No MIDI Channels switching on Mark V????

[Uncle Muscles]

PIcked up a combo yesterday and I am sad to say that there is no midi switching on this amp. This is a major bummer for me as I need to run a single midi pedal setup that can switch channels as well as do midi changes for effects. Major drag.

 

[rispsira]

No man mesa boogie still didnt get into the whole midi thing (except for the TA, but not heads). Instead they use regular jackswitches. I think the best thing for you to do like i did is get a ground control system by voodoolab (GCX+GCP) and control all in one switch of a button; all the effects, channels, loops etc

 

[Uncle Muscles]

No man mesa boogie still didnt get into the whole midi thing (except for the TA, but not heads). Instead they use regular jackswitches. I think the best thing for you to do like i did is get a ground control system by voodoolab (GCX+GCP) and control all in one switch of a button; all the effects, channels, loops etc

That is like what... another $1500? Plus you need the Wah/CC controllers - plus the extra rack space - plus the cabling bullshit and then programming all of this...

Look - Boogie got the amp right and the lack of midi WRONG! all that crap could be eliminated with a simple midi channel switcher. A $2200 over engineered guitar amp debuting in 2009 should have the- IMHO - no brainer - MIDI functionality. This isn't 1989 when midi was still somewhat radical for guitar players (debate-able)- this is 2009. Midi is how we control our crap!

Thinking about taking it back. Seriously... I've got 3 days.

 

[boof]

I thought that was a bit lame as well. would have been nice to have midi on the amp.... I am wondering if there is some reason behind that. other boogies have about everything you would ever want (read road king) but midi.. on the feature side that is my biggest disappointment with the mark v. Still looking forward to playing one soon.

 

[iFreedom]

PIcked up a combo yesterday and I am sad to say that there is no midi switching on this amp. This is a major bummer for me as I need to run a single midi pedal setup that can switch channels as well as do midi changes for effects. Major drag.

The website shows a midi female for foot switch beside the fan on/off switch. The last picture at the very bottom on this link (click on The Full Story on the left) :
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Mark_Series/mark5/mark5.html

Is this not what your looking for? (sorry, don't know a lot about midi)

 

[Fixxer6671]

Look at RJM..

That will do what you want for less.

 

[zizybalooba]

There are a number of gadgets on the market that can handle this task. The Behringer FCB1010 MIDI pedalboard has 2 programmable switches designed to control basic analog amp switch functions. Axxess Electronics sells a box that can control 4 separate switch functions via MIDI. Sound Solutions (my own choice) make a number MIDI controlled router/switchers that have relay controlled switch outputs.

The last thing I would have expected to see on a Mark series amp would have been any kind of MIDI control. It's not something that's indigenous to an amp with this kind of history. Adding such programmable functions would have been against the spirit of it's design. My setup is knee deep in MIDI controlled stuff and I wouldn't let this omission kill my desire to check one out. My Mark IIB needs a partner.

 

[Elpelotero]

Axess Electronics CFX4. $150. Controls everything, but not sure if it'll suit your needs.

 

[Uncle Muscles]

Axxess FX CFX4 is $159 + $50 for the Mark V cable - which doesn't exist as of this writing. Plus then you have 4 cables to plug into the amp - and then you program it. Then you program your midi controller - then you cross your fingers...

I don't know about you - but I have way too much to worry about setting up at shows than my guitar rig. We've got PA stuff, wireless stuff, vocals and lights, etc... I like it real simple. Guitar should be the easiest link in that chain. This is the advantage of multi-effects processors. This is the advantage of buying guitar equipment in the new millennium. A midi switchable amp is a modern convenience. It has nothing to do with tone - and it is available on several other high end modern amps. I'm not talking about midi PROGRAMMABLE - which would be asking a lot (though this amp would be perfect with that - as there are so many good tones in all channels).

How many of you still **** in an outhouse? A working toilet bowl in your house is a very neat an efficient modern convenience that doesn't cost a lot of money or take up a lot of space - but it sure does make life easier. Same thing with midi channel switching. A new amp - should be faithful to the old versions - and then have some modern conveniences and improvements. Think of all those bullshit cables and workaround boxes and pointless intermediate midi programming you could just throw out if you could just switch it all through midi. I am afraid it is probably going to be a deal-breaker for me.

 

[phyrexia]

You, um, didn't realize this before you spent $2200 on a guitar amp?

I am buying a GCX/GCP or equivalent once I receive my V...

Also, if you're crossing your fingers when you're programming your MIDI gear, maybe you should just read the directions.

