AAAARRRGGHH Will someone please help me out with this?!

  • Thread starter Thread starter MAMMATUS
  • Start date Start date
diezel midi is different, not sure how many controllers work like a footswitch to do standard on / off operations, as the diezel amps don't function handily with CC commands, i'm hoping to develop a workaround for those of us with bigger controllers
 
It's not that odd or different is it? It's the same as any other MIDI preamp I've used! It's just the normal 128 patch change commands with 128 patches. How do you mean if you have a bigger controller it's difficult? Do you mean if you have more than 128 patches on your FX units? I could see that being a problem if you don't have MIDI banks too, but none of my FX units have more than 128 patches either and also don't do "banks" like keyboards do!!!!

I don't understand what you're getting at I'm afraid. I've never needed to do any CC commands to toggle between e.g. loop on/off as I just change between 2 patches that are the same except that function, and have both of those patches the same on the FX unit(s) (or set the FX units midi mapping to use both those patche numbers for one patch). It seems completely normal to me except it has 2 extra pins for certain 7-pin controllers which you can ignore and put a 5 pin cable in the middle 5 pins, and it has phantom power on (neither of which I use as I have an FCB1010 which doesn't do phantom power so have a mains and midi lead bundled as one that runs from my rack). I've only ever used midi CCs to toggle an effect on or off on an FX unit (and then I still usually change patches), or for continuous control of a parameter. I don't see the Diezel having anything worth toggling? It may as well be a different patch imho. :?

I would like to move a MIDI CC continuous pedal and watch all my knobs motor about to different settings, but obviously I can't on the Herbie, and I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway probably!!! Maybe if I win the lottery and Peter designs a preamp with motorised knobs... :D

Would be nice if it accepted MIDI note commands too sometimes, then I could sequence my bad playing in cubase or something instead, and move all the wrong notes about til they're right!!! :P
 
Hey, Itsme, can you have a look at the connection on your randall footswitch, and tell me if it looks like this? I doubt it will, but it's the same model footswitch, with a different connection! What the hell?!
Thanks in advance.
Rich
 

Attachments

  • Randall.JPG
    Randall.JPG
    23.5 KB · Views: 2,610
Glad to help. It looks nothing like mine, here's mine. It also has a 9-volt adapter next to it. The Herbert powers it through the 7-pin midi cable though. It works fantastic. I have it set up for: 1 = Channel 1, 2 = Channel 2, 3= Channel 3, and 4 = Channel 3 w/mid-cut. 4 awesome tones. I don't need a complicated midi switcher. I play live every weekend and just need a couple quick tone selections. I run a simple pedal board in front of the amp for when I need effects (which I use sparingly).

I ordered my RF-4 direct from Randall over a year ago. $85. That is definately your problem! You have a different connection and cable. Where did you get the pedal. E-bay? Did someone sell you an old RF-4 maybe? I wouldn't give up on this pedal though, 'cause if you get the right one, it works great and at a fraction of the cost of most midi-pedals. Musician's Friedn sell the RF-4 also and it's $79 I think. Comes with cable.
 

Attachments

  • 66N07-2-14(11-45).jpg
    66N07-2-14(11-45).jpg
    21.2 KB · Views: 2,600
Here's the top of the pedal.
 

Attachments

  • 67N07-2-14(11-46).jpg
    67N07-2-14(11-46).jpg
    12.3 KB · Views: 2,598
Right, that's great. Thanks man. I'll use your pics to get the appropriate pedal. I bought my VH4 from Mansons uk, then they rang to say that the pedal I needed was this Randall one....
I'll contact them and sort it.
Once again, thanks for your help, I would still be in a complete mess if it wasn't for you.
Rich
 
Musicians Friend has a blem-one for $61.19, which means it maybe has a scratch on it or something, but is still covered by warranty. New ones are $79.99 in stock. I, like yourself, paid $4100 for my Herbert and didn't want to spend another $200-$300 on a midi switcher. Maybe you can order a new one and return that other one. Or E-bay it? The pedal works just as well on the VH-4. And with just 4 channels, you have one button for each. That's the way I'd go.
 
