MeloAudio - MIDI Commander

Started by Elantric, October 26, 2017, 04:19:52 PM

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Elantric

https://meloaudio.com/products/meloaudio-midi-commander-guitar-floor-multi-effects-portable-usb-midi-foot-controller-foot-switches?_pos=2&_sid=d6c5f269b&_ss=r
Its identical to

Thomann Harley-Benton MP-100
https://harleybenton.com/product/mp-100-midi-foot-controller/




MIDI Foot controller / USB-MIDI converter / 2 pedal input / Fusion mode / Battery supply or USB supply / OLED screen / compact size

●10 foot switches and the optimized Host Mode
●Fusion mode combines PROGRAM CHANGE(PC)
and CONTROL CHANGE(CC) commands

The MIDI Commander give you the power and flexibility to control any instruments with MIDI connector.
MIDI Commander also support USB-MIDI converter function.
So you can use it to control most of the software effects / Apps on Windows, Mac OS and iOS.
It can connect up to two expression pedals supporting volume / wah at the same time.
Ten onboard metal foot switches and the optimized Host mode are designed for easy using without additional settings.





https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/usb-midi-foot-controller-for-bias-fx-jamup-and-kpa-axe-atomic.1816836/


GuitarBuilder

Amazing how many of these MIDI controllers have appeared on the market in the last few years.  Perhaps someone could do a side-by-side review of the top contenders?
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

vtgearhead

Melo Audio's website is down.  Anyone know what the cost of this unit is?

Elantric

#3
http://www.meloaudio.com/midi-commander/


http://sandsoftwaresound.net/melo-audio-midi-commander/

Quote
Amazing how many of these MIDI controllers have appeared on the market in the last few years.  Perhaps someone could do a side-by-side review of the top contenders?

MIDI Foot controller comparison
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=12355.0



vtgearhead

A shame that it doesn't support 2-way MIDI communication.  I really like the integration of Behringer FCB1010 with Kemper using Eureka PROM, but the FCB takes up way too much floor space.  My only recourse will be to run the pedal board through a bandsaw to shorten it. 

whippinpost91850

I found , If you add 2 pedals to a smaller board it will take up as much space as the FCB

vanceg

Quote from: GuitarBuilder on October 30, 2017, 10:55:04 AM
Amazing how many of these MIDI controllers have appeared on the market in the last few years.  Perhaps someone could do a side-by-side review of the top contenders?

Likewise - There has been a near flood of tiny volume pedals, including ones that send MIDI.... Both items I used to search incessently. 

I'm keeping my eyes out for more options of MIDI footcontrolelrs that have displays on them, like the RJM Mastermind...



Smash

What's the difference between this and Harley Benton MP 100? (Apart from 40 quid)

https://m.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mp_100_midi_foot_controller.htm

admin

#11

admin

#12



Smash

#13
Well I pulled the trigger on one of these.

It's a well built sturdy little thing offering much greater control than say a Blueboard.

One thing that caught me out though - the 5 pin midi does not supply power. Bummed as I was going to use my Yamaha BT01 Bluetooth midi adaptor but it draws power from the host.

So I'll bung that up on eBay, meantime I've got a Puc× which should be able to power the midi commander as well.

Perfect for small iPad based rig but also enough ontrol/programmability to use as lightweight alternative to FC300. The 2 custom setups are enough to cover both roles.

In other news the HD500x and I are getting a divorce...

Elantric

#14
Quote from: Smash on March 22, 2019, 10:50:45 AM

In other news the HD500x and I are getting a divorce...

Its been ages since I powered mine up my HD500X - actually prefer the tones from FireHawk FX over HD500X

But for me , last time I enjoyed playing a Line 6 device was my Vetta in 2007 

( yes I have a a few Variax's , Helix, HX Stomp   - but they serve as a basis for  comparison of sound / features with other newer gear which I prefer 

Back to MeloAudio  - their stuff is great  - should  try the ToneShifter Mega

aka

Harley Benton MP500
https://www.thomann.de/es/harley_benton_mp_500_interface_foot_control.htm


https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=17224.msg174338#msg174338

sixeight

QuoteOne thing that caught me out though - the 5 pin midi does not supply power. Bummed as I was going to use my Yamaha BT01 Bluetooth midi adaptor but it draws power from the host.

All you may have to do to power the BT01 is to connect the center midi out pin to ground in the MIDI commander. But that will probably void your warranty...

admin

Best Owners Manual for Melo MIDI Commander  ( a.k.a. Harley Benton MP-100 MIDI foot switch)
https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/atg/atgdata/document/manual/c_432459_v2_en_online.pdf

Elantric

Quote from: Smash on March 22, 2019, 10:50:45 AM
Well I pulled the trigger on one of these {MeloAudio  - MIDI Commander / Harley Benton MP-100)



One thing that caught me out though - the 5 pin midi does not supply power. Bummed as I was going to use my Yamaha BT01 Bluetooth midi adapter but it draws power from the host.



