AX8 + external midi controller

MisterE said:
Midi specs state that MIDI works at a rate of 31.25 (+/- 1%) Kbaud or 10 bits for a period of 320 microseconds.
I should expect that any device should be able to handle about 70 messages per second.
Click to expand...
That's just the speed of the physical layer, not the speed of message processing.

Similarly, a gigabit Ethernet connection can handle a gigabit per second, but your computer isn't always ready to process the stream at that speed.
 
Hi,

I currently build my own Arduino based MIDI 5 button foot controller for scene selection (1-4) and alternatively looper control. Scene selection is already working. But it's still an issue to synchronize my status LED's with those built in the AX8 and it's display. How well does this work with other controllers?

Juts now I stumbled about the fact that there seems to be no CC for looper control mode? Is this really missing, or do I miss something. I don't want to use the F-switches.

Thanks,
glombi
 
Update:

My controller hardware is finished. 10€ material cost for the case, 10€ for the foot switches and <10€ for the electronics. In total less than 30€. The arduino is a perfekt platform for projects of this kind. Okay, making the case took some time and I had to re-learn pgrogramming at first. But this project was not about making a cheaper or better MIDI footswitch. I just wanted to know if I could make something like this, and if I could make it exactely the way I want it to:
  • Scene selection works like a charme (select scenes 1 to 4). The foot switches LED are synchronized with the scene LED of the AX8.
  • Looper control (REC, PLAY, UNDO, DUB) is also working, but I need to put some more work into programming the synchronization of the LED...
  • I can also attach two external expression pedals or footswitches. The pedals can be calibrated by pressing 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 simultaneously. The calibrated values are stored permanently. This was really only a learning project, at the moment I don't have any application for this. I didn't want the arduino to die, if accidentally a TS plug (external footswitch) was inserted, instead of a TRS plug (external expression pedal). So I added a resistor network to the input jack, which limits the current flow, but also causes an expression pedal to behave non-linear. Need to find out how this is solved in the AX8 sometimes.
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glombi said:
Update:

My controller hardware is finished. 10€ material cost for the case, 10€ for the foot switches and <10€ for the electronics. In total less than 30€. The arduino is a perfekt platform for projects of this kind. Okay, making the case took some time and I had to re-learn pgrogramming at first. But this project was not about making a cheaper or better MIDI footswitch. I just wanted to know if I could make something like this, and if I could make it exactely the way I want it to:
  • Scene selection works like a charme (select scenes 1 to 4). The foot switches LED are synchronized with the scene LED of the AX8.
  • Looper control (REC, PLAY, UNDO, DUB) is also working, but I need to put some more work into programming the synchronization of the LED...
  • I can also attach two external expression pedals or footswitches. The pedals can be calibrated by pressing 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 simultaneously. The calibrated values are stored permanently. This was really only a learning project, at the moment I don't have any application for this. I didn't want the arduino to die, if accidentally a TS plug (external footswitch) was inserted, instead of a TRS plug (external expression pedal). So I added a resistor network to the input jack, which limits the current flow, but also causes an expression pedal to behave non-linear. Need to find out how this is solved in the AX8 sometimes.
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That is very cool!

I had no idea you could get an external board to control the scenes! May I ask how do you connect it to the Ax8? Through usb or midi?
 
It's MIDI, sending the appropriate CC's. Any programmable MIDI controller should do the job, the codes to be configured are documented in the manual...
 
Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum.
I found this thread while trying to address some probelms with the AX8 and incoming midi.
I build guitars with Midi controllers. I'm attempting to use CC data to control the
parameters of the AX8 for Pitch Whammy, Filter sweeps, Modulation, etc.
I'm noticing a lag of up to 5 seconds in processing the data from my controller.
It's completely unusable!
Major bummer that the AX8 has so much trouble with Midi CCs.
Good to see that i'm not the only one who's experiencing this issue.
If anyone has a work around or ways to improve it, please let me know!
Cheers!
 
Also very curious if the AX-FX II XL has the same delay issues with incoming Midi CC?
If I upgrade from the AX8 will these problems go away?
 
