I understand that the MIDI Box is needed for ensuring MIDI is transmitted through pedals that are bypassed and am wondering if its possible to simply set the pedals carrying the MIDI signal to a mix of 0 instead of bypassing them entirely and if this would negate the need for the MIDI Box. For example, if my signal chain has a Source Audio Collider and a Strymon Volante, can I just set the Collider to a mix of 0 so that it remains active but doesn’t affect the signal but allowing the MIDI signal to pass through? And, if so, are there any problems with this approach that I’m not thinking of? Thanks!
Wouldn’t it be simpler to allocate each midi pedal to a separate midi channel so only the midi messages sent to each channel acted on the specific message?
Not familiar with the Volante personally but both should pass midi through in their off state as long as they’re still powered. Like @Hawkins76 said just make sure they’re all on separate channels and you shouldn’t have any problems. Unless I’m mistaken, as long as the pedal has a midi through port and the setting in the pedal is correct it will pass the messages as it sees them.
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It would be, yes. My question was based in the understanding that the MIDI Box was required to pass a MIDI signal through a MIDI-enable pedal that is bypassed. If that’s not the case, and the MIDI Box WILL send a signal through a pedal even if its bypassed, then I should be good to go but am confused about the benefit of the MIDI Box beyond adding MIDI connections. Is that its only benefit then, or am I missing something? Thanks for the insights!
The midi box will send midi over TRS. It won’t bypass or stop signal being sent and pedal’s active or bypassed state doesn’t typically affect its ability to pass midi.
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I’m sure there’s exceptions but if your pedals have midi thru (or some will say midi out and you’d need to check the manual if it passes through or not) then you wouldn’t need a midi box. I have 2 chains of midi coming out of my MC6 but that’s just convenience cause some of my pedals have TRS instead of the standard 5 pin. I could easily send out of the MC6 to the first pedal thru to the next and so on.
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Yeah … basically plug cables into the MC’s 5 pin din out and/or plug cables into the omniports (and configure them for MIDI) and then plug them into your pedal’s midi in socket, whatever that looks like. Just daisy chain it.
Assuming the MC (and other midi devices) can reach it, a pedal will receive midi whether or not it’s engaged or bypassed. Midi is, essentially, “always on”
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The Volante and the Collider both have 5-PIN MINI In/Out, but I think that requires their proprietary Neuro Hub (which is lame).
I think I’m good then with just the MC6 running into and through the Volante to the Collider but will need to add the MIDI Box if and when I want to send MIDI signals through a pedal that that doesn’t have a MIDI through/out port. Thanks, all!
If your MIDI devices has a MIDI Thru port then you can chain as many MIDI pedals as you like. If your MIDI device is a “dead-end” device with no MIDI thru, then you’ll need a spare MIDI port, or a MIDI Box. You can’t connect multiple MIDI devices to one MIDI port as the signal may not be strong enough to power multiple opto-isolators, among other things.
There’s where the MIDI Box comes in. It buffers your signals and does an “active split” of the MIDI signals into multiple signals.
Every MIDI device will receive all MIDI signals but will only respond to the MIDI message that matches it’s MIDI channel, or a “global” MIDI message like MIDI clock.
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The Source Audio Collider is good to go with 5 pin Din midi and doesn’t require the hub to work correctly.
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I know I’m good with the Collider…the one I’m not sure about is the Vertigo. Source Audio says it requires their Neuro Hub but I’m not sure if the MIDI Box can cover the same ground?
Does the midi box provide usb host? If yes it’ll work if no it won’t. There are alternatives to the hub but not many… eg some of the disaster area boxes. Also SA are working.m on a cable that will do the job of connecting just one legacy pedal but no idea on eta yet…
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Good to know…I’m not planning to get more from that series of SA pedals so it feels like a rip-off to sink $100 to connect a $150 pedal but I’m jonesing for a MIDI, stereo enabled harmonic tremolo and it seemed like it was the Vertigo or the Strymon Flint which sounds great but costs $350 and I don’t need Reverb…I’m open to other ideas…but, if the MIDI Box won’t connect to Vertigo, then I might just have to wait for that cable to come out. Thanks for the heads up.
I’ve asked about the cable!!
… and the answer is “two months”
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The Collider doesn’t need a Ghost hub to work with midi. I have the Collider in my rig and it works perfectly with standard midi 5 pin Din. The Collider responds to PC and CC messages - I can vouch for this 100%. The smaller one series pedals require a Ghost but not the Collider, Ventris or Nemesis which have a document detailing the midi implementation.
Yup. I’m good on the Collider. The Vertigo is the one that would’ve needed the Neuro Hub but, if @moley6knipe is right, and there’ll be a cable in two months, I’d be good to go juts adding the MIDI box to the MC6.
I appreciate you, @moley6knipe!
Yo, will this work with a C4?
If it’ll work on the Vertigo, I would assume so…