USING THE H90 AS A MIDI CONTROLLER TO CHANNEL SWITCH AN AMP …

[apalazzolo]

In another thread “DaGuy wrote:
Hello, just got my H90. Very cool despite my limited knowledge. 1. … Can a CTL be configured for channel switching an amp? Thanks!”

I thought the question worth a thread of its own so I started this one.

Without suggesting I know the answer 100% I offer these thoughts in case they are at least close enough to prompt a helpful discussion.

Taking a simplified case in which one wants to channel switch as well as change program/preset parameters in the H90 (without changing programs – that might be another whole thread) when switching between rhythm and leads, it seems one could do this by dedicating an aux switch for this purpose.

NON-MIDI AMPS:

It seems I could craft each program/preset such that one hotswitch or the hotknob would always be dedicated to switching between lead/rhythm functionality. Then I could globally link that hotswitch or hotknob to an external aux switch so that hitting that one external switch would change the specified parameters of a program but also transmit a midi command to a relay device like the one shown in the attachment (MIDI SOLUTIONS – RELAY). The relay device would, in turn, channel-switch my non-midi amp without a separate midi controller. Thus, my H90 and my amp could coordinate using the one external aux switch.

With my limited knowledge I’m guessing that one MUST use an external aux switch or exp pedal linked to hotswitch or hotknob functionality because the H90 manual says:

“MIDI Transmit allow you to use controllers such as aux switches and expression pedals as MIDI controllers by having the H90 transmit corresponding MIDI CC messages.”

Thus, I assume that the H90 does not generate and transmit MIDI commands when one steps on any of the three footswitches on the H90 itself.  Can anyone confirm that assumption?

MIDI AMPS:

I’m not familiar with the exact protocols of any particular MIDI amp, but I’d guess that the scheme above would work without the relay device discussed above.  That is as long as I could map the control change command from the H90 (a hotswitch or hotknob command as proposed above) to a command that could be recognized by any given amp.  Some MIDI devices allow such a mapping via software and that may apply.  One would need to confirm details like that for any given MIDI amp.

If this is correct, it seems this approach could easily be adapted to control one or more other MIDI capable devices instead of or in addition to this relay. It seems this approach would work with H9s as well but there are more aux switches available with the H90.

Thoughts?

 

 

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[tbskoglund]

apalazzolo wrote:

Thus, I assume that the H90 does not generate and transmit MIDI commands when one steps on any of the three footswitches on the H90 itself. Can anyone confirm that assumption?

This is correct. Currently, you cannot transmit the H90’s internal controllers such as a HotKnob or HotSwitch as a MIDI CC, you can only map an external controller (expression pedal or aux switch) as a CC.

Yes, your proposed example should work with the correct MIDI transmit and global mappings for the aux switch. Cool idea!

 

[pkdawg]

Just piggybacking of this.  Could the H90 work with something like this midi amp changer from Suhr?  https://www.suhr.com/product/micro-midi-control/

Ideally it would receive midi from the H90 then via TRS cable would change the channels on an amp like Mesa Mark V.

I don’t have an H90 yet and doing my research before I pull the trigger.

[tbskoglund]

Yes, that would work the same way described above – Aux Switch > H90 > MIDI CC > Suhr amp switcher.

[apalazzolo]

That is pretty slick.  I wish I knew that this would work but I don’t.  Maybe Suhr would know.

The Midi Solution Relay I mentioned has software to ensure command compatibility:  https://midisolutions.com/progtool.htm

I don’t think I’d feel comfortable trying this without some software like that.

Please report back if you get some answers about the Suhr device.

 

[apalazzolo]

OK I get it now.  Of course tbskoglund is correct that the Suhr unit will work.

The H90 allows you to specify the control change command(s) transmitted by up to 2 exp pedals or up to 6 aux switches.  So in this case you can dedicate an aux switch or two for amp switching and assign a proper control change command or two as specified in the chart provided by Suhr.

Then, if you want some H90 parameters to change along with the amp channel, you can assign them to the same aux switch(es).

Looks good to me.

 

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