Who's programmed a Rocktron Midi Mate with a VH4???-solved

[James Lugo]

I'm in hell. I'm so not good at this s**t. Is there anyone who can walk me through this on the phone or on this thread?

I want it simple;

I want channel 1 - 4 on the Midi Mate to switch channel 1- 4 on the VH4
I want channel 5 - 8 on the Midi Mate to switch channel 1 - 4 on the VH4 with effects loop engaged

I ran a small cable jumping the effects loop, I want to use the effects loop as a lead boost for the different channels.

Help!

james
818 259 0190
james@jameslugo.com

 

[smdb]

Are you getting anything? I don't have a Rocktron but it should not be too hard. It will be worth it once you figure it out.

As far as the amp goes, once you get the midi pedal communicating with the amp, you just hit the store button on the VH4 twice. hit it once and it should flash , hit it again and it is stored in the amp.

You may to to set the amp in omni mode, and then verify if the pedal needs to have jumpers moved or something.

I use a cheap Rolls Midi Buddy and it work out of the box with the VH4.

 

[James Lugo]

We can't get the Midi Mate to communicate to the VH4. We read both manuals, I'm such a schmuck when it comes to midi.

 

[smdb]

make sure you have the vh4 in omni mode so it will see all midi messages coming at it. have you tried a different midi cable? i have had them f*^& with me before.. i dont remember offhand if 5 or 7 pin midi cables make a difference.

 

[James Lugo]

I ordered a 7 pin but I'm using a 5 pin with the power supply right now. I think we had it in omni mode many times.

 

[James Lugo]

I am so surprised at how elusive this is. There's no Rocktron forum and only 1 decent youtube vid on the MM and nothing really on how to program the VH4. I feel like an idiot but I can't figure this out. I think all the gear is fine, I'm just missing something. If anyone knows how to do this I will pay you for your time to walk me through it on the phone tomorrow.

818 259 0190

 

[nbarts]

James, what have you tried?
How do you try to program it?
Do you happen to have a midi keyboard around?

 

[James Lugo]

James, what have you tried?
How do you try to program it?
Do you happen to have a midi keyboard around?

Man I'm licked! Boof called me tonight and we duked it out for almost an hour and couldn't get it going. I don't know what's up, Im gonna try and take it to Tone Merchants in the morning if they are in and see if one of their controllers works. This is so frustrating and I'm so unhip to midi pedals to begin with... Boof's a cool mofo, he really tried to help. I suspect something is up somewhere because nothing we did had any effect on the amp. Maybe the controller? Cable? Amp? Me being a dork? lol

 

[EXPcustom]

My friend had a Rocktron Midi Mate and could not get it to work worth a damn, so he got a Ground Control Pro and never looked back, he was using it with a VH4 as well.

I dont know crap about programming Midi so I really cant help other than recommend getting the Voodoo Labs Ground Control Pro.

 

[James Lugo]

My friend had a Rocktron Midi Mate and could not get it to work worth a damn, so he got a Ground Control Pro and never looked back, he was using it with a VH4 as well.

I dont know crap about programming Midi so I really cant help other than recommend getting the Voodoo Labs Ground Control Pro.

Yeah that may be the case, this MM seems like a confusing piece.

 

[steve_k]

James,

Was just thinking here...did you get your VH4 new or used? If used, someone could have rewired the Midi connection on the VH4. Standard 7 pin MIDI has pins 1 and 6 hot. Data transfer on 4 and 5 and continuous controller data on 2 and 3. If someone had an existing 5 pin system and they wanted it phantom powered from the VH4, they would have to rewire the connector. Just a though.

Also, I wonder if the MIDI is working at all. You can go through the MIDI programming on the VH4 and everything lights up as usual? BTW, there is a fuse on the Midi panel on the VH4. If you had a mind to, you could pop the chassis out and check it using probes and a voltmeter or looking at it.

You have to program the VH4 for what it needs to do when a certain program change is made. It should be in Omni mode. You can read in the manual how to do that. The pedal should be set from the factory in the proper settings. But, since you have done some work on it, go through the factory reinitialization procedure. Set the MM for bank mode and press switch #1. Decide on the VH4 what you would like for it to do when bank 1/switch 1 is activated. Refer to the VH4 manual for this. Make sure the light flashing is completed when doing the mode button.

It should work here. If not, take a 16 pound sledge hammer to it, put it in a box and send it back and buy something that we all recommended that we know works! I don't have one of these, but I do have an All Access and it is a high end piece of kit and way more than you need. Hell, it is more than I need.

Steve

 

[James Lugo]

James,

Was just thinking here...did you get your VH4 new or used? If used, someone could have rewired the Midi connection on the VH4. Standard 7 pin MIDI has pins 1 and 6 hot. Data transfer on 4 and 5 and continuous controller data on 2 and 3. If someone had an existing 5 pin system and they wanted it phantom powered from the VH4, they would have to rewire the connector. Just a though.

Also, I wonder if the MIDI is working at all. You can go through the MIDI programming on the VH4 and everything lights up as usual? BTW, there is a fuse on the Midi panel on the VH4. If you had a mind to, you could pop the chassis out and check it using probes and a voltmeter or looking at it.

