Disaster Area DMC-3XL Gen3 MIDI Controller for Guitar Pedals

Here's what Disaster Area says about the DMC-3XL Gen3:

The DMC-3XL Gen3 is the next generation compact MIDI controller from Disaster Area. We’ve added lots of features, connectivity, and capability, making the DMC-3XL Gen3 a next-level upgrade for your pedalboard control needs.

What’s New in Gen3?

More MIDI Control – Control up to four MIDI devices plus any combination of Disaster Area pedalboard switching systems. Note that enabling any of the looper modes will disable control for the fourth MIDI device.

Improved LED Indication and Display – We’ve moved the LEDs to the center of the pedal, putting all of the info you need in one place. The LEDs now show the bypass / engage status of the individual MIDI devices, the looper state, and the clock or tap tempo rate. The display has also been upgraded, and now features full alphanumeric capability. Both display and LEDs may be dimmed in the setup menu to suit indoor or outdoor venues. Each user preset may be assigned a unique 8-character name, which will scroll on the display when the preset is loaded.

Built-in SMARTClock – The DMC-3XL Gen3 adds in support for sending MIDI Clock or tap tempo to your connected devices, without any additional hardware. Our innovative MultiJack connector can operate as an expression pedal input, tap tempo footswitch input, MIDI output, or isolated tap tempo output. The DMC-3XL Gen2 can send either a global tempo / BPM for all presets, or a new tempo / BPM for each preset.

User-Definable CC Command Mode – Based on customer requests, we’ve added the CC mode that allows the user to define any two commands for the left and right footswitches. Send one-shot, momentary, or toggle CC messages, MIDI notes, or change banks on your Strymon devices in this handy mode. (requires firmware v1.01 or higher!)

Optional gHOST Compatiblity – The DMC-3XL Gen3 can control an external USB-MIDI device including the popular Zoom MS-50G, MS-60B, and MS-70CDR using its native USB port. Connect your USB-MIDI device to the DMC-3XL Gen3 USB port through our gHOST adaptor, set the USB mode, and you’re all set! The DMC-3XL Gen3 can power most USB-MIDI devices, but please note that the power supply you’re using must be sufficient to power the DMC plus the connected device. Powering a USB device may require as much as 500mA, so be sure your power supply can handle the load.

Separate Expression and Roller Configuration – hundreds of players all over the world are in love with the expression rollers on their DMC-3XL Gen2 controllers. It’s a great way to add expression control without giving up valuable pedalboard real estate, but in the Gen2 the roller and expression input are connected so that you can only use one at a time. In the Gen3, we’ve given the roller its own input channel, so that you can assign it independently from the expression input.

MultiJack – we’ve brought the MultiJack over from the SMARTClock, but we’ve taught it some new tricks! Now it can function as an expression pedal input, tap tempo footswitch input, or a second MIDI output by connecting the Disaster Area TRS to MIDI Adaptor Cable. You can use our TRS Control Cable for Chase Bliss Audio to connect your Tonal Recall, Warped Vinyl or other Chase Bliss pedal for full MIDI control. Want more? Flip the DIP switches inside the pedal and the MultiJack can act as an isolated tap tempo output to your non-MIDI gear. Any of the pedals listed over on the TNT or SMARTClock pages can be controlled by the MultiJack.

MIDI Input and Output – the 5-pin MIDI jack on the DMC-3XL operates as a MIDI output, of course, but if you connect the Disaster Area MIDI Y-Cable, you can also send MIDI in to the DMC-3XL Gen3. Want to connect your old DMC Gen2 to your brand new Gen3? No problem! How about sending MIDI clock into your chain from a drum machine? Sure, that’ll work.

Easy Firmware Update – no more driver installation, app downloads, or weird Windows errors! Simply hold the mode button and plug in your DMC, and it shows up on your desktop as a flash drive. Drag and drop the new firmware over and you’re all set! (Mac folks will have to type three keystrokes, but you can handle that!) And our new 32-bit processor has more than eight times the available power of the Gen2 family. We’ll be adding support for more devices and more features as you request them!

What can the DMC-3XL Gen3 do for me?

We’re glad you asked! If you have one MIDI device, the DMC-3XL Gen3 can simplify selecting programs, send it expression or tap tempo, or even keep it locked in to a MIDI clock. We can also control the loop recorder / looper on several popular devices such as the Strymon Timeline, Eventide H9, and Line 6 M9 / M13.

As helpful as the DMC-3XL Gen3 is for single device users, it really shines when used with multiple pedals. Instead of scrolling around on each device to select a program for your next song, the DMC can send simultaneous commands to all of your pedals to select the exact patches you want with a single tap! Using our Preset Mode, changing sounds on all of your MIDI pedals is as easy as changing the channel on your TV remote. The DMC-3XL Gen3 can control up to four separate devices, or three devices plus a looper.

If you want to change your non-MIDI pedals along with your presets, you can add in one of our DPC-8EZ switching systems. The DMC-3XL Gen3 will seamlessly control the DPC-8EZ, so that one tap will reconfigure your entire pedalboard in milliseconds.

And by adding our new Clock Mode, we’ve taken pedalboard control to a new level! You can select your tempo by BPM, or tap in a new tempo any time. The DMC-3XL Gen3 allows for a global tempo that you can tap in at any time, or preset tempos that change along with your MIDI programs. You can even configure the MultiJack to send taps to your non-MIDI devices with tap tempo inputs.

Specifications

• Sturdy cast aluminum enclosure
• Enclosure Dimensions 4.8″ x 2.6″ x 1.4″
• Soft-touch footswitches
• Blue LED display with 10 brightness levels
• 5-pin MIDI port, doubles as MIDI input using the Disaster Area MIDI Y-Cable
• 9vDC power jack, 80mA max
• USB port with USB-MIDI functionality or optional USB Host compatibility
• 1/4″ jack for expression pedal or tap tempo switch
• MultiJack functions as expression pedal input, tap tempo input, tap tempo output, or MIDI output with Disaster Area TRS to MIDI Adaptor Cable, control a single Empress or Chase Bliss device with the appropriate cable.
• Optional side roller assignable to expression or looper level