Getting Started — Automate Song Changes and HIT with Stage Traxx

Apr 7, 2026

This guide walks you through setting up Stage Traxx to automatically change presets and toggle harmonies on your TC Helicon Play Acoustic — using the built-in Sample Setlist that comes with the editor.

What You Need

• TC Helicon Play Acoustic connected via USB
• Play Acoustic Editor running on your computer
• Stage Traxx on your computer

Step 1: Load the Sample Setlist

Open the Play Acoustic Editor and go to the Live tab. In the Setlist card, click Load and select Sample Setlist from the Samples section. You'll see five songs appear:

Each song is already mapped to a preset. When a song is triggered, the editor sends that preset to the device automatically. You can also override the Key, Scale and BPM so you can have one preset and then adapt it to each song during the session.

Step 2: Load the Sample Live Config

In the Live Controls card above the setlist, click Load and select Sample Config. This sets up the HIT button with CC28 — the MIDI command Stage Traxx will use to toggle harmonies.

Step 3: Test It Manually

Before connecting Stage Traxx, make sure everything works by testing manually with the device connected:

1. Click a song in the setlist — watch the device change to that preset. Try clicking through all five songs and listen to each effect: harmonies, robotic voice, echo, low doubling, and clean.
2. Click the HIT button — you should hear the harmonies kick in on presets that have harmony configured (like HIGH&LOW CHORUS). Click again to turn them off.
3. Try different combinations — click "Sunday Morning Sun" to load the harmony preset, then click HIT to hear the High & Low voices join your vocal.

If the preset changes and HIT toggles correctly on the device, you're ready to automate it with Stage Traxx.

Step 4: Set Up "Sunday Morning Sun" in Stage Traxx

Open Stage Traxx on your phone or tablet. Create a new song called Sunday Morning Sun and paste in the lyrics. Here's what the structure looks like:

[Intro]

[Verse 1]
Woke up to the light through the curtain
Coffee's getting cold but I don't mind
Your voice still hums the tune from last night

[Chorus]
Sunday morning sun won't let me go
Sunday morning sun is all I know
Singing to the sky, just letting go

[Verse 2]
...

Link the Song to a Preset

We need Stage Traxx to tell the editor which preset to load when this song starts. Here's how:

1. In Stage Traxx, tap at the very top of the lyrics (before Intro)
2. Tap the MIDI Learn button in Stage Traxx
3. Switch to the editor — click the Send button next to song 1 (Sunday Morning Sun) in the setlist. This sends the PC (Program Change) that identifies this song.
4. Back in Stage Traxx, you'll see a MIDI parameter appear. Tap Stop to finish learning.
5. There should now be a MIDI command at the top of the lyrics page

The MIDI command is now inserted at the top of the lyrics. When Stage Traxx reaches this song, it sends the PC to the editor, which loads the HIGH&LOW CHORUS preset onto the device.

Add HIT for the Chorus

Now let's make the harmonies kick in automatically at the chorus:

1. In Stage Traxx, tap just before the Chorus line
2. Tap MIDI Learn
3. In the editor, click the Send button on the HIT popover (in edit mode). This sends CC28.
4. In Stage Traxx, tap Stop. The MIDI command is inserted before the chorus.
5. Add timing information to the MIDI command like:
   [midi@00:03.00: CC28.127@1]

Now do the same after the chorus — place the cursor after the last chorus line, learn CC28 again. This toggles HIT off so you're back to solo vocals for the next verse.

Repeat for every chorus in the song. Your lyrics should now have MIDI commands like this:

Step 5: Repeat for Other Songs

Do the same for each song in the setlist:

1. Create the song in Stage Traxx with the song name
2. At the top, learn the preset trigger (click Send on the corresponding song row in the editor)
3. Before each chorus or section where you want HIT, learn CC28
4. After the section, learn CC28 again to toggle off

Each song in the Sample Setlist uses a different preset — so when Stage Traxx switches songs, you automatically get the right vocal effect for that song.

Step 6: Connect and Perform

1. Select your MIDI source in the Live Controls — pick the port Stage Traxx sends on
2. Click Live to enter performance mode (hides the menus for a clean view)
3. Start your setlist in Stage Traxx

As you move through songs, Stage Traxx sends the MIDI commands. The editor receives them, loads the right preset, and toggles HIT at the right moments. Watch the screen — the HIT button lights up green when harmonies are active, and the current song highlights in the setlist.

Video of APE and ST4 in action:

APE-ST4-Example

Tips

• Place MIDI triggers a beat or two early — the SysEx write takes about 2 seconds, so put the HIT command slightly before the chorus starts
• Test before the gig — play through the song in Stage Traxx and watch the editor respond
• The green indicator on HIT confirms the device received the command. Red means check your USB connection.
• Try all five songs — each uses a different preset: harmonies, robotic voice, echo, low doubling, and clean
• Save your work — save the setlist in the editor so you don't have to set it up again

Once you're comfortable with preset switching and HIT, check out our guide on automating guitar effects with FX presets — add delay, reverb, and µMod to your songs with the same learn-and-send workflow.

Acoustic Play