Quote from: sixeight on March 22, 2019, 12:43:14 PM
All you may have to do to power the BT01 is to connect the center midi out pin to ground in the MIDI commander. But that will probably void your warranty...

I will have a MeloAudio MIDI Commander (Harley Benton MP-100) - next week  - I'll explore the Wireless MIDI Mods/Options ( Yamaha , PUC+, etc)





Smash

Steve- one thing to be aware of:

The two custom modes are useful but quirky due to the firmware operation. I wanted to flip the patch selection and control buttons so patch selection was top and stomp switches bottom (less likely to have accidental patch change that way). It is possible but the manual really doesn't help you - in case anyone wants to do it you MUST set bank move to X8 before setting up the PCs and CCs - then the very last thing to do is set bank move back to X4. This works with slight quirk that you can only select patch numbers from 4 upwards (0-3 will be unavailable). Also be aware the CC values are preset to 64, but the Exp pedal is fully CC assignable (no calibration or range but sure your software can deal with that kind of stuff).

Bear

Am I getting the manual right that (1) it can only send messages on one midi channel or in omni, and (2) it is one pc or cc message per switch?

admin

#20
Quote from: Bear on May 27, 2019, 10:32:29 AM
Am I getting the manual right that (1) it can only send messages on one midi channel or in omni, and (2) it is one pc or cc message per switch?

I believe that's true

the big attraction is this affordable MIDI foot controller does allow the "MIDI CC# Toggle" function

1st Press of foot switch #1 = transmit MIDI CC#48, value 64 (=stomp FX1 ON)   
2nd Press of same foot switch #1 = transmit MIDI CC#48, value 0 (=stomp FX1 OFF)

^^ which is something many MIDI Controllers can NOT accomplish (Hotone Cybery)
   

admin

#21
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HH27RVN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

MeloAudio  - MIDI CommanderReview
==
Kilrahi wrote>
A Decent Choice for HX Stomp Users
May 1, 2019
Color: midi controllerVerified Purchase
I had been looking for a while at this as a possible option as a midi controller for my HX Stomp. Currently among the HX Stomp community, the general consensus is the MC6 MKII is the gold standard, but it costs a significant chunk of change and probably does more than I'll ever need. The DMC micro is the other really popular option, but I wasn't sure if the smaller two button arrangement would work well for the way my brain works. My primary interest was for a solid midi controller that could handle the Stomp's looper (I'm not a fan of one button) as well as some preset changes and additional Stomp control. I'm happy to say that over all it does this, though it does have some baffling limitations that I will outline in more detail below. Nevertheless, for the price it is a solid choice, and it can even control PC programs that are compatible with midi (such as HELIX Native) which is another big plus. Ultimately, if your primary goal with a Stomp, or other device, is preset changes and CC changes at a decent price, then this will work VERY well. For my current setup, I have a dual expression pedal connected to the Stomp to control volume/wah and the toe switch on it cycles through footswitch modes (something I wish the Midi Commander could do). I use the HX Stomp primarily in snapshot mode, and then the Midi Commander has two buttons for the looper, preset control, and two additional buttons that I attach to specific Stomp boxes or other parameter controls. It works VERY well, but once I came to understand what it COULD have been with some additional programming tweaks, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. See below for more detail on some of the limitations that keep it from being 5 star:
Caveats:
PRESETS - The device will only do up to 36 preset changes for the HX Stomp (or any custom midi setting). This is perhaps the most baffling and disappointing decision on the part of the designers. The buttons for it are all there, but they simply did not program the device to go above that magic number. Since numerous high tech midi controlled devices can do well over 100 presets, and since the hardware can allow for it but the software can not, this remains a significant head scratcher. Even odder, you HAVE to let the Midi Commander use up four of its buttons for preset control. If you decide you'd rather use EIGHT buttons for Stomp control and skip out on presets completely- tough noogies, you're stuck using only four. This, again, seems like a strange and sad limitation with no real reason.

CC Values - The device has FIXED CC values and will not allow you to input your own. The practical meaning of this is for devices like the HX Stomp, you won't be able to control snapshots or cycle through the footswitch modes (the biggest bummer for me). While not as big of a letdown as the preset issue, it is also one of those features that a software update COULD allow it to do. It already has the most difficult aspect of all for a device to pull it off - the form factor. Giving it this option would open up a lot of possibilities!

EXPRESSION PEDAL: The HX Stomp has a funky and somewhat annoying expression pedal design of its own, so I wasn't necessarily surprised that the expression pedal I bought for it wouldn't work on the Midi Commander, but it was still a bummer, and I've seen other posts on its forum that indicate that other users have run into expression pedal problems. Melo Audio does support some obvious ones that you can find in their manual, and they design their own as well that should work, but it's still a bummer that you can run into issues here. I would REALLY like to have the Midi Commander take my expression pedal so that I can attach a dual foot switch to the HX Stomp to handle some of the controls the Midi Commander won't (like footswitch mode change - since Midi Commander can't send customized CC values). Still, it does have TWO ports for expression pedals, so when they do work, that is a nice amount of additional control.

