PaintAudio MIDI Captain NANO 4

The PaintAudio MIDI Captain NANO 4 is a compact MIDI foot controller with four programmable switches, built around what the maker calls HID multi-state cycling. Each switch can send a single MIDI command or a string of multiple commands every time it is pressed, and the switch functions are configured by connecting the controller to a computer over USB¹. It sits at the small end of the MIDI Captain range, below the six-switch MINI 6 and the ten-switch MIDI Captain STD, and above the two-switch DUO and single-switch ONE.

For a player, what that means is foot control of anything with a MIDI input or a USB port: modelers, guitar effects, synthesizers, keyboards and speakers on the hardware side, and DAWs and effects software on a computer through USB-MIDI¹. The body is a sturdy metal enclosure with a foot switch design aimed at durability¹.

Switches, pages and modes

The four switches are the whole interface, but the controller layers a lot of configuration behind them. It can mix multiple MIDI channels and different types of MIDI commands in one transmission, including Program Change (PC), Control Change (CC) and MIDI Note commands¹. That matters for modelers and software where a single footstep might need to change a preset and move a couple of parameters at once.

On top of the switches sit 99 configuration pages: PaintAudio says you can preconfigure up to 99 completely different switch function pages and move between them¹. Each page is effectively a separate board setup, so one controller can carry a whole show's worth of assignments.

How much each button can do depends on which of the two operating modes you are in:

PaintAudio describes the distinction in its own words:

On the larger MIDI Captain models the mode is chosen at power-on by holding different keys while switching the unit on, and the choice is saved and remembered⁴. The maker's pages for the DUO and ONE describe the same Normal and Geek Mode structure, so the two-mode system runs through the family⁵³.

Power and connections

Power is flexible. The NANO 4 can be run from a USB cable, a standard pedal power adapter, or battery power¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia listing for the Nano 4 gives a current draw of 400mA², which is on the high side for a compact controller, so a battery will not last the way it would in a low-draw pedal.

On the connection side, the controller has USB-MIDI functionality for controlling DAW software, synthesizers and effects software on a computer¹. The wider MIDI Captain line also covers hardware with MIDI IN ports, including guitar effects, synthesizers, speakers and keyboards, and the maker notes the controllers can connect to iOS devices³. The STD version of the family outputs over wired MIDI out or standard USB⁶.

Expression pedals

The NANO 4 has an expression input, but it is picky about what plugs into it. PaintAudio states the controller is only compatible with expression pedals that have Ring output¹. On the related MINI 6 page the maker adds that Tip-output pedals such as the Fractal EV1, Boss EXP and Hotone EXP may have compatibility issues⁴. The same Ring-output requirement appears on the ONE's page⁵, so it applies across the range. If you already own an expression pedal, its wiring type is the first thing to check before adding one of these controllers.

Versions and firmware updates

The NANO 4's current firmware is 1.21 (V3.5)¹. PaintAudio says this version adds support for the Kemper Player KPP and solved an issue of USB-MIDI latency¹. The same 1.21 (V3.5) firmware version is listed for the ONE and DUO controllers⁵³.

There is also a KPP Two-Way Rig Name Sync firmware package. With it, the NANO 4 communicates bidirectionally with the Kemper Profiler Player through a USB connection, retrieving the Rig Name and synchronizing module states, with LED lighting effects that stay consistent with the KPP¹. For a Kemper Player user, that means the controller's lights follow the Profiler's state rather than just firing commands blind.

Earlier firmware history shows the Line 6 connection too: after updating to FW3.04, Preset 1 on the controller is changed to "HXST," which PaintAudio says is used to adapt to Line 6's HX Stomp¹. On the larger MIDI Captain (BLUE), firmware 3.04 was released on April 17, 2023 and was described by the maker as improved Normal Mode plus Geek mode, with Geek Mode expanded to support 16 pages, each page a group of all 10 keys changeable in use without a restart⁷. PaintAudio has said it continues to optimize functionality and performance and releases the latest firmware updates on its product pages⁸.

The NANO 4 itself comes in versions that differ only in color and features. PaintAudio describes the blue and gold versions of the family as the Pro versions, differing only in color, while the black STD version has a spray-coated surface, lacks the built-in wireless module, cannot pair with the MIDI Mate, and is slightly cheaper¹.

Where it sits in the MIDI Captain range

The NANO 4 is one of several sizes of the same idea. The range runs from the ONE, a single programmable switch in a sturdy metal body⁵, through the two-switch DUO³, the four-switch NANO 4, the six-switch MINI 6⁵³¹, and up to the ten-switch STD⁵³¹. All of them share the mixed PC/CC/Note command transmission and the USB configuration workflow, so the choice mostly comes down to how many switches your rig needs underfoot. PaintAudio pitches the line at guitarists and keyboardists of all skill levels⁸.

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