Switching Channels by G System CC message using amp Gizmo

[bucketbot]

Is anyone using this method?
In theory I think it may be possible to assign 3 switches on the G to send midi CC messages to the amp Gizmo & use that to change channels on the amp.
The basic problem I see is that each press of the G sytem switch assigned to the CC number toggles between 0 & 127 so for that reason suspect it may not work as a CC value 0-63 on the Gizmo turns the switch off & 63-127 turns it on....... or is this automatically dealt with by putting the 3 switches on the amp gizmo assigned to the channels in a group?
The Mark V only has 2 switching Jacks for Channels 2 + 3. When both are ungrounded Channel 1 is engaged.

Lets say you use switches 2 + 3 on your amp gizmo to control channels 2 + 3 on your amp & control this by assigning Midi CC numbers to 3 of the switches on your G system for example CC's 88, 89 & 90 which are the default numbers for switches 1 -3 on the Gizmo.
You also put switches 1 to 3 in a group as they are controlling amp channels & obv you only want one active at a time.
I'm not sure how the custom cable works as at this time I have at present got neither it or an amp Gizmo hence the research before I buy so I can only try & explain by using my understanding of using the Switching jacks on the amp.
I propose plugging nothing into switch 1. The amp channel 2 jack connects to switch 2 & the amp channel 3 jack connects to switch 3.
Lets say we start with all the Amp Gizmo switches off so channel 1 would be engaged.
To engage channel 2 we press G system switch 2 which sends CC 89, value 127 engaging channel 2 on the amp. Great!
Similarly for Channel 3 by pressing G system switch 3 which sends CC 90, value 127 engaging channel 3 on the amp. Also Great!

Now comes the theory to select channel one we press G system switch 1 which sends CC 88 value 127, but because nothing is connected to that Gizmo switch & all 3 switches are in a group all that happens is switch 2 & 3 are broken hence Channel 1 is selected.
Great! All 3 channels selected! I'm guessing pressing this switch will always produce this result as it will always open the other 2 switches in the group?

All seems plausible to me so far......Now the problem.
I now want to select channel 2 again so by pressing switch 2 on the G system it will again send CC 89 but this time as value 0 as per the G system manual (which states each press of the switch toggles between 0 and 127) which will not turn the switch on which is what is required?

So what is the solution? I guess pressing the switch twice would work as on the second press a value of 127 would again be sent but then we are into tap dancing which rather defeats the object or maybe I am missing something obvious here?

Also one other possible plus point of using this method is that I assume that as the Amp Gizmo can receive both CC messages & Program change messages simultaneously in theory you could assign a channel to each patch by saving the amp gizmo switch assignment according to the PC message sent from the G System & also change channels within a patch using the CC method by pressing the 3 G system switches after setting them up as above...... if it works of course!

 

[ifailedshapes]

Have you posted this on the TC forum?

 

[bucketbot]

Have you posted this on the TC forum?

Yes I did...& on the RJM Forum too.

 

[FFFDFEFRFKFFF]

I know this won't probably help at all but I have the G system mini amp gizmo and I'm after the same kind of thing you are. I believe it should work but I'm having issues getting it set up. I want to go one step more though and set up the Boost button on the G System to dis/engage the Mark's solo boost. I think it should all work but its been an SOB to try to set up and won't work for me so I'm going to spend this weekend pulling my hair out with it. Good luck with the quest sir.

 

[LPJunky]

A bit of the same here. GT-10 + Mini+Amp Gizmo. I wanted to engage the boost on the MkV with CC. And I was able to configure the CTL foot switch to send the CC message but I had intermitent problem. Could never figure out if the GT-10 MIDI implementation was at fault. As for program changes command the Mini Amp Gismo always responded flawlessly.

One thing, I was using the special cable for the MkV to MiniAmp Gizmo. That cable let your select whichever combination of the 8 functions that were on the original MkV foo twitch. As for the original cable connection, this special cable connetion to the back of the amp can be a bit finicky at times. Definitively, the weakest point of this amp (connection cable/amp).

 

[bucketbot]

A bit of the same here. GT-10 + Mini+Amp Gizmo. I wanted to engage the boost on the MkV with CC. And I was able to configure the CTL foot switch to send the CC message but I had intermitent problem. Could never figure out if the GT-10 MIDI implementation was at fault. As for program changes command the Mini Amp Gismo always responded flawlessly.

One thing, I was using the special cable for the MkV to MiniAmp Gizmo. That cable let your select whichever combination of the 8 functions that were on the original MkV foo twitch. As for the original cable connection, this special cable connetion to the back of the amp can be a bit finicky at times. Definitively, the weakest point of this amp (connection cable/amp).

OK...good to know. :?
That being the case may consider going with the Gizmo rather than the mini Gizmo. I coiuld then go with the TS switching jacks on the Mark V & avoid the RJM amp cable as I can still switch channels Boost & EQ with this method. :wink:

Also can you tell me which switches on the Mini amp Gizmo do which of the 8 functions?

 

[bucketbot]

I know this won't probably help at all but I have the G system mini amp gizmo and I'm after the same kind of thing you are. I believe it should work but I'm having issues getting it set up. I want to go one step more though and set up the Boost button on the G System to dis/engage the Mark's solo boost. I think it should all work but its been an SOB to try to set up and won't work for me so I'm going to spend this weekend pulling my hair out with it. Good luck with the quest sir.

Good luck! If you suss it out let me know! :wink:

Also curious to know what kind of Global & loop level settings did you end up with for your G System?