FIRMWARE UPDATES: The designers of the device have repeatedly hinted that they are planning updates to address the inability to send custom CC values, or to make more expression pedals function with the device, but nothing ever seems to happen here and there are no instructions on the device or the website of how to check for firmware updates. Again, the hard part about the Midi Commander is that it is VERY close to perfection, and if the device is capable of software updates like those described above (because it's true, I didn't build the thing and I don't know if it really can, it just seems plausible) it would only make the device SIGNIFICANTLY more of a contender in the midi control area.

POWER PLUG/BATTERIES: It would be so nice if this had a standard 9 volt power plug port. As it stands, it has a USB power plug, which since most of the guitar gear world probably prefers to go the route of power supplies if not using batteries this was a bit of a miss to me. It does allow you to use rechargeable batteries, AND will even charge them for you in the device which is nice. Once charged, they last for many hours which is also a plus. I did get around the adaptor limitation buy buying a polarity reversing cable (to flip it from center positive to center negative since that's what most pedal board power supplies are) and my particular power supply allows for low 4 – 5 volt options which seems to run this perfectly. Finally, a simple USB/to 5.55 mm cable adaptor took me the rest of the way home, but it was a bit more work and money than I would have preferred.

There you have it. If, knowing the limitations of the device as outlined above, it still fits your needs, then my recommendation is to jump on board. It is still a powerful AND affordable device, but with a few quirky and perplexing weaknesses. I am happy I bought it, and particularly as an HX Stomp user, it has opened up more power and control on the Stomp than the base unit on its own is capable. Especially in regards to my main interest in using it (tapping into the looper) it excelled at better than I'd hoped.


https://meloaudio.com/products/meloaudio-midi-commander-guitar-floor-multi-effects-portable-usb-midi-foot-controller-foot-switches

admin

#22
I just got my MeloAudio MIDI Commander

I have been setting up the CUSTOM 1  MODE

For the 8 switches on the left ( two rows of four), already have setup all to transmit MIDI CC# with a "toggle" function, suitable for controlling lots of gear!

1st tap of FSW A  = Transmit MIDI CC#48 with Value 127, and FSW A light = ON
2nd tap of FSW A  = Transmit MIDI CC#48 with Value 0 and FSWA light =  OFF
(etc.)
(etc.)
(etc.)
(etc.)
(etc.)
(etc.)
For all 8 foot switches

(it was rather easy)

Hold down the far right Down "V /SET " foot switch , then enable power "on" to enter setup MODE

To navigate from MIDI CH , CUS1, CUS2 Setups:  Tap the "3" foot switch to page left, Tap the "2" foot switch to page right 

The CUS1, and CUS2 have 31 line items to edit/config to your preferred settings (refer to the owners manual )

To navigate to edit each line item, use the  UP / DOWN foot switches on the far right.   

To navigate from MIDI CH , CUS1, CUS2 Setups:  Tap the "3" foot switch to page left, Tap the "2" foot switch to page right 


UP     = "^/CHG" Footswitch
Down = "V/SET" Footswitch
LEFT = "B" Footswitch
Right = "C" Footswitch

Here are default factory Modes



JeffTronics

I'm a novice when it comes to setting up MIDI, specifically with my new MeloAudio MIDI Commander (MC) with the GP-10.

I appreciate the resource posts on vguitar and have been been reviewing them but need some clarification and guidance to help me customize my setup.

I want to:

a. Toggle the assigned effects in a given patch, per each assigned button on the Commander with the option of enabling the maximum amount of Effects available in the Patch (8, I think?)

b. Navigate up/down to next/previous patchg (Thinking more about this, I would likely use my GK switch to change patches)

Connectivity
Since the GP-10 has USB, should I be able to connect it directly to the USB Port on the Commander? I tried this with a special USB adapter since the connection type is the same at both ends, but the MC was not sending anything to the GP-10

Then, I connected both devices to MIDX-20 (MC via 5 pin), and USB from the MIDX to GP-10. Success. I noticed out of the box, the MC is changing patches.

Is what I'm finding correct and requires a USB Host between the two devices? Or, is it a matter of a special cable from the MC to the GP-10? (I'm glad I had the MIDX-20 around)

Customizing
I am still trying to wrap my head around the GP-10 MIDI Implementation guide to better understand it. But for my objectives should I be focusing strictly on the CC message vs. PCs? My thinking is, CC only.

And, is there a quick list of the GP-10 CC effects assignments and patches? Or, it's up to me to define them on the GP-10?

I'm learning about the MC interface and making progress in the right direction.

Thanks very much for this post.

JT