Egnater M4 w/ Randall RT2/50

I recently purchased a Randall RT 2/50 and can't get it to do channel switching with my M4. Here is what I tried. (NOTE: All cables tested and are good). Opened RT and changed dip switch settings to channel 1. Then set M4 to channel 1. Cabling as follows..

Guitar -> M4 Input
M4 Output -> RT Channel 1 Input
RT Channel 1 Main -> Speaker Cabinet
RT MIDI IN -> M4 MIDI Thru

I cycled through all the channels on the M4 and assigned different channels with the RT by holding for more than 3 seconds (light did no flash like with M4). After this I tried selecting channels and the RT did not remember them. I also tried...

RT MIDI Thru -> M4 MIDI In

Just to be sure my MIDI hook up wasn't wrong.

One thing I thought of is I had S5 on the M4 in the ON position which means OMNI mode. Does this matter? I would think it wouldn't as it should make it so the M4 would work with the RT regardless of the MIDI channel.

Could it be a bad MIDI board? If so, how do I get a new one to get this thing fixed? Thanks a bunch. I realize this is my first post and I hate to start off with a problem. I've been stalking the board for a long time now. as I've been using the M4 and MOD50 together for years.

Hiya! Not sure if I completely understand the question...But if you are expecting to be able to switch channels on the RT by pressing the button on your M4 - it won't happen...My experience was similar as it sounds like it should work that way...The RT will only switch channels with each module if you use a footswitch....

Maybe I'm wrong but that's the only way it works for me....And that's always bugged me...It seems you should be able to assign a default Power Tube output to each module and switch any way you like...But gotta be the footswitch...Sorry....

Is this really true? I had no idea. I thought I could go in and assign RT channels to M4 channels manually without a footswitch. CRAZY! I have a GCP that I will be using, but I thought this would be a good way to make sure the channel switching works. If there is anyone out there that can help with this, that would be great. I have a GCX and GCP that I'm using. I have it set up using presets so that I can have a button select certain loops of the GCX. Example would be button 1 selects channel a of module 1 with a pedal in a different loop. I need to know how I would set this up so that the button would also select the right channel of the RT as well.

BTW, whereabouts in Michigan are ya? I'm near Detroit (Wyandotte)...I also use a GCP/GCX setup and don't know how to select specific channels on an M4 with it...I can switch between my RM4s but not between the actual modules in each bay...I know there's some very smart folks on this forum that use the same setup....Hopefully someone will be able to help you more than I....

Mattfig said:

BTW, whereabouts in Michigan are ya? I'm near Detroit (Wyandotte)...I also use a GCP/GCX setup and don't know how to select specific channels on an M4 with it...I can switch between my RM4s but not between the actual modules in each bay...I know there's some very smart folks on this forum that use the same setup....Hopefully someone will be able to help you more than I....

Click to expand...

I live in Huntington Woods. Basically Royal Oak right next to the zoo.

Yeah, I'm hoping to get this working and have it not be a fried MIDI board which I've heard can happen. We'll see.

Yes, according to the manual, you do need a footswitch, but it doesn't have to be the RF4 footswitch, it can be a MIDI controller. In case you don't already have it, here's an excerpt from RT2/50 manual on this subject:

PROGRAM CHANNEL SWITCHING
1. First connect a 5-pin MIDI cable from the THRU jack on RM4 or other MIDI guitar preamp, to the IN jack on the rear panel of the RT2-50.
2. First select the module or channel from your preamp that you will be assigning to the certain power tubes.
3. Once you have the selected the preamp channel, select which RT2-50 channel you want to program to this particular preamp channel.
4. After you have selected the preamp channel and RT2-50 channel you want to use, simply press and hold the RT2-50 channel select button for 3 seconds, and it is now programmed for that preamp channel.
5. Repeat this process to program any of your modules or preamp channels, to be used with the desired power tubes.
6. Once you have programmed all the your modules or preamp channels, to the specific power tubes, you can now use the RF4 or MIDI footswitch to select both the preamp and power tubes at the same time.
7. (SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE FOR PROGRAMMING THE FOOTSWITCH)


PROGRAMMING THE FOOTSWITCH
When using the RF4 MIDI foot controller (optional), it must be programmed to each channel, before it will work correctly. After connecting the RF4 foot controller to the MIDI in on the rear panel of the RM4, Please follow the list below to correctly program the RM4 with the MIDI foot controller.
1. First connect the RF4 using the 7-Pin MIDI cable to the IN on your RM4 or MIDI guitar preamp.
2. Push #1 button on the foot controller
3. Set to Channel 1 on the RM4 preamp. (Both the foot controller and the RM4 should be on Channel 1
4. Press & hold the Channel button on the RM4 for 2-3 seconds.
5. Push # 2 button on the foot controller
6. Set to Channel 2 on the RM4 preamp. (Both the foot controller and the RM4 should be on Channel 2.
7. Press & hold the Channel button on the RM4 for 2-3 seconds.
8. Repeat process for channels 3 & 4. Push #3 button, select to Channel 3 on the RM4, push the channel button for 2-3 seconds. Push #4 button, select to Channel 4 on the RM4, push the channel button for 2-3 seconds. If this process does not program the foot controller to the RM4, turn the unit off/on, and repeat the process. Please contact our customer service dept., if you should have any questions or problems.

bbaug14 said:

One thing I thought of is I had S5 on the M4 in the ON position which means OMNI mode. Does this matter? I would think it wouldn't as it should make it so the M4 would work with the RT regardless of the MIDI channel.

Click to expand...

You are correct - OMNI mode has nothing to do with it. All that means is that the M4 will transmit/receive on all 16 MIDI channels, ensuring that any other MIDI device connected to it will communicate. So if anything, OMNI mode would help in troubleshooting many problems by eliminating the possibility of a MIDI channel configuration issue . . .

I know this is an old thread. I stumbled upon it while searching for info on the RT2-50 midi system.

I had troubles switching the RT2-50 with my homebuild midi controller. It works just fine with both my RM100's and my RM4, and all my midi preamps, but I wouldn't work with my RT2-50.

So I took out the midi board of the RT2-50 for inspection, but couldn't find anything wrong with it. I got it working when I switching all dip switches to the oposite side.

Then I found this:
http://hugeracksinc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18866

and this:

http://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=59256

So it seems that from factory, the midi system is set to channel 16, at least on the RT2-50.

I just thought I would share.


grtz, Thijs

It's always worth checking this on any MTS amp. I have seen brand new amps have their default channels set all over the map, so there wasn't really tight controls on this for any of them.

I was/probably still am having this issue with an M4/RT250/GSP1101. Basement renovations have prevented me from running the M4 system. Hopefully soon I will get the system up & running to test & troubleshoot again.

Guys, I'm new here, but I ran into similar connection/control issues with my MidiMoose & RM100 heads. I figured maybe my heads werent set to channel 1 from the factory, so I tried every one of the 16 channels on the midimoose--nothing worked.

I finally got frustrated, turned everything off, plugged it all back together, then turned it all on...and it all worked together on channel 1. Lol it seems to not like unplugging/plugging in of the midi stuff while powered is all. Hope this maybe helps your troubleshooting.