PaintAudio MIDI Captain Foot Controller (BLUE)

The PaintAudio MIDI Captain Foot Controller (BLUE) is a ten-switch programmable MIDI pedal controller that sends Program Change (PC), Control Change (CC) and MIDI Note commands to whatever sits at the other end of the cable: a modeler, a synth, a keyboard with a MIDI IN port, or music software on a computer¹. PaintAudio positions it as more than a switch box, describing it as "not just a MIDI controller, but a comprehensive musical performance assistant"². Each of its ten footswitches is fully programmable, and a single press can fire a mixture of commands across multiple MIDI channels³.

A ten-switch MIDI foot controller

The controller's core job is turning foot presses into MIDI messages. It supports a mixture of MIDI Program Change, Control Change and MIDI Note commands, so one switch can jump a modeler to a new preset, another can toggle an effect block on and off via CC, and another can fire note messages at a synth¹³. The ten footswitches are all fully programmable, and the unit is configured over a USB connection to a computer³.

The MIDI Captain family also comes in smaller formats for players who do not need ten switches³:

Modes: Normal, Geek and Super

The controller ships with a firmware package that combines two programs: FW3.5, which covers Normal and Geek mode, and FW4.0, which adds Super mode¹. Which mode you land in is decided at power-on:

The mode selection is saved and remembered, so the controller comes back up in the mode you last chose⁴.

Geek mode is where the deep programming lives. Beyond the 12 commands per button, firmware 3.04 expanded Geek mode to support 16 pages, where each page is a group of all 10 keys with its own setup, changeable during use without a restart¹. On the smaller MINI 6, PaintAudio notes a current limitation: in Geek mode the button indicator lights only work in selection mode, with an improvement planned for future firmware⁴.

Super mode, introduced with SuperMode FW 4.0 in April 2024, brings what PaintAudio calls "powerful key customization capabilities and a rich array of control strategies"¹. It ships with 18 pre-set pages for mainstream devices, including the HX Stomp, FM3, Ampero Stomp 2, Quad Cortex DSP, Kemper Profiler Player and GT-1000 Core, and the controller offers 10 preset modes in total, all fully customizable¹. A separate KPP SP firmware communicates bidirectionally with the Kemper Profiler Player over USB, retrieving the Rig Name and synchronizing module states, with consistent LED lighting effects¹.

Power and connections

Power is flexible: the unit charges via 9V, USB or battery, or a combination of these for continuous use¹. A traditional 9V single-unit effects pedal power supply works as long as it has a current capacity of at least 300mA¹. A separate listing for the MIDI Captain gives the current draw as 400mA², and a supply rated at 400mA or more covers both figures.

For support, PaintAudio gives two contacts: support@paintaudio.com and zuow03@gmail.com (Wilson)¹.

Versions and firmware

The MIDI Captain line is divided by finish and features. The blue and gold versions are the Pro versions and differ only in color, with no specific markings to tell them apart¹. The black STD version has a spray-coated surface, omits the built-in wireless module, so it cannot be combined with the MIDI Mate for wireless control, and is slightly cheaper¹⁸. That wireless module is the main and only functional difference between the STD and Pro versions⁴.

Firmware development has continued since launch. The SuperMode FW 4.0 package of April 2024 is compatible with the blue, gold and black versions¹. An earlier firmware 3.5 release mainly optimized support for the Kemper KPP, resolved a USB-MIDI control delay issue and simplified the upgrade process¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia says it continues to optimize functionality and performance and releases the latest firmware updates on its product page².

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