Replaced midi chip in Herbert and Hagen, it's awesome!

  • Thread starter Thread starter GtarLover
  • Start date Start date
G

GtarLover

Well-known member
Hey Guys,

I know there has been some talk about the midi chip and foot controller that Wilder Amplification has come out with recently. I can't comment on the foot controller, since I have a midi foot controller that I like and it has the Instant Access switches that I need.

Recently, I did the upgrade to the new chip on both of my Diezel amps. Quick review, IT IS AWESOME! Now I can control ALL the functions on my Hagen and my Herbert (apart from the +/- switch on channel 2 because it is not midi accessible from what I understand) . It is FANTASTIC and is what I have wanted my amps to be able to do from the beginning.

Quick background, I play live regularly. I am not solely a bedroom player. I had been a Mark IV user for almost 20 years. Love the Mark IV, yet it was always a hassle to control the amp via midi and required more gear in order to get my amp to switch via midi with my effects. So, when I first got my Herbert I was so excited that it was midi. I love this amp!! It is what I have been looking for tone wise and has all of great features I have always wanted. However, what I soon realized was that I could only change presets via midi, not all the individual functions of the amp. While this was a BIG step forward from what I was doing with my Mark IV, it still left me wanting to be able to get FULL functionality of the amp.

So, when I heard about the possibility of the Evolution chips being available, I contacted Wilder Amplification right away and said I wanted to be on the list to get one as soon as they were available. OK, so I got mine and installed it. It was easy to install and doesn't take any huge amount of knowledge to do this. I was TOTALLY ecstatic! I could finally switch each of the functions on my Herbert individually, without having to change patches for each function change. I thought to myself, now this is the way it should be. This is why I went midi in the first place, easy of use and functionality. I don't want to spend thousands on my amp only to have to spend more and more on other gear before it I can access what I want. It really just seems like the next logical step.

Let's be clear here, I love my Diezel amps and my Diezel cabs, of which I have many. Peter is THE best to deal with and goes FAR and above the call, bar none. Also, I know the Columbus is a great switcher for what it does, however it doesn't give you the access to anything more than any other program switcher would. If you are good with changing patches for each function change, that's cool, then you don't need anything. But if you want to have instant access to all the functions of your amp, like me, then it is definitely worth the minimal $$ to get the Evolution chip, it works!

Hope this helps some...
 
Dude that's awesome. I was waiting on a review about these products! Just curious, what foot switch are you using? Also are you using any other midi effects? How is everything hooked up, as far as midi in/out/through?
 
Hey Chris,

Glad you found the review helpful. First of all, yes I am using an Axe FX Ultra for effects. The Axe FX is in the loop exclusively and because I have the new chip I can take the loop in or out with one button click :thumbsup:

I am using a Liquid Foot Pro midi foot controller. The way I have it set is with 6 preset buttons along the bottom row and then 15 Instant Access buttons available for effects and Herbert control. With the new chip it all works flawlessly. These foot controllers take a bit of programming, nature of the best, but once that's done it is so amazing!! I can call up any of my effects individually and choose different Herbert features as well. As you can imagine having the Mid-Cut, Master Volume 2, and loop functions set as instant access is HUGE. It has been a great thing and I am still learning what I can do because like everyone, I have been switching presets for so long. Now a whole new world of possibilities is available.

The hook-up is a 7-pin midi cable (for integrated power to the controller) comes out of the Liquid Foot and goes to the Axe FX first. Then out of the Axe's thru socket and over to the in on the Herbert with a 5-pin cable. All I have is the midi controller and one cable to the front of the stage. That idea is quite exciting, since I am always looking for easier/simpler set-up and tear-down. I LOVE a clean stage :D

Hope this helps to clarify things. I am happy to help with any other questions if I can, just let me know.
 
Awesome info man, thanks a lot. I've checked out a bunch of foot switches and I really like the look of the Liquid Foot quite a bit! I'm also looking at possibly purchasing a G Major 2. As far as hookups are concerned I'd go out of the pedal in to the G Major, then out of the G Major and into the Herbert? Yeah that sounds like a really clean set up. I like it man I may have to find a different Liquid Foot switch, sounds like a lot of buttons, haha. Thanks a lot again I really appreciate it!
 
