Bluguitar amp1

TheBigDipper

thailand_steve said:

@drwiddly so the units with MIDI learn are the older or new models?

They're newer, Steve. 

TheBigDipper

FWIW, although I don't use MIDI myself, that's not because it didn't work - once I worked it out.  I used MIDI from my keyboard for several weeks to change channels and run the Power Soak. Once I had it programmed it stayed programmed. I then picked up a used Remote1 from eBay for the same price as a MidiMouse pedal and now use that instead at home. 

thailand_steve

I've about given up on being able to have full MIDI control of the Amp1 via the ES-8 but I did manage to get an channel switch (clean/dirty) simply by plugging a mono cable from CTL1/2 on the back of the ES-8 into the footswitch jack on the Amp1.  I then turned CTL1 to ON and saved it to patch 00.1, turned it back OFF and saved it to patch 00.2.  These patches are easily re-saved to other locations, effects added and the precious ability to switch from clean to dirty with a single tap is maintained.  Apologies if this is overtly obvious  to some.......but there are probably a few other dummies like me out there who might benefit from this one ;-)

TheBigDipper

You're using the ES-8 to simulate a simple latching foot switch, yes? I'm using a real one, but the functionality is the same. If the ES-8 can simulate a second foot switch, then you could use that to turn the boost on/off if you like how the boost sounds rather than an external pedal. 

I store three channel/boost/reverb combinations within AMP1 itself (recallable using the three foot switches  on the unit) plus a 2-button foot switch to switch the clean channel in/out and the boost on/off. That's enough for me to be getting on with, and I don't use many pedals, so I don't need a pedal switcher like the ES-8.

I'm still curious about ES-8 MIDI support, though. Maybe the issue lies there rather than in the AMP1? Like I wrote, my use of MIDI and the AMP1 was that it worked reliably - but my source of MIDI commands for the AMP1 was an M-Audio Code49 keyboard. I programmed the PC commands into the drum pads and used a slider to send CC030 values for the Power Soak. I've never owned a MIDI floor controller. I wonder if people using FCB1010s have issues, for example? 

I used to have another MIDI keyboard that also was documented to send MIDI commands which you could program. Using MidiMonitor (a MacOS app, and sending my MIDI to my MacBook over USB) I found out that this keyboard sent the command I wanted when a key was pressed but then sent another when the key was released. I never got the AMP1 to support MIDI control using that one - it used to freeze on me until I switched it off and on again. There was no was of stopping the keyboard release from sending something and the AMP1 couldn't handle it. 

Anyway, if you're moving on and have something that works for you, great! I'm sure few people learnt to play guitar just so they could become MIDI programmers... 

monquixote

The MIDI not working was one of the many reasons why I sent mine back to Thomann.

TheBigDipper

monquixote said:

The MIDI not working was one of the many reasons why I sent mine back to Thomann.

Just curious, @monquixote, can you remember, did you have an AMP1 that supported MIDI Learn or was it a set of pre-programmed commands in the manual? Did your MIDI1 cable look like the one currently on the Thomann website? I've read suggestions that the manufacturer of the cable changed (and been told the first ones looked different). 

It looks possible to me that 'early adopters' may have had some MIDI issues that Bluguitar doesn't seem to have acknowledged in public. Most people wouldn't know or care, I guess, but I'd quite like to get to the bottom of this for other people.

I'm the only person I'm aware of who seems to have an AMP1 that responds to my MIDI commands. And I don't actually want to use MIDI to control it, I was just testing to see if it was a worthwhile game for me to get into. Oh well... 

monquixote

I had a very early one within a month or two of them coming out.

The MIDI cable I had looked broadly like the one that's currently on Thomann. I don't remember if it had MIDI learn the only thing I remember is that the MIDI would just get into a particular state as soon as you sent a command and then get stuck. 

I had some communication with BluGuitar, but ultimately that and several other factors meant that I had no confidence in the product and sent it back within the return period.

TheBigDipper

monquixote said:

I had a very early one within a month or two of them coming out.

The MIDI cable I had looked broadly like the one that's currently on Thomann. I don't remember if it had MIDI learn the only thing I remember is that the MIDI would just get into a particular state as soon as you sent a command and then get stuck. 

I had some communication with BluGuitar, but ultimately that and several other factors meant that I had no confidence in the product and sent it back within the return period.

Ta. 

thailand_steve

@TheBigDipper ;TheBigDipper said:

I'm still curious about ES-8 MIDI support, though. Maybe the issue lies there rather than in the AMP1? Like I wrote, my use of MIDI and the AMP1 was that it worked reliably - but my source of MIDI commands for the AMP1 was an M-Audio Code49 keyboard. I programmed the PC commands into the drum pads and used a slider to send CC030 values for the Power Soak. 

