EVH 5150 III Stealth w/ Fractal FX8 Channel Switching

Markmetalguitar

Markmetalguitar

Member
Scored a great deal on used Fractal FX8 to use with EVH 5150 Stealth 50w head. My question is because the amp has MIDI capabilities is to program effects and channel switching simultaneously. In other words hitting one button to engage effects patches assigned to clean, blue Channel, Red Channel, Etc. I have seen this done where the only thing on the floor is the Fractal thus ditching the amps channel switch. This seems incredibly efficient. Has anyone here have experience with this set up? Links to tutorials, advice, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
Yes you program "scenes" in the FX8 so when you go to clean via MIDI you lets say chorus on and a nice ambient delay and reverb. When you go to scene 2 via MIDI the blue channel comes up with lets say a Boost and delay always on. Scene 3 can be like Scene 2 but it engages the red channel. Did this with my EL34 50 watt that had MIDI. You will still have dedicated buttons for flanger, phaser, chorus, pitch, etc.

I also use it this way with my Friedman heads that utilize a simple tip/ring/off plug (standard footswitch) and the FX8 has built in relays to automatically change the channels of my Friedman heads with the FX8 utilizing Scenes as well.
 
rm5153 said:
Yes you program "scenes" in the FX8 so when you go to clean via MIDI you lets say chorus on and a nice ambient delay and reverb. When you go to scene 2 via MIDI the blue channel comes up with lets say a Boost and delay always on. Scene 3 can be like Scene 2 but it engages the red channel. Did this with my EL34 50 watt that had MIDI. You will still have dedicated buttons for flanger, phaser, chorus, pitch, etc.

I also use it this way with my Friedman heads that utilize a simple tip/ring/off plug (standard footswitch) and the FX8 has built in relays to automatically change the channels of my Friedman heads with the FX8 utilizing Scenes as well.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much as this is exactly what I'm looking for. Now as to the actual programming any tips or vids recommended? I've used AXEFXII and AX8 in the past but never mapped channel switching via midi. Again, many thanks in advance!
 
The MIDI was actually pretty easy to set up in the FX8. I am a tech noob and I was able to figure it out. Under the configuration page on the editor screen. The Scene #'s are there and you just configure each Scene in MIDI to what channel you want on the head to change.

For my Friedman which uses the standard tip/ring/off function one scene is set to tip one to ring and one to off which changes each channel on the head. I forget what the MIDI configuration was but if I remember it was 0, 1, 2 or something like that.
 
I've been meaning to do this with my Splawn head and my FX8 but I need to put relays into every patch I use and I have patches for 'songs" so it
seems like a lot of work where I already have my scenes set up and I can channel switch from the Splawn pedal. I have to "try it and see if it's worth the effort. I have 4 functions I need to account for on the Splawn pedal
Clean/OD
Mode - which is gear 1/gear 2
OD1/OD2
Solo boost
so a minimum of 3 relays per patch, that seems like a waste of effect space to me but I'll have to give it a go and see if it's worth it
because I do use all of the functions during our sets.
 
You can have 1 scene button toggle between 2 scenes so you are not wasting buttons on the FX8 and the outlying function buttons (not the core 8 ones that you use all the time) can be configured for scenes as well.

I never toggle up and down on presets so I use one of the function buttons to toggle between scene 1/2 or BE/HBE on my Friedman and have one dedicated scene button for clean. I have another function button that doubles for tuner/looper.

The relays are already there in every one of your patches. Just go to the configuration page and you have configure the scenes to either tip/ring/off/both. Basically ability to change 4 switches on your Splawn.
 
rm5153 said:
The MIDI was actually pretty easy to set up in the FX8. I am a tech noob and I was able to figure it out. Under the configuration page on the editor screen. The Scene #'s are there and you just configure each Scene in MIDI to what channel you want on the head to change.

For my Friedman which uses the standard tip/ring/off function one scene is set to tip one to ring and one to off which changes each channel on the head. I forget what the MIDI configuration was but if I remember it was 0, 1, 2 or something like that.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much! Any video links to help with the set up process? I’ve found several demo videos but not actual “start from scratch” tutorials. Thanks again!
 
Markmetalguitar said:
Thanks so much! Any video links to help with the set up process? I’ve found several demo videos but not actual “start from scratch” tutorials. Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Sorry sold off my FX8 so I cannot look at it to show you what the MIDI settings were. It is very easy if you get in the configuration screen online (not from the face of the FX8) when you have the USB cable connected and there are only 3 numbers you change for each scene which will correlate to green, blue and red channel on your amp. MIDI is just number commands that do switching internal to the FX8.

In the configuration screen click on MIDI and then you will see 8 scenes that you need to change midi command numbers on at least 3. Click the scenes and the amp channels will change. You just need to figure out what numbers do what.

There is stuff online that you just need to search for but it is there.
 
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