Action Types
Contents
On First Engage (send only this)
Introduction
You can assign different actions to trigger each of the messages sent by your Morningstar MIDI controller. This allows one footswitch to serve different functions depending on what action you perform on it. You can group messages by action, so Press sends one set of messages, while Double Tap sends another set of messages.
Assigning different actions is also useful for executing various functions on your controller. For example, you could program a switch to control other effect pedals when Pressed, but toggle page on your controller when Double Tapped.
This glossary provides descriptions of all the available action types.
Action Execute Sequence
It is important to pair actions correctly for a switch to perform as expected. The table below shows the sequence in which actions get triggered when you perform different actions on a switch.
| Press | Release | Long Press | Long Press Release | Double Tap | Double Tap Release | Long Double Tap | Long Double Tap Release | Release All |
Press and release | 1 | 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
Press, hold down and release | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
|
|
|
| 3 |
Double tap and release |
|
|
|
| 1 | 2 |
|
| 2 |
Double tap, hold down and release |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 | 2 | 2 |
Press
Messages will be executed when a switch is pressed down.
Release
Messages will be executed when a switch is released immediately after being pressed .
Long Press
Messages will be executed when a switch is held down for more than 600ms **(factory default). **Long Press time is customizable under Controller Settings > General.
Long Press Release
Messages will be executed when a switch is released after being held down.
Double Tap
Messages will be executed when a switch is pressed twice is quick succession.
Double Tap Release
Messages will be executed when a switch is released after being pressed twice is quick succession.
Long Double Tap
Messages will be executed when a switch is pressed twice is quick succession and held down on the second press.
Long Double Tap Release
Messages will be executed when a switch is released after being pressed twice is quick succession and held down on the second press.
Release All
Groups Release and Long Press Release actions together.
Long Press Scroll
Messages will be executed repeatedly while a switch is held down.
On First Engage
Messages will be executed by any action performed on a switch, as long as you are coming from another switch preset. When the same switch preset is engaged more than once in a row, messages assigned to On First Engage will not execute again.
Messages assigned with the same action you perform on a switch will also be executed. For example, if you are coming from another switch and Press this switch, messages assigned to Press and On First Engage will be executed. Messages assigned to other actions will not be executed.
On First Engage (send only this)
Same as On First Engage, but with one major difference (stated below).
Messages assigned with the same action you perform on a switch will not be executed. For example, if you are coming from another switch and Press this switch, only messages assigned to On First Engage will be executed. Messages assigned to all other actions, including Press, will not be executed.
On Disengage
Messages will be executed by any action performed on any other switch.
For example, if you have a PC#1 message assigned to On Disengage on switch A, PC#1 will be sent when you press any switch other than switch A.
Updated on: 26/11/2025
Thank you!