Cheapest way to get MIDI control of a Road King?

[JonnyNonsense]

Hello fellow Mesa owners!

I am investigating the option of using a G-Major 2 system with my Road King 1. I am in the UK.

However it seems as the RK isn't Midi capable, it is necessary to spend £400 getting a Mini Amp Gizmo, or Ground Control Pro unit.

It seems to me a cheaper option would be just to get the amp modded to be able to use midi - there is a midi mod available from Sherlock amps. Once you have that, you can just use a cheap footswitch like the Behringer FCB1010. Yet it doesn't seem like many people take this option.

So, has anyone on this board got their Mesa modded to be Midi capable? Or is there a cheaper way to be able to use a G-Major 2 with my Road King?

It seems crazy to spend as much money on making the amp midi capable as on the FX unit itself.

 

[adewsuisse]

From what I can see, the Sherlock Midi Mod isn't an amp mod, it's an outboard MIDI amp switcher just like the Mini Amp Gizmo.

I use a Mini Amp Gizmo with my DR / G-Major 2 rig. Easy to set up and works perfectly. Yes, it costs a bit, but it's a very solid peice of kit and can be used with any other non-MIDI amp that you may use in future.

 

[JonnyNonsense]

Well, the website says this 'The Midi Mod is also sold in kit form for the DIY types and consists of all the parts for a basic installation into an amp or a stand alone switcher as shown above'.

So it looks like their kits is designed to actually be built into the amp, which is pretty cool.

I think this would be my first choice, if it doesn't work maybe I'll go with the Amp Gizmo. Thanks for responding.

 

[JMMP]

That kit can be made standalone or installed into the amp. I can't see modifying a Road King adding value to it, even something as useful as MIDI. If you are set on DIY, I would make it standalone, because later on if you want to make a different amp Midi capable, you just switch the plugs. All that said, I would still buy the RJM. Where are you getting that £400 number? In British Pounds, a MAG and Road King cable is £260 from Toneworld, RJM's UK dealer. In Australia, where Sherlock Amps is located, a MAG is 250AUD from Deluxe Guitars, RJM's Australia dealer.

Both units do not control the tuner mute/ext trigger, but the Sherlock only controls one loop, whereas RJM will control both loops. If you live in Australia, I guess there is competition, but if not, I would choose RJM.