 

[phyrexia]

The website shows a midi female for foot switch beside the fan on/off switch. The last picture at the very bottom on this link (click on The Full Story on the left) :
http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Mark_Series/mark5/mark5.html

Is this not what your looking for? (sorry, don't know a lot about midi)

That is just a 7-pin MIDI input for the stock footswitch.

 

[Uncle Muscles]

You, um, didn't realize this before you spent $2200 on a guitar amp?

I, um, asked when I checked it out at the Boogie Store and the guy said yes. Perhaps he didn't know what I meant? It does after all "look" like a 7 pin midi switch when looking at it. It's all good. There's lots of amps out there these days. Probably going back tomorrow.

Enjoy your workarounds. 8)

 

[mrcomputer]

Sounds like there'll be a used Mark V at the Boogie Hollywood store.

While my rig has the capacity to do so, I haven't had the luxury of being able to tie a specific pre-amp patch with a specific group of effects (doing more covers than originals these days) so separately selecting which 'channel' I need is not a problem for me. If I'm reading your posts correctly, you don't want to use the Mark V footswitch.

That being the case, I think I would go the midi switcher route before I would give up a Mark V. You can make the cables yourself, the MIDI switcher maps easy enough, and the Mark V has the jacks specifically for that purpose.

Whatever you do, I hope it works out for you.

Too bad it's not a head - I'd be asking your price.

jbw

P.S. I thought that footswitch jack was 7-pin DIN not MIDI. - jbw

 

[phyrexia]

You, um, didn't realize this before you spent $2200 on a guitar amp?

I, um, asked when I checked it out at the Boogie Store and the guy said yes. Perhaps he didn't know what I meant? It does after all "look" like a 7 pin midi switch when looking at it. It's all good. There's lots of amps out there these days. Probably going back tomorrow.

Enjoy your workarounds. 8)

Well, Mesa's used 5 pin and 7 pin MIDI cables on their amps for 10 years or so. Plus, I figured if you saw the back of the amp it would be fairly apparent because the amp still has external switching jacks. The 7 pin jack on the back is labeled "footswitch," not "MIDI IN". Also, wouldn't you think Mesa would have made a bigger deal if the amp was MIDI controllable? I just think it's strange you're making a big fuss about the Mark V lacking a function that was never advertised or intended.

Sounds like you should be angry at the salesguy at Hollywood for giving you bum information.

I can't think of more than a handful of amps that are MIDI controllable. JVM, Diezels, what else? ENGL?

Your clips sound great now that I've listened to them fully

 

[madryan]

I can build you a full MIDI switching rig that you can roll in, pop the covers, plug in your amp and toss your footswitch out and be ready to rock. Only a couple of amps offer MIDI control. Personally, given that most people wouldn't utilize it, or that the amp is getting built into a MIDI rig already where a CFX4 will do everything you need, I'd just as well not pay the extra for the onboard MIDI.

But then I build monster rigs... :twisted:

 

[Gizzorge]

Honestly, i wonder waht percentage of vustomers of the Mark V need midi switching? I bet 10% if even that. Also, the full story has been up on Mesa for months, so maybe you should have read through that a little more.......

Would you prefer a less sounding amp with midi, or and amp that you love the tone, but with no midi..?

 

[Uncle Muscles]

I've just been playing for an hour - it is now after midnight - you could talk over the volume level - and all 3 channels - no **** - sound amazing. The 10 watt mode is just nutz. This is a very versatile amp.

I think I need to do another demo... :wink:

 

[Shang Chi 66]

I've just been playing for an hour - it is now after midnight - you could talk over the volume level - and all 3 channels - no sh!t - sound amazing. The 10 watt mode is just nutz. This is a very versatile amp.

I think I need to do another demo... :wink:

By all means my friend, please do!

As I said, the first one was very cool! And don,t forget about that thick, liquid solo sound on your Pauls neck pickup, if you would be so kind sir!

The endless sustain for days, thats what I want to hear!

 

[boof]

I kinda think the point of the original post was that there is a need to spend more money on additional equipment that in turn takes up additional space in a rack, and additional power sockets. Even though people gave some great suggestions Fixxer6671 with the RJM. I have an RG-16 as well and it is a great unit and is so **** easy to set up and use the amp cable for an xtc custom 101b and im done.

 

[rabies]

1) get a triaxis

2) if you return to mesa hollywood, a) tell them to **** off! and b) you get up to 7 days for store credit only.

In my defective stiletto case, I got a credit back to my card but that is typically an exceptional case.