VController version 2

Started by sixeight, October 12, 2015, 12:17:48 PM

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alexmcginness

WOW!!!! Nice work. I thought I heard a Dutch accent in there as well. My mothers side of the family was from Holland.
   I love the pedal. Youre a genius.
VG-88V2, GR-50, GR-55, 4 X VG-99s,2 X FC-300,  2 X GP-10 AXON AX 100 MKII, FISHMAN TRIPLE PLAY,MIDX-10, MIDX-20, AVID 11 RACK, BEHRINGER FCB 1010, LIVID GUITAR WING, ROLAND US-20, 3 X GUYATONE TO-2. MARSHALL BLUESBREAKER, SERBIAN ELIMINATOR AMP. GR-33.

whippinpost91850

I would definitely be interested If I could control my Kemper with one

sixeight

Quote from:  whippinpost91850 on June 13, 2016, 07:10:29 AM
I would definitely be interested If I could control my Kemper with one

Basic control is possible (like any midi controller can do), but I don't have a Kemper, so I cannot do a proper implementation. Also don't know how we much midi information is available on the Kemper...


whippinpost91850

#178
that's kind of what I figured.. Kemper does have a fair amount of MIDI control available though

MrKleinCZ

Quote from:  sixeight on June 12, 2016, 05:12:27 AM
This saves the work of 3D printing the display holders, producing all the wires with the Dupont connectors and increases the reliability of the unit. It should be possible to take out the i2c display adapters, which are hard to order and replace them with chips on the PCB board.

As I found in my "project" one MCP23017 (I2C -> 16 I/O) are easy able to handle two displays, two footswitches and two multicolor LEDs but You can use only eight chips on I2C bus (due to adressing).

sixeight

Quote from:  MrKleinCZ on June 14, 2016, 05:25:51 AM
As I found in my "project" one MCP23017 (I2C -> 16 I/O) are easy able to handle two displays, two footswitches and two multicolor LEDs but You can use only eight chips on I2C bus (due to adressing).

I think you can do more. You normally need around 8 lines to control one display. But one of these lines is cs (chip select). So you can send all lines to all displays, but have a unique chip select for every display. That way you should be able to control up to 8 displays from one mcp23017.

An example of this, but with the lines directly to an arduino:
https://www.hackmeister.dk/2010/08/4-lcd-displays-on-1-arduino/

MrKleinCZ

Quote from:  sixeight on June 14, 2016, 05:53:35 AM
I think you can do more. You normally need around 8 lines to control one display. But one of these lines is cs (chip select).
I know :-) ... I use it as "modules" with 1 LCD, 4 LEDs and 2 footswitches (with short wires) ... connected together only with I2C.
If You place all (LEDs, LCDs and switches) on one "big" PCB You have more way to save components and connectors :-)

Elantric

#182
QuoteI know :-) ... I use it as "modules" with 1 LCD, 4 LEDs and 2 footswitches (with short wires) ... connected together only with I2C.
If You place all (LEDs, LCDs and switches) on one "big" PCB You have more way to save components and connectors :-)

SixEight, Check your inbox

sixeight

Playing around with controlling the ZOOM G3. So far I can read patch names and select patches. There is no MIDI sysex documentation, but I have been able to figure out a lot by sniffing the MIDI data stream.

I am connecting through a Macbook with midi bridge. The MIDX-10 does not support the G3, so that is unfortunate. I seem to recall the G3 did not need a driver... Maybe an RPI will work. Will have to try that later...

Elantric

#184
QuotePlaying around with controlling the ZOOM G3. So far I can read patch names and select patches. There is no MIDI sysex documentation, but I have been able to figure out a lot by sniffing the MIDI data stream.

I am connecting through a Macbook with midi bridge. The MIDX-10 does not support the G3, so that is unfortunate. I seem to recall the G3 did not need a driver... Maybe an RPI will work. Will have to try that later...

many folks have reverse engineered the Zoom G3 "MIDI over USB"

review this thread:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=4329.msg129496#msg129496

https://github.com/vegos/ZoomG3_ArduinoMIDI

and RingLeaders setup
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8418.msg69944#msg69944

it would be wonderful if MIDX-10 also supported MIDI control of Zoom G3,
and Fender Mustang Amps 
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6879.msg130813#msg130813
--
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/midi-control-of-zoom-g3-video.1033719/page-3
Hi, i want to share my little research about how to control G3/G3X using MIDI over USB. This post was useful when I was started to research about it

Past weekend I had a couple of hours to use a UsbSniffer and take a look on how Edit&Share does to send parameters to my G3X and this is what I found.

