Channel switching a nomad head w/midi?

[wilsonthemany]

Hi, I have a nomad 100 head and I would like to control it via midi. Unfortunately it does not have remote switching 1/4" jacks like a rectifier or a mark IV. The footswitch meant for the amp is connected by one of those midi cables with the extra pins, designed to carry power to the footswitch I believe. Is there any sort of adaptor box or cable that I could buy to switch the nomad 100 with standard midi program switching control messages?

Please let me know if this is possible. The mesa footswitch is just too cramped and I'd like to be able to simplify my setup and control everything with my boss gt-3. Thanks!

 

[ylo]

Axess Electronics has a unit (CRX4) for $150 plus $50 for special cable.

If you can find a MIDI switcher with true momentary relays, this will work as follows.

Drill holes in the back of the Nomad footswitch. Connect isolated quarter inch audio jacks wired to each of the three channel switches. Run audio cables to an external MIDI switcher with true momentary relays.

I tried this with the Nobels MS-4 MIDI Switcher, but this unit, when in momentary mode, activates TWO momentary states, 1) it configures itself to resend the last known state, then 2) it activates the combination of momentary switches you have selected. This works fine with Nobels effect pedals, but confuses the Nomad amp. Stay tuned for the Nobels MS-4 PRO, otherwise try the Axess unit.

 

[strumminsix]

Behringer makes a pedal board that should be able to control both the boss and channel switch.

Here is the link:
http://www.behringer.com/FCB1010/index.cfm?lang=ENG

Just read the manual and it is there:

Switch 1 and 2. Use these jacks to connect your amplifier for channel selection (mono or stereo phone jack cable).

 

[cvansickle]

I use the Axess CFX4 with my Nomad combo. It can handle five functions on a Nomad, so with a 100 you have to give up either the reverb, eq, or solo boost on/off function. I never use the solo boost, since I use lots of pedals, so I gave up that one.

I control the Nomad and lots of other midi devices with a simple RFX MidiBuddy on my pedalboard. No sound signal passes through the CFX4, so it absolutely will not mess with your tone.

Mario Marino at Axess Electronics is the best!

http://www.axess-electronics.com/

 

[ylo]

The Behringer will not work with the Nomad. Wrong connectors, latched not momentary, and only two switches, not 5.

 

[ylo]

I stand corrected. I found a way to wire two latched switches, such as those in the Behringer FCB1010, to a DIN plug to replace the Nomad footswitch entirely.

See http://training.tcelectronic.tc/Files/Training/TCSI/images/answers/770/NOMAD_GMajor.pdf

You will have to use two mono jacks instead of one stereo. This will control the three channels, but not the boost, reverb or EQ.

The Nomad amp uses a one signal wire with different voltages to activate the different channels. The Nomad footswitch has momentary switch to latched converter circuit with different reference voltages to interface with with the amp through the cable with DIN connectors.

 

[necrophonic]

The Nomad amp uses a one signal wire with different voltages to activate the different channels. The Nomad footswitch has momentary switch to latched converter circuit with different reference voltages to interface with with the amp through the cable with DIN connectors.

Can anyone verify if this is true for triple recs?

I've looked at the internals of the pedal and it actually says "nomad" in one position (where it looks like it's saying, if this is for a nomad, put the resistor here, else put it where it says "recto") - so it seems the only main difference is that the triple rec uses a 7 pin DIN (two pins of which aren't connected) as opposed to the 5 pin DIN used by the nomad.

Looking at nomad schematics (there don't appear to be any around for the 3 channel dual/triple recs) the pcb looks pretty much similar but is it?

Any advice? I'm based in the UK so phoning Mesa direct isn't the most practical thing and the only contact email they have is for website queries.

Thanks all!

 

[ned]

+1 for Axess, customer service is incredible. Axess sells a cable that bridges the CFX with Rectos.

 

[ylo]

Hello Necrophonic. I could not find a triple rec schem either, but it sounds like it uses a version of the same Nomad footswitch and switching logic.

I got MIDI to work with my Nomad footswitch with a Nobels MS-4 by building a small box to convert latched (Nobels output) to momentary. Then I ran the outputs from this box via 1/4 cables and jacks to the momentary footswitch buttons inside the Mesa footswitch. This way I can use BOTH midi and the Mesa footswitch on my pedalboard independent of each other.

The box uses 100 mfd capacitors, resistors and four low current relays, powered by 9 volts. I already had the Nobels MS-4 and dozens of the same relays that it uses, so I figured I would try building this thing. It works fine.

Another approach: If you can figure out the voltages and pins used on the DIN cable for the triple rec, you can wire a midi controlled relay unit like the Nobels to a power supply and a network of resistors to get the right voltages as the Nobels switches, then connect this to the DIN cable.

Yes, it is simpler just to buy the Axess unit and cable than to get into all this.

 

[eaeolian]

+1 for Axess, customer service is incredible. Axess sells a cable that bridges the CFX with Rectos.

+2. I've had a CFX4 with my Triple since I got it in 2001, and it's been flawless. I keep meaningto send it back to Mario to get the DIN cable mod done, but I don't want to re-do my cable harness. :lol: