Merry Christmas......Midi Foot Switcher

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btstratman

btstratman

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I have a new Diezel VH4S and I couldn't possibly be happier. It provides the most incredible tones I could ever wish for.

I am not educateded in midi and I am in a rut as far as channel switching. Does anyone know of a midi foot controller that can switch 4 channels on a VH4S amp, a solo switch and an effects loop switch? I know I can program 10 or more channels of a standard midi foot controller and bank up and down to do this, but I am looking to step on one of 4 channel switches, and then still be able to activate a solo (5th switch) and/or effects loop (6th switch) for that channel (yes, I used to play a Mesa Dual). This means having 2 or 3 switches activated at once, a channel, effects and solo.
 
My new amp requires a midi foot controller to switch channels and effects loops. I am not educateded in midi and I am in a rut as far as channel switching. Does anyone know of a midi foot controller that can switch 4 channels on an amp, a solo switch and an effects loop switch? I know I can program 10 or more channels of a standard midi foot controller and bank up and down to do this, but I am looking to step on one of 4 channel switches, and then still be able to activate a solo (5th switch) and/or effects loop (6th switch) for that channel (yes, I used to play a Mesa Dual). This means having 2 or 3 midi switches activated at once, a channel, effects and solo.
 
I'm afraid that I have to tell you that this won't work. :no:
The Diezel Amps aren't equipped to handle the kind of midi commands that make switching like this possible (don't know any amp that does). You will have to create a preset for each switching state. You will have to get rid of the regular footswitch thinking, meaning turning something on or off by stepping on a button. Midi amps are all about presets. Stepping on button one activates all previously programmed features, lets say Ch. 4, with FX and boost, and stepping on the next will do something completely different, lets say Ch. 2, dry.
 
Thanks bro.... I just needed to hear that from someone with experience as a double check before I dive into the world of MIDI presets. The cheese has moved, so I need to change my thinking. Thanks again.
 
I have the Boss FC50 to control my VH4
boss_fc50_midi_pedal.gif


It's cheap and it works.
You could switch channel 1, 2, 3 and 4 on 1 to 4 on the pedal. Use 5/10 for whatever you want.

Then use (on the pedal) 6, 7, 8 and 9 as 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B by using the A/B switch on the pedal.

Above the A/B switch there are small buttons to switch between banks/songs.
 
Which amp do you have? Different amps have different MIDI implementations.
 
Since I don't have an Egnater, I didn't feel it would be cool to list the brand of my amp... Im just looking to gain ifo about MIDI since I am new to it. It seems I just need to join the crowd and program midi presets and deal with it.
 
It sounds like what you want is a pedal that can do MIDI program changes and MIDI control changes on different buttons, or maybe combinations of them.
I know the Rocktron All Access, Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro, and some of the Prostage pedals can be programmed
to do this, and I'm pretty sure there are others as well.
 
so I can do a midi "program" change to select channels 1 thru 4 on my amp, and then have midi "control" changes that add effects to that channel right? This means I have create a bank per channel and bank up and down between 4 banks to get from channel 1 clean with chorus to channel 4 heavy with delay. Seems cumbersome. What am I missing?
 
KillDivision":eb6e3 said:
I have the Boss FC50 to control my VH4
boss_fc50_midi_pedal.gif


It's cheap and it works.
You could switch channel 1, 2, 3 and 4 on 1 to 4 on the pedal. Use 5/10 for whatever you want.

Then use (on the pedal) 6, 7, 8 and 9 as 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B by using the A/B switch on the pedal.

Above the A/B switch there are small buttons to switch between banks/songs.
Click to expand...

That would be a perfect unit for consideration, but hey aren't made any longer. What is currently available like this?
 
btstratman":bc35d said:
so I can do a midi "program" change to select channels 1 thru 4 on my amp, and then have midi "control" changes that add effects to that channel right? This means I have create a bank per channel and bank up and down between 4 banks to get from channel 1 clean with chorus to channel 4 heavy with delay. Seems cumbersome. What am I missing?
Click to expand...

