Midi Journey

[GrantB]

I'm terrified.

The new band requires way more tap dancing than I can bare. My two midi capable devices are important tone shippers - Line 6 HX Effects, and Boss SY-200 synth.

I have figured out that what I don't like is wasting all the time I could be playing and learning songs, programming switching. Therefore I resist the investment (time). I'm also worried I just won't be able to "get it"...I struggle with remembering how to create Scenes on the FX, let alone a multi faceted piece of work with parameters and pedals all controlled in one hit of a switch. Which, bye the way, is exactly what I require.

Has anyone here become a true guru between say something like a Morningstar, and a multi effects like the HXFX?

I really do need some help here.

[slash-ed]

Morningstar switchers have a very easy and intuitive editor interface.

MIDI for guitar players is basically really only three things:
- Program Change (PC) which is changing presets
- Control Change (CC) which is changing parameter values
- Tempo sync (self explanatory)

If you have everything setup on the HX and SY as different presets, you should really only have to get the Morningstar to send PC messages.

Just make sure to set the right send (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels from the switcher to the respective pedals. Then everything else is just making sure you have the right Program Change (PC) going out to each bit of gear.

[IMOCD]

I'm terrified.

The new band requires way more tap dancing than I can bare. My two midi capable devices are important tone shippers - Line 6 HX Effects, and Boss SY-200 synth.

I have figured out that what I don't like is wasting all the time I could be playing and learning songs, programming switching. Therefore I resist the investment (time). I'm also worried I just won't be able to "get it"...I struggle with remembering how to create Scenes on the FX, let alone a multi faceted piece of work with parameters and pedals all controlled in one hit of a switch. Which, bye the way, is exactly what I require.

Has anyone here become a true guru between say something like a Morningstar, and a multi effects like the HXFX?

I really do need some help here.

Lol, come on over to the dark side, you'll love it here.
I run 4 digital pedals through a morningstar MC6. I was bamboozled at first, but it really didn't take long to get the hang of it. Now I wouldn't be without it. The MC6 is really powerful but you can use it just for simple presets, no problem. My next step is to put an expression pedal into the mc6 and have the ability to control any larameter on my digi oedals, either singularly or as a group preset. I imagine this would be a lot of fun with a synth pedal!!
Morningstar have the best tutorials imo, and a lot of them focus on supporting the Helix too. @Zaulkin had one for sale a wee while ago. Happy to help on this journey if need be Grant.

[robthemac]

+1 for what Ed sed.

For your purposes, using Program Change messages from your HX to recall presets on your SY is probably the easiest way to go.

How are you doing it currently, out of interest? HX using different presets for each song?

[GrantB]

Thanks guys.

The HX has Snapshots which is kinda like having 4 slots per bank of any mix of the effects in said bank. A song like Dreams uses all four (as one needs to be clean bypass). So if I wanted a song with similar effects but in different orders etc I'd have to duplicate the Bank, and make four new snapshots with the new order of effects. This is a major limitation/pain in the arsse.

Because something like the Morningstar can do PC and CC I could do way more on the same bank without running out of spaces. Also, I could include the Synth in and out at the right time.

The new Morningstar has Set List and Song List options. I could pull up Dreams and bam, every iteration of change required.

Robbie, you're right, the HX can send to the SY, but it's on the same basis as say snapshots...so a snapshot would be consumed just for the synth bit.

Make sense?

[GrantB]

Morningstar switchers have a very easy and intuitive editor interface.

MIDI for guitar players is basically really only three things:
- Program Change (PC) which is changing presets
- Control Change (CC) which is changing parameter values
- Tempo sync (self explanatory)

If you have everything setup on the HX and SY as different presets, you should really only have to get the Morningstar to send PC messages.

Just make sure to set the right send (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels from the switcher to the respective pedals. Then everything else is just making sure you have the right Program Change (PC) going out to each bit of gear.

Thanks Ed - totally love your SY-200 demo. It made me buy it!

[AiRdAd]

Morningstar switchers have a very easy and intuitive editor interface.

