Katana - Roland GA-FC Foot controller communication

Started by CodeSmart, January 18, 2017, 08:42:11 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SteveO

Quote from: CodeSmart on April 04, 2019, 08:12:40 AM
I don't believe that is true. I think I tried connect a FS to the expr. inputs when I wrote the comm paper.

I just tested this and it does work. A momentary switch plugged into the FX input on a GAFC does switch banks.

sixeight

Quote from: SteveO on April 04, 2019, 08:33:55 AM
I just tested this and it does work. A momentary switch plugged into the FX input on a GAFC does switch banks.

Thanks for testing. Did you use a normally-open or a normally-closed footswitch?

SteveO

Quote from: sixeight on April 04, 2019, 09:30:56 AM
Thanks for testing. Did you use a normally-open or a normally-closed footswitch?

Normally open. Shield to tip on the plug.

SteveO

#153
Quote from: vit3k on April 03, 2019, 09:56:51 AM
...
I would like to leave USB for editing with android phone but I suppose it's the only way to send program changes.
...

Having to disconnect the USB cable from the Arduino controller Gumtown and I were working on and move it to my computer for editing is a pain. I guess it's a trade off because using the USB Host shield frees up the Teensy 3.2 rx and tx pins for a 5 pin MIDI connector. I use the MIDI IN (rx) to control MOD, delay 1 and delay 2 and teensy footswitches to control boost, FX, reverb, and loop. It would be nice to be able to use a TRS cable instead of USB. Or better still bluetooth but I don't see me working on that anytime soon.

sixeight

Quote from: SteveO on April 04, 2019, 10:23:43 AM
Having to disconnect the USB cable from the Arduino controller Gumtown and I were working on and move it to my computer for editing is a pain. I guess it's a trade off because using the USB Host shield frees up the Teensy 3.2 rx and tx pins for a 5 pin MIDI connector. I use the MIDI IN (rx) to control MOD, delay 1 and delay 2 and teensy footswitches to control boost, FX, reverb, and loop. It would be nice to be able to use a TRS cable instead of USB. Or better still bluetooth but I don't see me working on that anytime soon.

I have been partly successful in forwarding the data from and to the fxfloorboard editor through the non host USB port of the Teensy. I haven't tested this with the VC-mini yet...

ewidance

#155
Quote from: CodeSmart on March 02, 2018, 09:21:05 AM

I'd like to leave the USB connector free for future use (Widi + mobile editor), so i started to build a little interface based on arduino pro micro for GA/FC.

Tried to drive directly with serial output with no luck. Everything works fine on table, but the signal collapses as soon as it is connected to GA-FC input. Tried to invert serial as codesmart suggested in its PIC post with a transisstor as buffer. No luck also.

Next step will be to build the real GA-FC interface. However, what reference of opto coupler is it? PC410L? And about Q1100? PNP?

Thanks for your attention !

Gandalf_Sr

I just upgraded from a Katana 50 mk1 to a 100 (1x12) mk2 (I still own the mk1).  I already own the Airstep Kat pedal that plugs into the USB port and that handles the preset tone selection and has neat Bluetooth connection to an iPad so that you can manipulate all the tone settings, save them to file/upload them to a preset tone bank. Stand-alone, the Airstep Kat handles changing tone banks so you can get to all 8 presets and also has a new GA-FC Expand mode that allows solo/boost, FS1, FS2, CH-, CH+ which is pretty neat https://xsonicaudio.com/pages/airstepkatedition

There's a new Boss GA-FC EX for $150 that has extra stuff but I don't want to buy a GA-FC or GA-FC EX as virtually all that I want is already handled by the Airstep Kat.  The one thing that's missing with my setup is to have both a volume and expression pedal simultaneously.  I could buy a GA-FC and plug both pedals into that but I'm wondering about a unit that would have just the pedal controls fed up the TRS Midi link.

Can anyone point me to a code set that handles the GA-FC equivalent funtions on something like a Teensy or PIC?

CodeSmart

#157
I only wrote PIC code some years ago to serially communicate with the GAFC, but never wrote anything  to emulate a GAFC.

However the below info is still valid, however may not tell the whole truth.

Two advices:
1. Make sure you have the right electrical polarity of digital data.
2. SysEx messages may interfere/collide, so whenever seeing a F0 (SysEx start), you should throw away what you have collected and restart the capture process.


GA-FC MIDI Software Interface
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!