You have to program the VH4 for what it needs to do when a certain program change is made. It should be in Omni mode. You can read in the manual how to do that. The pedal should be set from the factory in the proper settings. But, since you have done some work on it, go through the factory reinitialization procedure. Set the MM for bank mode and press switch #1. Decide on the VH4 what you would like for it to do when bank 1/switch 1 is activated. Refer to the VH4 manual for this. Make sure the light flashing is completed when doing the mode button.

It should work here. If not, take a 16 pound sledge hammer to it, put it in a box and send it back and buy something that we all recommended that we know works! I don't have one of these, but I do have an All Access and it is a high end piece of kit and way more than you need. Hell, it is more than I need.

Steve

I don't know Steve. Some guy pm'ed today and said his friend had a VH4 and bought the Midi Mate and couldn't get it to work and got a Voodoo Labs Ground Control and it was perfect. But I don't want to some monstrosity on the floor. I sing and play at the same time and the ground control would be in my way, I want something small. Thanks for the help man. I'm gonna get back on this in a few hours. What a pain in the ass.

JL

 

[steve_k]

James,

Was just thinking here...did you get your VH4 new or used? If used, someone could have rewired the Midi connection on the VH4. Standard 7 pin MIDI has pins 1 and 6 hot. Data transfer on 4 and 5 and continuous controller data on 2 and 3. If someone had an existing 5 pin system and they wanted it phantom powered from the VH4, they would have to rewire the connector. Just a though.

Also, I wonder if the MIDI is working at all. You can go through the MIDI programming on the VH4 and everything lights up as usual? BTW, there is a fuse on the Midi panel on the VH4. If you had a mind to, you could pop the chassis out and check it using probes and a voltmeter or looking at it.

You have to program the VH4 for what it needs to do when a certain program change is made. It should be in Omni mode. You can read in the manual how to do that. The pedal should be set from the factory in the proper settings. But, since you have done some work on it, go through the factory reinitialization procedure. Set the MM for bank mode and press switch #1. Decide on the VH4 what you would like for it to do when bank 1/switch 1 is activated. Refer to the VH4 manual for this. Make sure the light flashing is completed when doing the mode button.

It should work here. If not, take a 16 pound sledge hammer to it, put it in a box and send it back and buy something that we all recommended that we know works! I don't have one of these, but I do have an All Access and it is a high end piece of kit and way more than you need. Hell, it is more than I need.

Steve

I don't know Steve. Some guy pm'ed today and said his friend had a VH4 and bought the Midi Mate and couldn't get it to work and got a Voodoo Labs Ground Control and it was perfect. But I don't want to some monstrosity on the floor. I sing and play at the same time and the ground control would be in my way, I want something small. Thanks for the help man. I'm gonna get back on this in a few hours. What a pain in the ass.

JL

Yep. Welcome to the MIDI world. Sometimes it is a pain in the ass. I will get a rack made up, wired and then start programming and say to hell with it, get the pedalboard back out and keep it simple. That's why I had suggested the Tech 21 Midi Mouse to you, I know it works. If you aren't running a GCX and loops, there is no use in using the Ground Control Pro as it is a little over the top.

One thing that is a requirement for me is that the controller be phantom powered. Even some 7 pin stuff that you buy may not work with the Diezel. Different currents at varying voltages in the Midi controller system in the amp may not jive with the amp.

Now, another option you can consider, seeing that you can get nowhere with Rocktron and the other companies with no tech help, or junk made in China, is to go to http://www.rjmmusic.com and check out the Mastermind. It is not too expensive and Ron is only a phone call away. It is about the same size as the MM, and much more stage dependable. Ron knows his MIDI and is a good guy to have on the hook in times of need for us technically challenged!

You could always go with the Diezel. It is the only one that is plug and play and the big blue lights on the controller will reduce stage lighting requirements! Its a bit expensive for an electronic channel selector but, it works and you know help is not far away here. If you are controlling 8 functions, they will all be right there on one bank waiting for you.

Steve

 

[PaulyPanacea]

Shoulda bought the Midi Moose...i plugged it in...set it & was playing in minutes. I love Rocktron stuff...but its a pain in the ass sometimes.

 

[James Lugo]

Shoulda bought the Midi Moose...i plugged it in...set it & was playing in minutes. I love Rocktron stuff...but its a pain in the ass sometimes.

I learned the hard way, heading to tone merchants now.

 

[James Lugo]

I'm at Tone Merchants, we plugged it in down here and it worked perfect. It took 30 seconds to program. Wow, I'm speechless.

 

[scoeb city]

I'm at Tone Merchants, we plugged it in down here and it worked perfect. It took 30 seconds to program. Wow, I'm speechless.

which one works now? the midimoose or the midimate? and if it was the midi mate, what were you doing wrong?

 

[James Lugo]

It's the Rocktron Midi Mate, it works perfect. Not sure what the deal is maybe I didn't plug it all the way in. Just set the rig up at home and works perfect. Strange....

 

[smdb]

Good to hear!

 

[steve_k]

It'd the Rocktron Midi Mate, it works perfect. Not sure what the deal is maybe I didn't plug it all the way in. Just set the rig up at home and works perfect. Strange....

Not plugged in all the way! Glad you got it working. Shit, wish I could just pop down to Tone Merchants anytime....

Let's see, which award for 2010 shall we give the new Midi master, James?

Steve