FS10 questions + MIDI footswitch (e.g. Rocktron) questions

[whirtleby]

Hi,
I have a few issues and questions, and I wondered if anyone here would be kind enough to help me, please. I recently purchased an ID:100 TVP head, and while it seems very versatile and useful, the issue of changing patches with the FS10 is bothering me. There is a very small delay before the patch changes. I have read many other threads on this forum of people mentioning the same issue, and the responses have mostly been either 'it just changes when you take your foot off', 'it only happens if you use patches with different tube settings', or 'there is no problem, it doesn't happen'. I can confirm it definitely happens with my FS10, it is not simply changing when you take your foot off instead of when you press, and it does not only happen when you use patches with different tube settings - it happens to all patches, regardless.
I wondered if anyone with any knowledge of this could tell me whether connecting to the Insider software and installing an update should fix the issue? I haven't used the Insider software and did not intend to, unless I have to to fix this issue. I can't see how this could be the answer, as I literally bought the amp a couple of weeks ago, so I shouldn't need to update it right? But you never know.

Assuming that this will not fix the 'latency' (for want of a better word) issue, I then wondered whether anyone has any knowledge to share regarding midi footswitches. I saw them mentioned in another thread and the Rocktron Midi Mate seems to be the best option. From what I can tell, if I can set that up with my ID:100 head, I will be able to switch instantly between patches with absolutely no delay between switches, and I could also toggle the effects on or off. That second function would be a godsend, as on the FS10 footswitch I can't toggle effects on or off whilst still retaining immediate access to patch switches (it requires a long press to get back to the right mode), so to circumvent this I've ended up just creating duplicate patches with the effects pre-loaded, which then of course causes me to run in to trouble with the 'bank of 4' limitation.

My main query regarding the Rocktron Midi Mate, other than whether it actually works with the ID:100, is how difficult it is to set up? I am not very technically-minded and the idea of 'programming' this thing from scratch without a computer interface seems incomprehensible to me. Would anyone be prepared to provide a brief approximate description of how this is achieved? For example, would I effectively connect it to the amp, dial in the sound I want on the amp, and then 'save' this sound to one of the buttons on the Rocktron, via a complicated series of button-presses? How does it work differently with the effects such as reverb and delay - how would I 'isolate' these for storage so I can toggle them on or off on top of any of the main patches? I have had a look at the manual and to be honest it seemed incredibly complicated and I did not understand a lot of it. If setting this MIDI thing up is the only way to achieve instant patch switching then I'm prepared to slog though it and work it myself out by hook or by crook, but I thought I'd ask here first in case anyone can shed any light on it.

Apologies for the long post. I'm surprised there is not more information about this MIDI footswitch out there, since as far as I can tell it's basically essential if you want to use the ID:100 to gig with, since having a slight delay when changing patches sounds very bad.

Many thanks in advance for any help or advice you are able to provide.

*EDIT* - having done some more research and found some more threads on this forum that I'd missed before, it sounds like the Rocktron Midi Mate is actually very easy to use? I just set up patches on the green / red / amber banks on my amp as normal, and when I connect the Midi Mate this allows me to switch through the patches automatically? Does anyone know what the maximum number of PATCHES I can toggle through with the Midi Mate is? There are 10 numbered buttons but it sounds like some of then cannot be used for patch selection?