Boss VG-800 MIDI Dictionary?

MIDI Control Boss
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I have an MC-8 Pro incoming, which is my first Morningstar purchase. I downloaded the app ahead of time and don’t see any support yet in the MIDI Dictionary for the VG-800. Is that incoming or will that be a case of RTFM and do it old-school? MIDI dictionary seems to be an amazing resource and one of the reasons I bought the pedal.

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Hi,

unfortunately th vg 800 like most boss devices uses ‘assigns’ for midi control. You have to set up a CC# (source) and a ‘target’ in the ‘Assigns’ menu of the vg 800. There are 16 assigns per memory. To find out which functions can be a ‘target’ check the parameter guide of your vg 800.

Because of the ‘assigns’ it doesn’t make sense to add the vg 800 to the dictionary.

I hope you aren’t new to midi? Just had a quick look at the parameter guide. Given the track record boss has with their midi implementation you are in for quite a ride :sweat_smile:

1 Like
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The Assigns are very flexible and powerful though. On the VG-800 it’s16 Assigns per fx memory slot and the VG-800 offers up to 50 custom banks with 3 fx memory slots per bank. So 150 memory slots total and each of those can have 16 different custom Assigns.

So for any Boss pedals with Assigns and the MC8 PRO, I like to have commands on the MC8 PRO first choose the Boss memory slot with “Msg 1” in the Morningstar Editor and then affect the custom Assigns for that memory using “Msg 2… 3… 4” etc. Sometimes I have multiple memory slots that are the same fx but each with 16 different Assigns to manipulate different parameters.

Looking at it this way has really helped me open up the most control of these Boss fx pedals. Hope that helps you too!

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Thanks again GW! Pretty basic knowledge of MIDI. Just what I gleaned using Gigrig G2. Getting the feeling I am indeed in for quite the ride! Might just start out with my Whammy DT or Tonex to ease into it before trying to get the boss stuff working and going too deep down the rabbit hole! :zany_face:

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Thanks Marc! Appreciate your insight! I use VG-800 mainly for the custom tunings, so will be interesting, seeing how I can get those working with MC-8 Pro.

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Roland/BOSS SysEx documentation is quite challenging, even to the initiated…

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Roland/BOSS MIDI documentation is easily some of the worst I’ve ever encountered.

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Have u gotten your stuff set up??

I have same set up.

Can’t get the effects to toggle.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Steve

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Hi Steve,

Unfortunately after Guitar Wolf’s comment I reached for some pedals that I thought might be easier as a first foray! Anyone with a VG-800 down to help a couple of brother’s in Midi out?

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I added some screenshots of my system for programming with BOSS assigns in another thread: Boss VG-800, Midi, Headache - #14 by magnedek

Maybe it’s helpful 4 u :crossed_fingers: