tonesponge
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I've been working on a twenty channel Egnater head for a while, and I finally got it working today, although with only 8 modules right now, so it's only 16 channel until I get two more modules. I'm posting this info to let you know how I did it in case you want to do it or something similar. The info should apply to expanding any amp with an effects loop using either Egnater M4s or Randall RM4s.
I'm using a mod 50 head and two M4s, with an Axess Electronics GRX4 guitar router/switcher, and Axess Electronics BS2 buffer splitter, and a Rocktron Midi Mate. The switching is totally transparent. No pop at all. In order to switch three preamps, the BS2 buffer/splitter has to have a 2nd isolation transformer installed in the SPLIT OUT jack/position, so make sure you have this option installed when you order it. According to Mario at Axess Electronics, here's how to hook it up.
guitar -> BS2 IN
BS2 Main OUT -> Mod 50 IN
BS2 ISOD OUT -> M4#1 IN
BS2 SPLIT OUT -> M4#2 IN
Mod 50 FX SEND -> GRX4 Loop 1 RTN
M4#1 OUT -> GRX4 Loop 2 RTN
M4#2 OUT -> GRX4 Loop 3 RTN
GRX4 OUT -> Mod 50 FX RTN
I purchased an older GRX4 from Brent Duersch, and it has different labels and maybe some different functions. I had to put the M0d 50 preamp on Loop 4 of the GRX4 because Loop 1 turned out to be dedicated to GRX4 output A, and loops 2-4 turned out to be dedicated to to GRX4 output B. So I just connected the Mod 50 FX SEND -> GRX4 Loop 4 RTN and used GRX4 output B as the GRX4 OUT.
Programming the Midi Mate turned out to be my biggest obstacle, because this was my first experience with MIDI. Jim Chowning at Rocktron traded about twenty emails helping me get the Midi Mate programmed properly. That is some awesome customer service.
Here is how to program a version 2 Midi Mate. You can tell the version of your Midi Mate because it is displayed briefly when the unit is turned on.
On the Rocktron Midi Mate
Hit 2nd once
Hit #6 twice and the display will scroll MIDI channels and stop at S1CH 1
Hit #6, six times paging thru until you get to B5CH OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set the Midi channel for button 5 to 1, B5CH 1
Hit #6 and go to B6CH OFF
Again use the bank/adjust switches and set for channel 1, B6CH 1
Hit #6 once again and set button 7, continue this until you have buttons 5 thru 8 all assigned to channel 1.
Once button 8 has been set hit #6 three more times to get to the controller assignments section. The display will stop at PEDCH OFF
Hit #6 twice to BTN5 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN5 84
Hit #6 once to BTN6 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN6 85
Hit #6 once to BTN7 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN7 86
Hit #6 once to BTN8 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN8 87
Hit 2nd to exit the editing mode.
Now buttons 5-8 should turn the loops on and off when in controller mode on the midi mate. Be careful to turn on only one loop at a time. Stepping on a button turns an off loop on and an on loop off.
Next go to instant mode and recall presets by entering, for example, 01 to recall preset 1.
With preset 1 recalled, use the button on the mod 50 or M4 that you want assigned to that preset to switch to the desired channel for the preset. Then store the preset for that channel on your preamp by holding the channel selector button on the preamp in for three seconds. I am told that the Randall products have a separate store button for this purpose.
Without recalling a different preset, switch to controller mode and select one of the buttons 5-8 to turn on the loop for the preamp that you are using. Make sure by the indicator light on the midimate and on the GRX4 that only one loop is on, and that you are using the correct loop.
Hit 2nd
Hit store
Repeat these steps for each preset you use.
Operate the Midi Mate in Instant mode to switch through all twenty channels at will with two button access. If you prefer one button acces then, you can set up ten cnannels on, say, presets 40-49, and another set of ten channels on presets 50-59. Then you can recall any preset between 40-49 in instant mode, and then enter bank mode to get one button access to presets 40-49. Then, you can switch to intant mode and recall any of presets 50-59, return to bank mode, and get one button access to those presets. So you can get one button access aithin a bank of 10 presets, but you have to hit four buttons to switch between banks. If you are using Randall products or the older single channel Egnater modules, then you can probably get all ten channels in one bank.
