FX8 Scenes and EVH 5150 III 50w MIDI switching

OK I’ve posted on this before and apologies ahead of time. I’m a former Fractal user going back to tube amps trying to configure Scenes in FX8 and then correspond with mini switching with EVH 5150 III 50w Stealth. I know how to configure the amp but it’s saving Scenes properly and I think I’ve lost somewhere in the configuration to get it to “talk” to the amp via midi. Please help and many thanks in advance!
 
You want to put a MIDI block on the grid in the Fractal. It actually doesn't even have to be in the signal path. In the editor.
In the MIDI block, you'll see that it can be setup uniquely per scene.
So, setup MIDI commands you want the Fractal to send when you activate that scene, then change scenes and setup the MIDI block again, repeat per scene.
 
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You want to put a MIDI block on the grid in the Fractal. It actually doesn't even have to be in the signal path. In the editor.
In the MIDI block, you'll see that it can be setup uniquely per scene.
So, setup MIDI commands you want the Fractal to send when you activate that scene, then change scenes and setup the MIDI block again, repeat per scene.
Thanks so much. Is this PC MIDI or one of the other’s? There’s a few different variations hence the confusion..Uug!
 
The two types are PC and CC.
PC's are Patch Changes. CC's are Control Changes.

I *believe* the 5150 III 50w amps change channels via Patch Changes but I'm not 100% sure about that.


edit: it's Patch Changes. Here's a video about it, it's for another piece of equipment but it shows how the 5150 MIDI assignment works.

Step 1: Hold both channel buttons on the 5150 III to enter Channel Learn mode (channel light will start blinking)
Step 2: Send out the MIDI command from your device to change patches on the 5150
Step 3: select the channel you want for that patch in the 5150
Step 4: hold both 5150 channel buttons to save the 5150 patch and go back to normal mode.

I'm still not sure how assign the 5150 III to a specific one of the 16 possible MIDI device numbers though.



 
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Understood how to program MIDI assignments on amp. It’s within the FX8 that’s the problem. I will look into “PC”. Last question is in “midi talk”, “0” is 1, “1” is 2, etc. Assuming the FX8 follows this, that would have to jive with PC settings and then saved to correspond Scenes? I.E. Green/Clean Scene is PC midi “0”, Blue Channel w/ gate and verb PC Midi “1” etc. apologies for the rant but I was three hours into this before frustration had me walk away until doing more research. Thanks!
 
With the 0, 1, and 2 thing, that's generally how digital numbering works, with "0" being technically the "first" digit to work with. In the video, that's also how the guy programmed the 5150's patches. But you can also program the 5150 so that its MIDI patch 1=green, 2=blue, 3=red. That would make it easier for me to keep track of in my head, personally. You can program it however you want in the 5150.

The point is that the 5150 III's MIDI section has a bunch of internally numbered "patches" and you can program whatever 5150 III amp channel you want to be associated with any of its MIDI patches. I'm not sure how many patches the 5150 III has, but you shouldn't need more than 3 anyway.

As far as the channel / patch thing goes. MIDI "channels" refer to the actual physical device in the rig. Like you can setup your FX8 to MIDI Channel 1, your 5150 to MIDI Channel 2, etc. When you send a MIDI command to make your 5150 go to the Red channel, the actually MIDI signal will look like:

"MIDI Channel 2, MIDI Patch 3"
or
"for any device listening on MIDI Channel 2 (so, the 5150), please select Patch 3 now."

Also, that "Channel 2" part is arbitrary. I *think* that when the 5150 goes into it's "listening mode" with blinking LED's, then it will listen for any MIDI command sent into it's MIDI IN jack and immediately assign itself to whatever channel the MIDI data notates. So if the 5150 is in listening mode and you just send a MIDI command like... "MIDI Channel 5, MIDI Patch 3" then the 5150 will go "oh I'm supposed to only listen for patch change commands on MIDI Channel 5 in the future" etc.

On the FX8, for each scene, program the MIDI Chan and MIDI PC accordingly if the device allows you to do that. I've only programmed MIDI on the Axe-Fx so I'm not 100% sure how to do it in the FX8. The official Fractal forums might be more help if this post doesn't give you the info you need.
 
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Very cool and again really appreciate your insight and help! At this point if I can’t “simplify” this method, I hate thinking going back to the tap dance with pedals, but at least I know how to set it up and what I’m going to get. Fingers crossed and going to dig back into it over the weekend. Thanks again!
 
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