Edit&Share sends parameters using SysEx MIDI messages:


Pedals:
F0 52 00 59 50 F7   
F0 52 00 59 31 01 00 01 00 F7
-------------- -- -- --
-- Effect (00-05) -- Value ON/OFF (00-01)

Where "Effect" is one of the 6 slots of G3X.

The 2 SysEx message above turn on the second effect of the patch.

Knobs:
F0 52 00 59 50 F7   
F0 52 00 59 31 01 02 54 00 F7
-------------- -- -- --
-- Effect (00-05) -- Value (Depends of effect)
----------------- Parameter (Depends of effect)

The 2 SysEx message above puts the fisrt know of the second effect in 84.

Change effect:
F0 52 00 59 50 F7   
F0 52 00 59 31 01 01 54 00 F7
-------------- -- -- --
-- Effect (00-05) -- Value (Effect number)
----------------- Parameter (This parameter change the selected effect)

Tempo:
F0 52 00 59 50 F7
F0 52 00 59 31 06 08 02 01 F7
-------------- ----- -----
---- Tempo parameter Value (28 00-7A 01) (40-250)


Another interesting thing is that G3X start to send back this kind of SysEx messages after it receives the first one. So we are able to receive the change from pedals, parameters and tempo, but not the expression pedal.

I think this will be useful for anyone building an Arduino based MIDI controller for the G3/G3X.


gumtown

Quote from:  MrKleinCZ on June 14, 2016, 05:25:51 AM
As I found in my "project" one MCP23017 (I2C -> 16 I/O) are easy able to handle two displays, two footswitches and two multicolor LEDs but You can use only eight chips on I2C bus (due to adressing).

I2C supports up to 127 devices on one port,
problem is finding chips with unique addresses, most chips only have an option of one or two addresses, which is a problem when using more than two of the same chip in a design.
I have over come that limitation in the past by multiplexing the clock signal by using a 4066.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

CodeSmart

Quote from:  Elantric on June 14, 2016, 10:10:19 AM
it would be wonderful if MIDX-10 also supported MIDI control of Zoom G3

I hear you, at least is should connect to the G3 so SysEx could be exchanged. However need a G3 pedal to make it happen...
But I got more gear than I need...and I like it!

sixeight

#187
The plan for the coming weeks is to work out a Schematic for an easy to build VController. The i2c display modules need to go so the displays can go on the main PCB and the i2c addressing will always be correct.

Quote from:  MrKleinCZ on June 14, 2016, 05:25:51 AM
As I found in my "project" one MCP23017 (I2C -> 16 I/O) are easy able to handle two displays, two footswitches and two multicolor LEDs but You can use only eight chips on I2C bus (due to adressing).

I looks like there are many solutions for RPI, mcp23017 and displays, but the Arduino library that I am using now is not compatible with the mcp23017. There is another library available that should work with the mcp23017, but I  haven't tested it yet.

Or use multiple PCF8574s - It should be possible to run four or five displays from one...

sixeight

#188
Did some very wild hacking and bit-searching, but I have cracked the ZOOM G3. The VController can read patch names and read out the FX types of the 6 FX slots. It can select patches, switch individual FX on and off and tap tempo also works.

To work out which bits and bytes to read for reading the FX types was the hardest part. The G3 has crammed the data into the sysex bytes and there is no logical system in it whatsoever. But I cracked it, and that makes my weekend...

EDIT: worked out the system and made a Zoom G3 midi implementation guide. Posted here: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=4329.msg131444#msg131444

whippinpost91850

Congratulations! That has to give you great satisfaction. You tech guys amaze me

vanceg

I've been investigating using a combination of a SoftStep and Bome MIDI Translator to begin controlling the VG-99 using Sysex.  I'm basically converting standard MIDI CC and Note messages from the Softstep into SysEx messages for the VG-99.  The idea here is to access parameters that the VG-99 doesn't make available through the standard MIDI Assign and also to simply have access to a larger number of controls than the 16 available using the MIDI Assigns.  It's worked VERY well... and it's cheap and relatively simple to program.  The problem is:  I have to keep track of what parameter each button on the Softstep is controlling.  Your design is MUCH cooler in that you've got displays showing what parameter is controlled by each button at any given moment.  That is SOOOOO wonderful.

In terms of complexity, this project is just outside of what I'm really interested in tackling on my own (At the moment) - but I REALLY applaud your efforts and the fact that you have gone so far with it, and done so much of the important and difficult (to me) research, nudges me toward saying "damnit, I'm going to build one".  If it gets a little closer to being a "kit", or if someone wants to start a small cottage business assembling these  - I'd be willing to pay some premium for such a device.  Anyone planning to build one for themselves and want to build a second at the same time?   I'm right over here ;-)

Go cat go!


sixeight


sixeight

Cleaned the Github folders. Moved code to folder and edited readme file.

See https://github.com/sixeight7/VController_v2