If you are using a version 1 Midi Mate, then it looks like the steps are the same. If you get stuck, write Rocktron for assistance and please post the solution here.
Cheers!
I'm using a mod 50 head and two M4s, with an Axess Electronics GRX4 guitar router/switcher, and Axess Electronics BS2 buffer splitter, and a Rocktron Midi Mate. The switching is totally transparent. No pop at all. In order to switch three preamps, the BS2 buffer/splitter has to have a 2nd isolation transformer installed in the SPLIT OUT jack/position, so make sure you have this option installed when you order it. According to Mario at Axess Electronics, here's how to hook it up.
guitar -> BS2 IN
BS2 Main OUT -> Mod 50 IN
BS2 ISOD OUT -> M4#1 IN
BS2 SPLIT OUT -> M4#2 IN
Mod 50 FX SEND -> GRX4 Loop 1 RTN
M4#1 OUT -> GRX4 Loop 2 RTN
M4#2 OUT -> GRX4 Loop 3 RTN
GRX4 OUT -> Mod 50 FX RTN
I purchased an older GRX4 from Brent Duersch, and it has different labels and maybe some different functions. I had to put the M0d 50 preamp on Loop 4 of the GRX4 because Loop 1 turned out to be dedicated to GRX4 output A, and loops 2-4 turned out to be dedicated to to GRX4 output B. So I just connected the Mod 50 FX SEND -> GRX4 Loop 4 RTN and used GRX4 output B as the GRX4 OUT.
Programming the Midi Mate turned out to be my biggest obstacle, because this was my first experience with MIDI. Jim Chowning at Rocktron traded about twenty emails helping me get the Midi Mate programmed properly. That is some awesome customer service.
Here is how to program a version 2 Midi Mate. You can tell the version of your Midi Mate because it is displayed briefly when the unit is turned on.
On the Rocktron Midi Mate
Hit 2nd once
Hit #6 twice and the display will scroll MIDI channels and stop at S1CH 1
Hit #6, six times paging thru until you get to B5CH OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set the Midi channel for button 5 to 1, B5CH 1
Hit #6 and go to B6CH OFF
Again use the bank/adjust switches and set for channel 1, B6CH 1
Hit #6 once again and set button 7, continue this until you have buttons 5 thru 8 all assigned to channel 1.
Once button 8 has been set hit #6 three more times to get to the controller assignments section. The display will stop at PEDCH OFF
Hit #6 twice to BTN5 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN5 84
Hit #6 once to BTN6 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN6 85
Hit #6 once to BTN7 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN7 86
Hit #6 once to BTN8 OFF
Use the bank/adjust switches and set for controller number BTN8 87
Hit 2nd to exit the editing mode.
Now buttons 5-8 should turn the loops on and off when in controller mode on the midi mate. Be careful to turn on only one loop at a time. Stepping on a button turns an off loop on and an on loop off.
Next go to instant mode and recall presets by entering, for example, 01 to recall preset 1.
With preset 1 recalled, use the button on the mod 50 or M4 that you want assigned to that preset to switch to the desired channel for the preset. Then store the preset for that channel on your preamp by holding the channel selector button on the preamp in for three seconds. I am told that the Randall products have a separate store button for this purpose.
Without recalling a different preset, switch to controller mode and select one of the buttons 5-8 to turn on the loop for the preamp that you are using. Make sure by the indicator light on the midimate and on the GRX4 that only one loop is on, and that you are using the correct loop.
Hit 2nd
Hit store
Repeat these steps for each preset you use.
Operate the Midi Mate in Instant mode to switch through all twenty channels at will with two button access. If you prefer one button acces then, you can set up ten cnannels on, say, presets 40-49, and another set of ten channels on presets 50-59. Then you can recall any preset between 40-49 in instant mode, and then enter bank mode to get one button access to presets 40-49. Then, you can switch to intant mode and recall any of presets 50-59, return to bank mode, and get one button access to those presets. So you can get one button access aithin a bank of 10 presets, but you have to hit four buttons to switch between banks. If you are using Randall products or the older single channel Egnater modules, then you can probably get all ten channels in one bank.
If you are using a version 1 Midi Mate, then it looks like the steps are the same. If you get stuck, write Rocktron for assistance and please post the solution here.
Cheers!