Setting up two H9s with Musicomlab EFX mkiii

[dogman]

Hello my good peeps. I very new to the H9s & midi switching and Im struggling how to figure out how to get them up and going. I think Ive managed to get the max working and switching but Im admittedly clueless trying to get the max and core to work together. I have the max set up as 1 on 1 via midi to the mkii and a midi cable from the max to the core but cant figure out how to get the max to tell the core what to do.

I’m assuming the looper sends a midi message to the max and the max switches presets on the max and core within the same midi command?

My apologies for being green but any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[joecozzi]

dogman wrote:

I have the max set up as 1 on 1 via midi to the mkii and a midi cable from the max to the core but cant figure out how to get the max to tell the core what to do.

There are many ways to accomplish communication using MIDI, but ideally you want each device to be on its own channel to truly have independent control. The only time I would have an H9 Max control a Core is if I’m running out of space on my MIDI controller. That’s not a problem on your very powerful Musicomlab.

So, set the Max to channel 1 and the Core to channel 2. You can connect from the MIDI controller out to the MIDI in of the Max and from the Max’s MIDI out go to MIDI IN on the Core. You’ll have to go into the System settings of the Max and find the MIDI a section and set the [Output] to “THRU”.

on the MIDI controller, you’ll have to send two PC messages every time, one for Max on Ch1 and another for the Core on CH2.

dogman wrote:

I’m assuming the looper sends a midi message to the max and the max switches presets on the max and core within the same midi command? My apologies for being green but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Nope, this is not an automatic process. You have to tell the controller what to do. In order for it to work this way, both pedals would need to be on the same Channel. Each pedal would already have to be programmed with the presets you’ll be using ahead of time. So, if the MIDI controller sends program change #10, the Max will shift to preset 11 and the Core will also shift to preset 11. However, you should program a preset list into the Core to complement whatever is on your Max.

But like I said before, I still prefer each pedal in my setup to be on its own MIDI a channel, especially for controller change purposes. You don’t want both pedals reacting to the same CC messages.

[dogman]

Thank you for the reply. Sounds like I am over complicating things. lol So I just program the mkiii on channel 1 for whatever preset selected on the max then go to channel 2 and select the preset for the core. In essence using two midi commands for each patch if it involves both H9s? What would the core’s output be set to or that wouldnt matter since it’s not passing anything thru?

If I got that right seems pretty simple  lol

 

Thank you

 

[joecozzi]

dogman wrote:

In essence using two midi commands for each patch if it involves both H9s?

Correct.

dogman wrote:

What would the core’s output be set to or that wouldnt matter since it’s not passing anything thru?

If you have another MIDI-capable pedal you will be connecting to your rig, you may connect it to the MIDI out of the H9 Core unit. Make sure that Core’s MIDI out is also set for “THRU.” Otherwise, you don’t need to adjust the output.

[dogman]

Gotcha. Thank you for taking the time. Much appreciated.

[kolpt]

Hello, that a very interesting thread. But I have also two H9, a max and a core beeing controlled by a EHX super switcher. That looper is ideal for my other gear, but is just able to send one PC-Command and/or one CC comand per preset.

I´m not too familiar with midi, but will it be the better way to put the presets on the core to PC numbers that should work together with a number on the max?

for example: Max and Core both on midichannel 1, Preset 1 on Max: DELAY, Preset 1 on Core: REVERB. And when the PC command from the EHX Superswitcher is PG1, both H9s change their program and work with Delay and REVERB simultainous in a chain.

Or is there any option to tell the Max a PG command from the EHX and it tells the core a PC command at the same time to switch to REVERB in this example?

I read somewhere, that the H9 is not able to send itself an PG-Command, if it is switched by an external MIDI PG command.

The EHX can send also one CC at the same time, but it will be not possible, I think to use a CC for presetchanges. Not too familiar with midi, so please excuse ….

Can anybody help?

[joecozzi]

kolpt wrote:

I´m not too familiar with midi, but will it be the better way to put the presets on the core to PC numbers that should work together with a number on the max? for example: Max and Core both on midichannel 1, Preset 1 on Max: DELAY, Preset 1 on Core: REVERB. And when the PC command from the EHX Superswitcher is PG1, both H9s change their program and work with Delay and REVERB simultainous in a chain.

If you manage the presets lists on both H9’s so that they complement each other in this way, this is the easiest way to go about it. The drawback is you no longer have independent control of the second H9. You’re limited by the MIDI controller.

kolpt wrote:

Or is there any option to tell the Max a PG command from the EHX and it tells the core a PC command at the same time to switch to REVERB in this example?

Yes, there is. On the Max you need to set [XMT.PC] to ON. It is also possible to have the Max send a PC to the Core according to a custom map, if you don’t want to maintain a perfect preset list as mentioned before. You can read about this on page 39 & 40 of the H9 manual. Important: in order for this to work, the MIDI output of the Max must be set to “XMT” or transmit.

kolpt wrote:

I read somewhere, that the H9 is not able to send itself an PG-Command, if it is switched by an external MIDI PG command.

Not sure I follow. Why would an H9 send itself a PC? If you mean the H9 is not able to send a PC when it receives one from a controller, that is false. I showed you in the previous paragraph how it’s done.

kolpt wrote:

The EHX can send also one CC at the same time, but it will be not possible, I think to use a CC for presetchanges. Not too familiar with midi, so please excuse …. Can anybody help?

CC messages cannot be used to create a program change to a specific preset number. It is possible, however, to use CC#s to do things like

 

increment

decrement

increment & load

decrement & load

Activate/Bypass

 

In order to do this, you need to program CC values to these functions on H9 Control.

[kolpt60]

Thank you very much, that helps for the next time. I think, I found for the future a better solution, a gigrig controler instead of the EHX. That solves all the midi issues and avoids via parallel mixing the sound problems of two digital conversions.

 

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