MIDI for guitar players is basically really only three things:
- Program Change (PC) which is changing presets
- Control Change (CC) which is changing parameter values
- Tempo sync (self explanatory)

You've lost him already!! Hahaha

[Reg18]

Morningstar switchers have a very easy and intuitive editor interface.

MIDI for guitar players is basically really only three things:
- Program Change (PC) which is changing presets
- Control Change (CC) which is changing parameter values
- Tempo sync (self explanatory)

You've lost him already!! Hahaha

Simple if your that way wired, I could never get my head around the MC6 or midi but I’m the same with anything that resembles coding too.
I probably spent the best part of 2 days figuring out the MC6, I managed to program it to do what I wanted, but as soon as I decided I wanted to change how something was operating a few months later, I had to re learn how to do everything again and lost another half day while it downloads the latest update and I figure out what CC and PC was again. It will do everything you want though and the LCD with naming was great.
I ended up selling mine and going for a pre programmed Jet Micro midi switcher for my HX Stomp. No programming required which I’m much happier with.

[robthemac]

Thanks guys.

The HX has Snapshots which is kinda like having 4 slots per bank of any mix of the effects in said bank. A song like Dreams uses all four (as one needs to be clean bypass). So if I wanted a song with similar effects but in different orders etc I'd have to duplicate the Bank, and make four new snapshots with the new order of effects. This is a major limitation/pain in the arsse.

Because something like the Morningstar can do PC and CC I could do way more on the same bank without running out of spaces. Also, I could include the Synth in and out at the right time.

The new Morningstar has Set List and Song List options. I could pull up Dreams and bam, every iteration of change required.

Robbie, you're right, the HX can send to the SY, but it's on the same basis as say snapshots...so a snapshot would be consumed just for the synth bit.

Make sense?

I'll do some reading on the Stomp. The way you've described it sounds incredibly limiting.

[slash-ed]

Morningstar switchers have a very easy and intuitive editor interface.

MIDI for guitar players is basically really only three things:
- Program Change (PC) which is changing presets
- Control Change (CC) which is changing parameter values
- Tempo sync (self explanatory)

If you have everything setup on the HX and SY as different presets, you should really only have to get the Morningstar to send PC messages.

Just make sure to set the right send (Tx) and receive (Rx) channels from the switcher to the respective pedals. Then everything else is just making sure you have the right Program Change (PC) going out to each bit of gear.

Thanks Ed - totally love your SY-200 demo. It made me buy it!

Haha that's awesome!!

[GrantB]

OK. It seems I probably have more of an architecture challenge, rather than midi. The HX can manage my midi to the SY-200 perfectly fine.

It's how I work that into the HX with the snapshots that I need to sort out. Which seems unimaginable.

[GrantB]

BUT, I still have to make all these snapshots per song. So I can do Boost/Delay in one hit for eg...sigh.

Why can't it just be "blues in E"?!

[Lyle]

BUT, I still have to make all these snapshots per song. So I can do Boost/Delay in one hit for eg...sigh.

Why can't it just be "blues in E"?!

I'm pretty sure you can assign two effects to one button while in Stomp mode on the HX. I find that easier than having snapshots, but if you're also changing the order of effects I think snapshots is the way to go.

[GrantB]

BUT, I still have to make all these snapshots per song. So I can do Boost/Delay in one hit for eg...sigh.

Why can't it just be "blues in E"?!

I'm pretty sure you can assign two effects to one button while in Stomp mode on the HX. I find that easier than having snapshots, but if you're also changing the order of effects I think snapshots is the way to go.

Agree - Imagine having a song that is with one button push, Booster and Reverse Vol/Delay, then another button takes it to Flanger, then another to clean, and lastly Booster/Rev Delay/Echo and Reverb.

That's one whole Bank used with Snapshots. So, reality is, in Snapshot mode (which is the only way to get multi effects on and off with single clicks), is each bank is a song.

Painful reality.

[robthemac]

My ES-5 sounds so much easier to use...