I've been corresponding with Thomas Blug regarding the MIDI control issue and he's absolutely convinced that the issue lies with the ES-8.  He suggested that I test using a different controller so I've gotten my hands on a Korg Workstation.  I'd like to ask you which software you used to get your keyboard to connect to the Amp1?  Does it have to be a Korg program or can I use something else?  Sorry, I'm completely new to this MIDI thing.

Cheers,

Steve

TheBigDipper

Hi Steve. Absolutely nothing. The M-Audio Code 49 keyboard lets you set up a MIDI command (channel, command type, value, etc.) and then sends it to MIDI Out and off it goes. It also lets me assign the command to a pad or a fader (which is how I sent the CC030 for the Power Soak) As I moved the fader it continually sent CC030 and a value between 0 and 127 (based on the the fader position). I used to do something similar with an Alesis M25 before it broke.

If the workstation has a USB port, then you can send MIDI to your computer over USB. If it's a Mac, there is a free software product called Midi Monitor that logs the MIDI commands you send onto a system log you can look at. That's how I worked out I was sending the correct commands from the keyboard before I plugged into the AMP1. There is bound to be something similar for Windows. 

What Korg is it? I'll take a look at the documentation to see if I can point you in the right direction. 

thailand_steve

Hi Norm, the Korg is a TR Workstation, quite old - I think 2009 production year - but that doesn't matter now.  Would you believe I got the ES-8, Amp1 and H9 all playing nicely together, at last!  The solution was quite simple, if not completely obvious, at first.  When you write a patch on the ES-8, you enter 'Patch MIDI (1-8) and then on the next screen you select your MIDI channel, PC#, etc.  I tried using Patch MIDI1 at first and when that didn't work, I tried Patch MIDI2 & Patch MIDI3, also no luck.  Today, just for fun, I tried using Patch MIDI8, MIDI Channel 1 (Amp1 only works on this channel) lo and behold, it worked!  Next, I tried sending some PC commands to the H9 on MIDI Channel 2 (as configured in the H9 settings) and it didn't work.  So I switched to Patch MIDI7, MIDI Channel 2 and that did the trick as well.  So now, on a single patch, I've got the Amp1 channel/boost/reverb setting as well as the H9 program that I desire and of course all the analogue pedals are easy to punch in and save there as well.   I'm a happy camper today!  I'm not sure if I explained this adequately so if anyone has any questions, feel free, cheers

TheBigDipper

So pleased you've got it all working  

So, to recap - your AMP1 MIDI support works as documented (listening only on channel 1, as per the manual), your H9 MIDI support works as documented (you've chosen to use channel 2 for that) and the MIDI setup of the ES-8 wasn't quite as obvious as you might have liked but that also works as it should too? 

Sounds like a result to me! 

I never tried to use MIDI for anything until I got an AMP1 - I didn't have a MIDI device of any kind until then. I learned MIDI can be a powerful beast, yet complex and fragile if (like me) you're learning as you go. Like all software, the problem always manifests itself at at presentation layer (in this case, the AMP1 not responding) when the issue is actually buried somewhere else. 

There's another active thread on TFB about MIDI and the only advice I could give is make sure every device you want to control using MIDI can listen on different channels so one foot switch press on your controller can send out multiple MIDI commands in one go to the different units so they (and you) don't get confused. Sounds like that's what you've done with your ES-8 now. 

thailand_steve

@TheBigDipper, ;guess what?  I got the ES-8, Amp1 and H9 all playing nicely together, at last!  The solution was quite simple, if not completely obvious, at first.  When you write a patch on the ES-8, you enter 'Patch MIDI (1-8) and then on the next screen you select your MIDI channel, PC#, etc.  I tried using Patch MIDI1 at first and when that didn't work, I tried Patch MIDI2 & Patch MIDI3, also no luck.  Today, just for fun, I tried using Patch MIDI8, MIDI Channel 1 (Amp1 only works on this channel) lo and behold, it worked!  Next, I tried sending some PC commands to the H9 on MIDI Channel 2 (as configured in the H9 settings) and it didn't work.  So I switched to Patch MIDI7, MIDI Channel 2 and that did the trick as well.  So now, on a single patch, I've got the Amp1 channel/boost/reverb setting as well as the H9 program that I desire and of course all the analogue pedals are easy to punch in and save there as well.  If I didn't explain this adequately, feel free ask, cheers!

thailand_steve

Ah, I reposted my message thinking the first time it didn't go through!  But yes, 2 MIDI devices and any combination of analogue pedals are working well now.  As an update, I also got the CC commands working (2nd volume, gain and power soak).  Some further tweaking is needed but I can confirm that the ES-8, Amp1 and H9 can all work together, as advertised.