 

[LPJunky]

...

Also can you tell me which switches on the Mini amp Gizmo do which of the 8 functions?....

Naturally first 3 were for the 3 channels (I put those three as a group). I'll update tonight when I get close to it

 

[bucketbot]

Naturally first 3 were for the 3 channels (I put those three as a group). I'll update tonight when I get close to it

Pretty sure No 6 is for Solo. :wink:

 

[bucketbot]

Also if anyone wants some labels for their G for this application I made some up.

See here:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B0...NDFiYi00OTc3LWFlN2EtMWNlYjY1NmY3Yzg3&hl=en_GB

 

[LPJunky]

Also can you tell me which switches on the Mini amp Gizmo do which of the 8 functions?....

Naturally first 3 were for the 3 channels (I put those three as a group!)

1 -> CHANNEL 1
2 -> CHANNEL 2
3 -> CHANNEL 3
4 -> GEQ
5 -> FX LOOP
6 -> SOLO BOOST
7 -> MUTE
8 -> REVERB

 

[bucketbot]

Great! THanks!

Pretty much dedcided to go for the Amp Gizmo & the amp cable. This will give me the option of switching one of my other amps too. with the TRS jacks.

Have also had some contact with Ron at RJM & it seems the logic of what I am suggesting here is sound so it should all work OK as I am proposing.
When I get home in a couple of weeks will try it all out & post my results. :mrgreen:

 

[bucketbot]

Great! THanks!

Pretty much dedcided to go for the Amp Gizmo & the amp cable. This will give me the option of switching one of my other amps too. with the TRS jacks.

Have also had some contact with Ron at RJM & it seems the logic of what I am suggesting here is sound so it should all work OK as I am proposing.
When I get home in a couple of weeks will try it all out & post my results. :mrgreen:

I may have to fine tune it but this is basically what I plan to do: :mrgreen:

 

[bucketbot]

I have now tried this & it works a treat!!
It works best if you set the 3 G system switches to Hold rather than Toggle then assign the rlevant CC number to each switch which for me as I used the default on the Amp Gizmo was:
88 for CHN 1.
89 for CHN 2.
90 for CHN 3.

When you do this it is not necessary to double tap any of the switches & a single press will engage the relevant channel from within a patch & disengage the previous channel (Of course all 3 must be grouped on the Amp Gizmo) & the Light around the G System Switch comes on only momentarily then stays off.

Assigning another switch to toggle mode with CC 93 turns the Solo function on & off with each press. :mrgreen:
You could of course do the same for any of the 8 switchable functions on the footswitch as long as you have the RJM custom cable.

 

[bucketbot]

Further to above I just spent the morning putting it all together. 8)
Must say it has turned out better than I could have hoped.
Even before with my existing setup with the 2 X100B’s in stereo I was getting good results with the G System so I feared that introducing a third head into the mix may cause all sorts of problems....Not so!
I modified my G System Global setup slightly as the Lehle D Loop has as buffer incorporated which according to Lehle is the same as the one on the Lehle Sunday Driver, so as some others on the G Forum who are using this with the G System have done I have reduced my G System Input Gain to 0db & just dialled a slight increase in with the buffer. Everything else on the G System is set at zero attenuation for best SNR.

Even the X100B’s sound better now & I am getting no tone loss that I can detect from any of the 5 channels that I now have.
I have my Wampler Buffer up on eBay as I no longer need it. The only place I needed an Ebtech was at the Slave out on the Mark V, making the connections one at a time that was the only place I started to get hum but the Ebtech got rid of it so I now have almost no hum even on the High Gain channels.
Because the Lehle D Loop AB switch has all 6 of its Jacks wired as stereo it allows me to take advantage of the balanced features of the G System insert loop for BOTH preamps.
I am using balanced cables for everything apart from a short TS cable between the Mark V Slave out & the Ebtech.
The D loop switches by midi between the 2 preamps flawlessly with no delays or popping.
This can be done patch by patch or within a patch using the 2 buttons on the D Loop which can be assigned with any combination of Loop A, B & the Buffer on or off.

I also have the Mark V set to hard bypass of the loop as I am not using it anyway & using the Slave out into the G system insert loop via the Lehle Dual Switch to give me both the pre & power amp sections of the Mark V into the G System.
This sounds so much better to me, the only downside is it bypasses the Master Volume so you have to set your volume with the individual Channel masters. In a way this makes things easier as it's simpler to balance the volume of the Dry Mark V with the 2 Wet X100B's.
Also it bypasses the Solo Function on the Mark V but to be honest I don’t really need that as kicking in my modded SD-1 works great for pushing the font end of either preamp a bit more, plus that frees up another switch on the G system.
Switched to Variac mode down to 10W the Mark V even sounds awesome at Low Volumes.

Even the wiring is a breeze to setup as I have only 2 cables running from the G system; an 8 way cable snake & the Amp Gizmo Mark V custom cable & I have everything labelled with dymo tape.

I am also managing to power my mini Amp Gizmo just fine from the G system power outputs. So I only have the G System plug & a power supply for the Lehle on the pedal board Happy Days!!

:mrgreen:

 

[bucketbot]

I spent today trying it out with just one X100B head & the Mark V in a stereo setup using the Mark V Effects loop instead of the Slave out.

That is also working out great & I ended up with similar Global settings on the G System as before apart from turning the Buffer up slightly on the Lehle D Loop.

The Mark V & X100B power amp sections seem to work well togetether & produce a great stereo mix.