Ben Lewry said:
Hi Guys, I'm new to this forum.
I found this thread while trying to address some probelms with the AX8 and incoming midi.
I build guitars with Midi controllers. I'm attempting to use CC data to control the
parameters of the AX8 for Pitch Whammy, Filter sweeps, Modulation, etc.
I'm noticing a lag of up to 5 seconds in processing the data from my controller.
It's completely unusable!
Major bummer that the AX8 has so much trouble with Midi CCs.
Good to see that i'm not the only one who's experiencing this issue.
If anyone has a work around or ways to improve it, please let me know!
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Mine is virtually instant, I can tell no difference from midi or actual ax8 foot switches.
Can you look closer at what is being sent, with a midi monitor of some kind ?
5 seconds sounds like something is wrong somewhere else in your chain.
 
Callan said:
Mine is virtually instant, I can tell no difference from midi or actual ax8 foot switches.
Can you look closer at what is being sent, with a midi monitor of some kind ?
5 seconds sounds like something is wrong somewhere else in your chain.
Click to expand...

I have instant results as well, if I'm sending On/Off type messages (0 or 127) to turn on and off various effects.
However the delay I'm experiencing occurs when I use a variable control (0 through 127) to control the parameters
of an effect. For example sweeping a filter or using a Wah or Pitch effect. This variable control sends significantly more data, and
it seems the AX8 will take a few seconds to process it, causing the delay.
 
Ben Lewry said:
I have instant results as well, if I'm sending On/Off type messages (0 or 127) to turn on and off various effects.
However the delay I'm experiencing occurs when I use a variable control (0 through 127) to control the parameters
of an effect. For example sweeping a filter or using a Wah or Pitch effect. This variable control sends significantly more data, and
it seems the AX8 will take a few seconds to process it, causing the delay.
Click to expand...
Right, I get you now.
Can you use internal ax8 features to generate the movement, rather then sending every individual change?
IE, use one of the controllers, then just trigger the start via midi?
 
glombi said:
Update:

My controller hardware is finished. 10€ material cost for the case, 10€ for the foot switches and <10€ for the electronics. In total less than 30€. The arduino is a perfekt platform for projects of this kind. Okay, making the case took some time and I had to re-learn pgrogramming at first. But this project was not about making a cheaper or better MIDI footswitch. I just wanted to know if I could make something like this, and if I could make it exactely the way I want it to:
  • Scene selection works like a charme (select scenes 1 to 4). The foot switches LED are synchronized with the scene LED of the AX8.
  • Looper control (REC, PLAY, UNDO, DUB) is also working, but I need to put some more work into programming the synchronization of the LED...
  • I can also attach two external expression pedals or footswitches. The pedals can be calibrated by pressing 1 & 3 and 2 & 4 simultaneously. The calibrated values are stored permanently. This was really only a learning project, at the moment I don't have any application for this. I didn't want the arduino to die, if accidentally a TS plug (external footswitch) was inserted, instead of a TRS plug (external expression pedal). So I added a resistor network to the input jack, which limits the current flow, but also causes an expression pedal to behave non-linear. Need to find out how this is solved in the AX8 sometimes.
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Very cool @glombi. Mind sharing all the details? I've got an arduino sitting here waiting to be used. Cheers.
 
Update:
I've thinned the data stream from my controller by adding a very small delay loop.
Everything is working great now! Guitar controller is quick and responsive with realtime expression controls.
Wah and pitch sound amazing!
Rock!
 
@jarabuandi

I will try to, but will need some time, as I don't have complete schematics, but used several weblinks for inspiration... But I could share the code, which contains detailed explanations and some more pictures.
 
scottburrow said:
I bought an MC6 from Morningstar. I use it for all kind of stuff. Controlling scenes, presets, Effects, H9 effects. I have one bank for my H9 looper I just switch on one preset to pull up the preset and the bottom three to record, play and stop. I have another three footswitches in the aux switch one for bank up, one for bank down and one for the AX8 tuner.


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Its killing me waiting for them to be in stock and they disabled preorders.
 
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