day money-back guarantee so you can try before you buy. Can't say fairer than that.

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