MIDI AMPS for the sake of argument

[Anonymous]

As a builder, my standpoint is that there is not enough interest in midi amp control from guitar players who buy my amps to warrant spending any effort on it.

Steve

 

[Dave L]

Also, the whole thing with MIDI is that it has been the same for well over 30 years, just like it was intended. It is a de facto standard. A real pain would be having to use several different standards for an effect bought in 1995 and an amp bought yesterday, it´s pretty great that you can control a keyboard from 1985 with your brand-new guitar pedal and I think it would be bad to abandon it.

 

[duesentrieb]

Cost-wise midi means 20-30$/€ additonal parts (controller, darlingtons, opto, transistors, quartz, caps, Rs, jacks, 5V regulation, sockets . . .). Also the transfomer needs to have an additional secondary, which makes it more expensive.
Technology-wise few builders have access to the software. Although nowadays there are even OEM manufacturers who offer it for internal purposes (I think RJM has a PCB for builders). My guess is that this is the biggest challenge for most.
Room-wise it means that you need (depending on the size of the amp) more room for the parts (if non-SMD is used). And you definitely need to be able to work PCB only. Min size for additional midi is estimated 10x8cm. Not a big deal in a full size amp like Herbert, but in lunchbox amps . . .

My guess is that we will see more midi amps in the near future. The reason is that VTL switching is obsolete due to ROHS guidelines and there aren't any left manufacturers for the old Fender technology, which is also used by Soldano and Boogie. They have to look elsewhere and when complexity is more on the higher side like in some Boogies they need to go midi now or use at least proprietary switching techn. with controllers to avoid the downside of multiple switching like switching noise, popping and so on.

Thanks for your input. not sure what VTL and ROHS but i'm assuming it has something to do with using a standard relay to reroute circuits.

and yeah, mesa's road king has so many switches on their foot-switch. It must be a nightmare to deal with. From what you're saying MIDI would be both easier and cheaper?

Those VTLs are LDRs - light triggered (dependent) resistors, which change their resistance with light (a diode). Their advantage is that the switching is more "smooth" and hardly causes any popping noise. That's why it was used often in the early designs of multi channels amps. When using VTLs (or LDRs) no muting while switching is necessary.

Relays on the other hand switch "harder", they cause (more or less, depending on the design but always a much higher rate of) switching noise like popping.

Switching with controllers (which includes midi in many cases) allows the excessive use of relays and simult. mute the signal chain while switching for a short period of time (some milliseconds). That is the reason why a modern (mostly midi switched ) amp allows noise free switching.