The Morningstar ML5 is a MIDI controlled loop switcher: a compact pedal that holds up to five of your effects pedals in individual loops and switches them in or out on command from a MIDI controller. Morningstar's pitch for it is simple: it lets you use a MIDI controller to control pedals that have no MIDI of their own, so analog and digital effects can be brought in and out of your signal chain together from one set of switches1.
Each of the five loops is a true bypass audio loop, switched by relays. Morningstar says the true bypass relays ensure your tone stays faithful when a loop is bypassed, and Pedal of the Day's 2018 review made the same point, noting that the relay switching and low noise circuitry keep the original signal intact12.
How it works
You plug up to five effects pedals into the loop Send and Return jacks, one pedal per loop, and connect your MIDI controller to the MIDI In jack. The controller sends PC (program change) messages, and each preset on the controller can be set up to bring a particular combination of loops into the chain2.
The ML5 can be set to receive on MIDI channels 1 to 16, or on all of them at the same time, which matters if you run several MIDI devices on different channels5. A MIDI Thru jack passes the MIDI signal on to further devices downstream, so the ML5 sits in a larger MIDI rig without eating an output on your controller1.
The front panel hardware is straightforward:
| Control or jack | What it does |
|---|---|
| 5 x Blue LED switches (Loops A to E) | Select which loops are active5 |
| 1 x Red LED switch (Learn) | Assigns loop combinations to controller presets5 |
| 5 x Loop Status LED | Shows which loops are engaged1 |
| 1 x Learn Mode Status LED | Shows when Learn mode is active1 |
| 1 x Audio Input, 1 x Audio Output | Main signal in and out1 |
| 5 x Loop Send, 5 x Loop Return | One pair per effects loop1 |
The Learn switch
Learn mode is how the ML5 is programmed. As Pedal of the Day described the workflow: pick the loops you want to work together using the buttons up top, hit Learn, then select the preset switch on your MIDI controller. That preset now recalls that loop combination, so one press on the controller swaps several pedals in and out at once2. Morningstar built the ML5 with high quality Amphenol jacks for the loop connections5.
Power and size
Morningstar's product page specifies 9 to 12V DC, center negative, with a minimum of 200mA1. A ThorpyFX listing gives the current draw as 160mA at 9V DC, so the two figures differ; either way, plan on a dedicated 9V output from a pedalboard power supply rather than a battery. The enclosure measures 160mm x 50mm x 60mm, small enough to sit on top of a pedalboard or mount underneath it4.
The ML5 needs external power at all times; there is no battery option, and the 200mA minimum draw means a shared or weak daisy chain output may not be enough.
Where it came from
Morningstar documented the ML5's development in a September 2017 post, when the software was completed and the enclosures had just arrived, with circuit boards still to be assembled and tested5. By April 2018 the pedal was in reviewers' hands, with Pedal of the Day covering it as a finished product2. It has since been sold through retailers such as ThorpyFX, which lists it at £199.99 in the UK4.
How it differs from the ML5R and ML10X
The ML5 switches loops in a fixed order. Morningstar points players who want to reorder their loops toward two other models: the ML5R and the ML10X1.
| ML5 | ML5R | |
|---|---|---|
| Loops | 5, true bypass1 | 5, reorderable6 |
| Bypass | True bypass relays1 | Buffered I/O ports13 |
| Loop order | Fixed | Rearrangeable via MIDI6 |
| MIDI | 5-pin In and Thru1 | 5-pin In and Thru, plus a dedicated ML5R message type for Morningstar controllers6 |
For a player whose pedals are mostly analog and who wants one-button control from a MIDI footcontroller, the ML5 covers the basics: five relay-switched true bypass loops, Learn mode programming, and a small enclosure. Players who want to change the order of their effects mid-song, or run stereo, are the audience for the ML5R and ML10X instead742.
Videos
Morningstar Engineering
Morningstar Engineering
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Morningstar ML5 true bypass?
Yes. Morningstar describes the ML5 as a True Bypass Loop Switcher, with true bypass relays that keep the signal path faithful when loops are off. Pedal of the Day's review also noted the true bypass relay switching and low noise circuitry as keeping the original signal intact.
Does the Morningstar ML5 need a 9V power supply?
It runs on 9 to 12V DC, center negative, with a minimum of 200mA according to Morningstar's product page. A ThorpyFX listing gives the current draw as 160mA at 9V DC. It is powered from a supply rather than a battery.
Can the ML5 control pedals that don't have MIDI?
Yes, that is its main purpose. Each pedal sits in one of the five loops, and the ML5's relays switch it in or out on command from a MIDI controller. Morningstar says this gives you simultaneous control of both digital and analog effects from one controller.
Is the Morningstar ML5 available yet?
Morningstar's own product page lists the ML5 with full specifications, and it has been sold through retailers such as ThorpyFX at £199.99 in the UK. A 2017 development post described the software as completed, with circuit boards still to be assembled and tested.
What does the Learn switch do on the ML5?
Learn mode assigns your controller's presets to loop combinations. You pick the loops you want to work together using the buttons on top, hit Learn, then select the preset switch on your MIDI controller. The ML5 can receive on MIDI channels 1 to 16, or all at once.
Sources (7)
- ML5 - Morningstar Engineering, Morningstar Engineering
- Morningstar FX ML5 MIDI Controlled Loop Switcher, Pedal of the Day, 2018-04-16
- Morningstar ML5R Reorderable Loop Switcher, ThorpyFX
- Morningstar ML5 MIDI Controlled Loop Switcher, ThorpyFX
- Midi Switcher Update, www.morningstar.io, 2017-09-17
- ML5R - Morningstar Engineering, Morningstar Engineering
- Morningstar ML5 MIDI Controlled Loop Switcher, thorpyfx.com