Boss VF-1 Effect Processor

I've owned a single BOSS VF-1 (1/2 rack multi-effects unit) for a while. I've been controlling it with a simple 2-button momentary foot switch I built from Radio Shack parts run into the CTRL jack on the back of the VF-1. I'd manually change patches via the VF-1 front panel, and use one of the buttons to toggle the bypass. I never actually used the second button, but was planning to assign it to turn on/off one of the individual effects like delay. It was a very very simple to understand and simple to use setup.

I've since purchased a variety of other MIDI controllable rack units: ADA MB-1, Electrix FilterFactory, and a second BOSS VF-1 since they're inexpensive and I had a 1/2 space available. My thought was to be able to use more of the restrictive special effects on one VF-1 unit (LOFI, tape echo, etc.) while leaving the second to run typical bread-and-butter effects (modulation, dirt, etc.). Basically running two units will overcome the algorithm restrictions BOSS implemented on the VF-1.

To control all of the racked MIDI gear I've purchased a Behringer FCB1010 with UNO and a used MOTU Timepiece since the BOSS VF-1 doesn't including any type of pass-thru which makes using two of them difficult. Plus I plan to accept an external MIDI CLOCK from my synth player. So the MOTU will let me route/merge the signal from my Behringer FCB1010 and the external MIDI CLOCK to my rack gear correctly (or so I think, haha, I haven't received the MOTU yet).

Anyway, there's my overall MIDI related setup. Now, I'm trying to figure out the most effecient way to control all of the gear with the Behringer FCB1010.

Some things to note based on my current understanding of the various products I'll own:

* The FCB1010 has limited CC commands that can be sent on patch selection.
* The Electrix FilterFactory has *NO* presets, it's fully controlled via MIDI CC for frequency sweeps (I will assign one of the expression pedals to the FilterFactory for this critical feature leaving the other expression assignable to the VF-1 boxes), CC for toggling LFO, and other CC for each and every parameter on the box (CC1-18, plus CC67 for tap tempo). The bypass can be controlled with CC17. However, the bypass can be also be controlled via a footswitch so I can use one of the FCB1010 switches to toggle the bypass instead of hogging a CC purely for the bypass of this single effect which I won't use frequently.
* Mostly plan to use the FilterFactory as a static Low Pass Filter (like the MOOG LPF) so I mostly just need to control the bypass and sweep the frequency via an expression. I'm not really sure if the FCB1010 can effectively control the rest of the features, specifically the LFO, beyond toggling it on/off since I'd need a CC for togglign LFO on/off, another for Filter Resonance, another for LFO Waveform, another for LFO Division. That's a lotta CC for one little box. Of course I can easily walk over and turn the LFO knobs to a setting and just use one CC for togglgin LFO on/off if needed. I haven't actually gotten into using LFO yet so it's not that important right now, but I may want to in the future so it's in the back of my mind as to how to best control it via the FCB1010.
* The VF-1 can also be bypassed with a footswitch or CC. But I have two of them to control. But I could theoretically run a 1/4" splitter to each VF-1 and use the second FCB1010 switch to control their master bypass simultaneously.

Here's my questions regarding the VF-1 specifically.

* In order to simplify my MIDI setup and not use tons of CC for controlling both VF-1 I planned to set both the same MIDI CHANNEL. Thus both will switch to the same patches simultaneously.
* Each VF-1 includes 4 assigns you can use to map MIDI CC to various functions in the VF-1 such as master bypass via CC, individual effect on/off via CC, and really any other parameter. 
* So I could setup the assigns so both will master bypass on/off simultaneously or each has it's own individual master bypass via individual CC mapping. * I can also manage the VF-1 assigns so different CC controls can turn on/off individual effects (one or more effects can be set to the same CC assign) on each box via FCB1010 UNO stomp box mode.
* Using that method I'll simply have to make sure to manage my assigns well for the bypass of individual effects and the expression pedal. Technically if I spread effects between the two units it actually provides me with 8 VF-1 assigns total (4 assigns in each VF-1, plus the physical footswitch jack) so a lot more flexibility in that regard.
* Assigns can be somewhat confusing so I tried to detail them as best as possible above.


Here's where you guys can really come in handy helping me. I really need to pre-plan how to control two VF-1 and maximize effeciency with the FCB1010 patch mappings/control.

* I'm having trouble grasping how to manage the master bypass on two VF-1. Is there some method to setting each individual patch to start with the master bypass ON/OFF? Or when I power the unit on for the first time do I need to manually toggle the master bypass ON/OFF to know it's starting state?
* Or is there some more clever way via MIDI CC to map the master bypass ON/OFF state such as setting a low CC range for ON and a high CC for OFF to let me always be able to setup FCB1010 patches to correctly set the state each and every time? That sounds like a smarter, less error prone method as I'll absolutely always be able to set the master bypass state with each patch. I need to review the VF-1 manual to make sure that's really possible, but I believe it is.
* Related, I can envision two scenarios when using two VF-1
>> 1. Leave both units un-bypassed (ON) and toggle individual effects via stomp box assigns on the FCB1010. I could theoretically map multiple effects in the VF-1 to a single FCB1010 stomp pedal to more or less perform the same function as toggling the master bypass. For example, in the VF-1 assign my modulation/delay to the same CC so one stomp toggling that CC can simultaneously toggle both modulation and delay which, assuming that's the only effects that VF-1 patch has, would be the same as toggling the master bypass on that VF-1. This method seems most ideal as I wouldn't have to worry about toggling master bypass which, depending on how I configure the two VF-1, might be toggling BOTH master bypass simultaneously which is limiting.
>> 2. I could picture using LOFI on the first VF-1 and modulation/delay on the second, and mid-song want to toggle the mod/delay on/off. I'm struggling to think of the "best" way to accomplish this. This pertains directly to controlling via master bypass on/off VS assigns. But again it sounds like stomp box mode with 1 button toggling CC and smartly mapping individual VF-1 effects to that same CC would be much, much better than using master bypass.


I'm just fishing for your thoughts on how to plan everything to provide the most functionality possible, while also also keeping it as simple as possible. Some of you have been using the FCB1010 for years and probably have way more comlicated setups than I do, so I'm sure some of you will have some excellent suggestions for things I haven't thought of yet.