If your amp responds to both program changes and continuous control messages (not all do), then you can get a MIDI controller like the ones mentioned above. All you'd need to do is set up one preset per channel and then set up the controller buttons to control the solo and loop features. With this kind of setup, the solo and loop buttons would be able to be turned on or off independently of the channel selection - you wouldn't need multiple banks.
 
You could consider a Rocktron All Access. The nice thing here is you don't have to hit A/B again when you switch channels, but can instead go to any preset you want directly. For example, arrange them vertically so that 1, 6, and 11 correspond to channel 1 (normal, effects, solo) and channel 2 uses 2, 7, 12, etc. On the Boss unit I think you'd have to hit A/B after switching channels if you don't want still be in the effect-on state (ie, to get from 1B to 2A you'd need to press A/B and then press 2).

You mentioned a "solo" setting for each channel, but I'm not sure what could be done on the VH4 for this. As far as I know the only things you can control are the channel number, effects loop, and channel insert. So for a solo setting you'd need to dedicate a volume boost to either the effects loop or have one in each of the channel inserts. I apologize, I forgot if the channel insert comes before or after distortion is applied. If it is after (essentially another effect loop for each channel) then you'd need to have a volume boost in each channel's channel insert that you want a solo setting for.

imagezoom.jpg
 
rjmmusic":130e4 said:
If your amp responds to both program changes and continuous control messages (not all do), then you can get a MIDI controller like the ones mentioned above. All you'd need to do is set up one preset per channel and then set up the controller buttons to control the solo and loop features. With this kind of setup, the solo and loop buttons would be able to be turned on or off independently of the channel selection - you wouldn't need multiple banks.
Click to expand...
My amp has a midi in that receives program changes, and has 128 programs (patches, program cahnges). It has 2 effects loops available (in serial or parrallel) and 4 send/receive channel inserts to accomodate the 4 channels. I'm trying to figure out the best way to wire it up.
 
guitarobert":1e9f1 said:
You could consider a Rocktron All Access. The nice thing here is you don't have to hit A/B again when you switch channels, but can instead go to any preset you want directly. For example, arrange them vertically so that 1, 6, and 11 correspond to channel 1 (normal, effects, solo) and channel 2 uses 2, 7, 12, etc. On the Boss unit I think you'd have to hit A/B after switching channels if you don't want still be in the effect-on state (ie, to get from 1B to 2A you'd need to press A/B and then press 2).

You mentioned a "solo" setting for each channel, but I'm not sure what could be done on the VH4 for this. As far as I know the only things you can control are the channel number, effects loop, and channel insert. So for a solo setting you'd need to dedicate a volume boost to either the effects loop or have one in each of the channel inserts. I apologize, I forgot if the channel insert comes before or after distortion is applied. If it is after (essentially another effect loop for each channel) then you'd need to have a volume boost in each channel's channel insert that you want a solo setting for.

imagezoom.jpg
Click to expand...

Guitarobert is right, with the Boss pedal you still can't get from 1a to 2b in one step. The All Access would be better then.
I only use channel 3 and 4 on my VH4, i'm a metalguy.

Your solution would be something like the All Acces and one good effectprocessor. Then you would have all the range of capacity.
 
I use quite a few pedals on the floor and run a Glass Nexus thru the serial loop of my Vh4. I run into a Lehle D.Loop to keep the signal pure and switch the floor pedal loops off and on as needed.
Everything is midi controlled by an RFX Midibuddy. I just recently started using this switching setup, I was using a Boss Gt6 before which worked great for switching but the effects kinda sucked.
The midibuddy seems to work perfect after playing a few shows with it, you have 10 presets to pick from per bank, it is phantom powered and it is pretty small compared to most others and the best part is it is CHEAP!!! around $130. Buy 2 of them and have a backup.
It is not as programmable as some but it totally works for me playing in a cover band needing 30 presets a night or so.
Hope this helps.
Peace!!!
By the way I have an Axess electronics MFC5 midi controller I bought but never used, it was not what I needed, this is a top of the line unit with great switches on it and they sell for around $250 I think, I might be willing to get rid of it if you have any interest.
 
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