Anyone use a Rocktron MidiMate? How do you get controllers to work?

Switching patches/rigs just fine, and see in the instructions that control numbers are fixed (such as #17 controls Stomp Box A), but when I assign one of my CC buttons on the MidiMate to 17, it does not switch Stomp Box A on and off as I would have thought. My goal is to be able to switch all stomp boxes on and off (boost, etc,) via the controllers. Anyone had any luck at this? Thanks in advance (I am MIDI Dumb!)