>|<>QBB<
MAMMATUS":2e58c said:
Right, that's great. Thanks man. I'll use your pics to get the appropriate pedal. I bought my VH4 from Mansons uk, then they rang to say that the pedal I needed was this Randall one....
I'll contact them and sort it.
Once again, thanks for your help, I would still be in a complete mess if it wasn't for you.
Rich
Click to expand...

Better yet, tell them to give you the right one!
 
i didn't read your whole post, "Me," but i'll explain my beef with diezel midi operations.

you cannot simply hit instant access buttons to directly turn on / off amp features like send2, mute, channel insert, etc. (like mid cut, master 2, loop, mute w/herbert). instant access = CC commands. you can only send PC (program change) commands to diezel amps, meaning, a complete state of all features on the amp. for example:

midi controller button 1 = amp channel 1
midi controller button 2 = amp channel 1 + send2
midi controller button 3 = amp channel 1 + send2 + channel insert

...and so forth. there are some controllers out there that operate like footswitches like the columbus, prostage, etc., and that's nice, but some of us use big controllers and don't have footswitch modes. i have the axess fx1 + expander and i want to have single buttons to control amp features, but i'm shit out of luck because i can't send the diezel CC commands to simply turn things on and off. i could set up banks and banks with other PC combinations, but that sucks to me.

i'm going to work with midi solutions on a box to place between my midi controller and the amp. i've explained this too often and it sucks that i haven't completed this yet, but this is what i want to do. the current midi is nice for simple times, but i want more flexibility.

that's my rant and my goal. might not fit your needs, but it's what my goal is.
 
Don't know if it's any use but i'm using a tech 21 midi moose which has 5 channel buttons, a scroll up and down button and an lcd display for your prest number. I got that from sounds great, manchester, england for £150. It works great and if anyone neeeds any pics let me know!

Rock on! :)
 
Fair do's. I think I see your point.

I just like having 128 FX programs and I can stand on any button and it happens along with the Diezel switching to that state. Sometimes I have 2 FX patches in my rig that are identical except e.g. delay on on one and delay off on the other, so the stored state when I go to that patch is known. sometimes I do change an effect on or off with a CC. With my Diezel there's only 3 channels with or without deep mod which I'd normally set per patch as they're big changes, and the loop status. I figure it would be nice to turn the loop on and off with a CC but if I'm using my loop I figure I can spare another patch as the FX in my loop with change the sound noticably so just have another patch. I suppose with a VH4 you have 2 loops so there's more combinations of things that aren't just the channel so CCs are more important.

I guess I'm the kind of person who normally has a MIDI foot controller with a 2 or 3 banks with 8 or 9 patch changes and one midi CC for tap tempo with optional CC for an odd effect on/off, rather than a 5 patch and 5 on/off per bank kinda guy. (Or if I had a rocktron with 15 buttons per bank even more patches I guess!)

Sorry if I got you wrong but you did sound very angry about how it works. I just figure it works better for me than any non-midi footswitchable amp does. While my Herbert was away and I had a loan amp I ended up using my old MIDI preamp rig live instead which can be dodgy and might f**k up, purely cuz a normal head with footswitchable loop is too much effort for all my FX changes where some are dry and some not and there can be all sorts of changes so decided to run the risk live! There's no way I could live without lots of patches so I didn't really get your "some of us with big pedals" thing since I have lots of patches with lots of buttons even down to various patches the same with different tempos so I don't have to keep tapping tempos in for different songs.

Sorry if I seemed to be teaching you to suck eggs.
 
Don't know if it's any use but i'm using a tech 21 midi moose which has 5 channel buttons, a scroll up and down button and an lcd display for your prest number. I got that from sounds great, manchester, england for £150. It works great and if anyone neeeds any pics let me know!

Rock on!
Click to expand...


That's what I use as well, my only problem with it is that preset 1's L.E.D. blew out, but the pedal still works, hopefully the rest of them still keep working and the pedal itself doesn't give up. It's made it through a few shows though, but I think I may upgrade to be safe. Probably get a columbus, I'm in love with the blue led numbers, looks nice.

-Nick
 
no worries on the stress, the diezel midi certainly bugs me, but i'm happier that it has midi rather than nothing at all.

i wonder how the columbus operates, if its values can be reverse engineered to work on any midi controller.

i didn't take any offense, i just rant too sometimes, we all do, no problem ;-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top