M4 with Randall RT2/50

[Doubleneck]

Oh man, you're just going to confuse him even more with that post.. The RT does NOT have a #6 or #7 switch.

Corrected thanks

 

[bbaug14]

My MIDI cables are all fine. Not only are they basically brand new (less than 2 months old), but I was using them when I was running my rig before with no issues. They are Monster MIDI cables though, so not all five MIDI Pins are active, but I don't think that matters.

As for the dip switches, I basically tried exactly what you guys are saying. I changed all the switches in the RT to face the back of the amp, or the 1 position. Then I put all the switches on the M4 up or off for 1 position. This should have worked by the way you guys are explaining it, but it is a possibility I have something else hooked up wrong. Here's how it goes:

guitar -> M4 input
M4 ouput -> RT Channel 1 Input
RT Channel 1 Main Output -> Speaker Cabinet
M4 MIDI Thru -> RT MIDI IN

I also tried M4 MIDI IN -> RT MIDI Thru just to make sure I didn't have the MIDI Cables backwards. I want to get this working with the M4 alone so I'm certain that my issue isn't the RT. Once I get this working, I'll add the GCP. I bought the GCP new, so only my presets are in there.

As for Control versus Program changes, I have no idea which is what. Right now I use presets on the GCP to turn on/off loops on the GCX so a preset could be a channel of a module and a pedal to gether. That's it.

Some more info about my set up. I did all of this with the RT in Standby. Not sure if that matters or not. I basically ran through every channel of every module on the M4 assigning a channel from the RT and then when I got back to the first channel, it didn't store it. I also held for three seconds the channel button on RT and it never flashed like with the M4. Not sure if it does or not though.

So is there a problem with the way I have my cables routed or something? If not, then I hope my MIDI board isn't "blown".

 

[bbaug14]

UPDATE: Someone on the Randall forum said you HAVE to use a footswitch to get the RT to save MIDI commands for channel switching. That is, it won't work with just the M4 connected to the RT and pressing the buttons by hand. Does anyone know if that is the case or not? If so, I'll have to start over and figure out how to get this working with the GCP to see if channel switching actually works.

 

[Klark]

UPDATE: Someone on the Randall forum said you HAVE to use a footswitch to get the RT to save MIDI commands for channel switching. That is, it won't work with just the M4 connected to the RT and pressing the buttons by hand. Does anyone know if that is the case or not? If so, I'll have to start over and figure out how to get this working with the GCP to see if channel switching actually works.

Yes, you have to use a footswitch. The M4 will not SEND midi commands, which is exactly why it does NOT have midi 'Out'. You absolutely positively need some kind of midi pedal to get the RT to do any channel switching at all.

Since you're planning to use presets, you'll want your #6 (Program change mode) switch to be ON, which means DOWN towards the bottom of the M4. Up is OFF for any of the 8 switches. Your #7 Control Change (CC) switch must be UP/OFF. Switches 5 and 8 also need to be UP/OFF.

If you didn't get a manual with your M4, here's a pic of the midi info page from the manual..

If you look at the above Egnater chart, you'll see that the S1-S4 switches are BACKWARDS compared to the Randall chart that's floating around on the internet..

MIDI CHANNEL SELECTION:

The MIDI Channel (1 - 16) is selected via an internal four position DIP switch (S1). The MIDI Channel must be selected with the power off.

CHAN. S1-4 S1-3 S1-2 S1-1
1 on on on on
2 on on on off
3 on on off on
4 on on off off
5 on off on on
6 on off on off
7 on off off on
8 on off off off
9 off on on on
10 off on on off
11 off on off on
12 off on off off
13 off off on on
14 off off on off
15 off off off on
16 off off off off

 

[bbaug14]

Thanks! I think I have enough to go on now I think. What I'll try tonight is putting the switches on the M4 as follows UUUUUDUU. Then I'll go into my GCP and make sure that the device I have set up for the M4 is set to channel 1. If I have my MOD50 set for channel one then I'll make the M4 something different and make sure the RT is the same as the M4. From there I'll see if I can get the channel switching to work with the RT as it will be on the same channel as the M4. If it doesn't work, then I'll create a device for the RT on a different MIDI channel, maybe 16 and try it that way as a device. Not sure if I need to creat the RT as a device with the GCP or not and if it is created and on the same channel as the M4, if it will even work. I can try all these though as it's as simple as changing the MIDI location and cycling power. We'll see how that all goes and I'll come back with an update for sure. If none of this works, I don't know what to do.

Thanks for everyone's help so far. I really appreciate it. I can't wait to get this thing working right!!

 

[Klark]

UUUUUDUU

Correct, that's channel 1, program change mode.

But, keep in mind, the switches on the RT won't look the same. Channel 1 on the RT will be all switches towards the front of the RT, which is ON..

CHAN. S1-4 S1-3 S1-2 S1-1
1 on on on on

 

[bbaug14]

GOT IT WORKING!!! LOL!

I messed with it some more last night. I think the issue I was having was not only that the M4 and RT had to be on the same channel, but they had to be on a channel other than channel 1. Because of the way my set up was before, I had my MOD50 on channel 1 and my M4 on OMNI. Don't ask me why the M4 was on OMNI, it's just the way it worked and I never thought to change it. Anyway, because of this, I couldn't set the M4 and RT to channel 1 because the MOD50 was already in that spot and I didn't want to change that in case I ever want to throw the MOD50 back into a loop. So, I changed the M4 to channel 2 and did the same with the RT and it all worked. One thing I may not have been doing is cycling power on the RT between dip switch changes, which I later came to realize must take place in order for the RT to actually register the change.

Anyway, it's working and I'm happy. Thanks so much to everyone on the board and all the help they have been, especially Klark and Jlbaxe. Couldn't have done it without you guys!!!

 

[Klark]

Ahh shit, yep, gotta cycle the power after dip switch change! Sorry for forgetting to mention that. Glad to read you got it all working!

Have fun!

 

[jlbaxe]

Anytime!