Need help with MIDI Footswitch Troubleshooting for VH4S!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Veritas0Aequitas
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Veritas0Aequitas

Veritas0Aequitas

Active member
Hi again everyone,

I bought a VH4S w/ EL34's almost 2 years ago off eBay for a smokin' price (under $3000) and I don't think I will ever go to another amp. That being said, I'm still sort of new to the Diezel game and I'm having some trouble.

I use a TC G-System as a footswitch to control my amp. Now, I had everything set up and the channel switching worked perfectly for about a year but then one day I turned on my amp and I couldn't change channels with my G-System any longer. I tried going through and re-assigning the same VH4S channels to the respective footswitch channels but I am having no luck here. When I try to store it just won't take! I believe I am following the manual correctly... It worked for about a year and now it's just not taking. I know it's not a cable issue either, I tried a different MIDI cable.

Also, when I turn on the amp the lights on channels 2, 3, 4 are lit. Could that have something to do with it? Is there something physically wrong with my amp?

I'm getting a little frustrated here... Any help is greatly appreciated!

Andrew
 
write an email to peter diezel (you find the adress somewhere in the forum). i got a new midi chip from him which you can change easily without soldering and it worked just fine. the tc stuff has a slightly different communication which confuses some midi chips.

peterdiezel (at) diezelamplification.com

send problem (this text), serial number, model and postal as well as email-adress.
 
Master Peter will definitely help you, esp. if it is MIDI-chip problem.

Just a thought for DIY-troubleshooting, have you checked the MIDI-channel settings in both devices? If I understood correctly your setup has remained the same and it has been working fine until now. Or has there been a change in the equipment in concern?
 
i.ak":2l93yuo4 said:
Master Peter will definitely help you, esp. if it is MIDI-chip problem.

Just a thought for DIY-troubleshooting, have you checked the MIDI-channel settings in both devices? If I understood correctly your setup has remained the same and it has been working fine until now. Or has there been a change in the equipment in concern?
Click to expand...

What do you mean by "check your MIDI-channel settings in both devices" ? Can you elaborate a little more? I'm willing to try anything to get my setup working again! Nothing in my setup has changed... to my knowledge at least. That's always a fun variable lol.
 
By MIDI-channel settings Im meaning, that check on which MIDI-channel your TC and VH4 are. Sometimes it is surprisingly easy to mess the settings with this modern digital stuff. Manuals are your friends with this topic in case you are uncertain how to check them. And for problemsolving purposes I would recommend setting VH4 to Omni mode (reads all 16 channels).

Do you have anything else connected between the TC and VH4 in the MIDI-chain? If you do remove it until the problem is solved.

And have you tested with any other MIDI-controller that is the problem in VH4? Or then it is this MIDI-chip problem as stated by elfredoo. I just have some doubts as you have mentioned this combination has worked fine earlier.
 
yeah i had this ,too. just stopped working.

by midi channels he means, that if your g-system sent on channel 2 and the vh4 received on channel 1, then the vh4 wouldn't switch. it's like languages. imagine 16 languages. you can chose which midi device speaks which language. you can choose language 1-16 or all languages (midi channels). if you have just two devices that in any case have to communicate to each other they have to speak the same language (have the same midi-channel) or can speak all languages (are set to omni= all midi-channles).
 
I just got my MIDI part in the mail today! Thanks so much, Peter!

Now, elfredoo, where and how do I install this little bugger? I'd really appreciate the help!
 
open the chassis, knob towards you upside down. on the left should be the midi board. pry off some cables if in the way, and pry off the old midi chip. check the new chip for straight legs and carefully push it into the sockets. be careful to watch all the little legs to go straight into the socket holes
 
Don´t forget the chip has a direction. There is a locator.
 
Sorry about reviving the old thread, but how in the hell do you remove the chassis? I have never done this before.
 
make sure to have a place to put the amp so when you remove the headshell you don't disturb the tubes.

I put magazines on a table and then position them on each end to hold up the amp with nothing touching the tubes.

To open the amp:
All you have to do is turn the amp over and unscrew the 4 screws. There are little wood supports inside so the amp won't drop out. Then you need to pull out the amp and set it upside down on the magazines. Then you will have access to the circuit board where you will find the midi chip you want to replace.

Hope this helps

GtarLover
 
GtarLover":3a56nqp1 said:
make sure to have a place to put the amp so when you remove the headshell you don't disturb the tubes.

I put magazines on a table and then position them on each end to hold up the amp with nothing touching the tubes.

To open the amp:
All you have to do is turn the amp over and unscrew the 4 screws. There are little wood supports inside so the amp won't drop out. Then you need to pull out the amp and set it upside down on the magazines. Then you will have access to the circuit board where you will find the midi chip you want to replace.

Hope this helps

GtarLover
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! So do you take out the tubes or leave them in?
 
i think he got it even with the inaccurate image of languages...
 
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