Cool Chris, it sounds like you are getting a handle on things.

As far as hook-ups with a G-major. You would probably want to run the G-Major through the loop of the Herbert. So, yeah one midi cable would be from the foot controller to the G-Major midi input, then one midi cable from the G-major midi thru to Herbert's midi input. You would be plugging your guitar directly into the Herbert's front input. SWEET!!
 
GtarLover":1obxe2dh said:
Cool Chris, it sounds like you are getting a handle on things.

As far as hook-ups with a G-major. You would probably want to run the G-Major through the loop of the Herbert. So, yeah one midi cable would be from the foot controller to the G-Major midi input, then one midi cable from the G-major midi thru to Herbert's midi input. You would be plugging your guitar directly into the Herbert's front input. SWEET!!
Click to expand...

If the controller you decide to buy is compatible with MIDI phantom power, you may want to connect the controller to the Herbert's MIDI In, and the Herbert's MIDI Thru to the G-Major 2's MIDI In instead so that the Herbert can power the controller as I don't think the G-Major 2 supplies MIDI phantom power. But the audio connections would remain the same.
 
Same Foot Controller and Midi Chip is available from Prostage since almost 8 years! The only difference: The design of the X07 Foot Controller, and it is connected using the XLR connection.

Rgds, Lukas
 
Prostage":t5judv44 said:
Same Foot Controller and Midi Chip is available from Prostage since almost 8 years! The only difference: The design of the X07 Foot Controller, and it is connected using the XLR connection.

Rgds, Lukas
Click to expand...

According to your website, your foot switch needs your controller chip to be installed in the amp to work. Mine however, does not. It is already hard programmed 100% plug & play ready (provided the amp is in "Omni" mode or the amp and foot switch's MIDI channel settings are matched).

My foot switch is also 100% hand made to order and layed out for each of the amp models: Herbert, VH4, and Hagen.

For the people running CC/instant access equipped MIDI controllers, they would purchase the chip to enable CC/instant access compatibility (which according to your website, your chip does not have), but the foot switch does not need it. My chips also fix the "lock up while switching with the amp in MIDI omni mode" bug as well.
 
Well, our technical specs says that the foot controller can either send Program Change 1-7 or 7 different Control Change / Each button controls one function of the receiver directly (=instant access compatibility / stompbox style). As long as you like to work with presets, no Midi Chip is required for the Amp. If people like to have instant access, they need the Midi chip.
So, the differenc between your's and our's in the design. Functionality is quite the same.

Lukas
 
Prostage":1862kw2a said:
As long as you like to work with presets, no Midi Chip is required for the Amp. If people like to have instant access, they need the Midi chip.
Click to expand...


Correct...whereas my foot switch not only does not use presets for instant access, but the ONLY thing the user would have to program on my foot switch would be the foot switch's assigned MIDI channel. This only applies if -

a) The amp is not in Omni mode AND
b) The amp is on a MIDI channel other than MIDI channel 1

The ONLY time it uses presets and would need to be "programmed" is if it is being integrated with an external controller for patch recall. With your foot switch, they only get presets 1-7 whereas with mine they would get a full 128 with an external controller. When integrated with an external controller for patch recall, my foot switch can be programmed to switch its buttons to match the preset configuration that the amp is being switched to by the external controller.

Other than that, my foot switch is straight up plug and play without the need for a chip replacement or any further user programming.

The absolute neatest thing though...my foot switch auto sync's on power up. ;)
 
Why did you program a new Chip if your foot controller can do instant access without the chip?
 
Prostage":3kknmf06 said:
Why did you program a new Chip if your foot controller can do instant access without the chip?
Click to expand...

The chip was a secondary product to benefit those who use advanced MIDI controllers that are already equipped with insant access buttons.

The foot switch was to benefit others who fell into one of two categories -

1) People who used "program change only" MIDI controllers
2) People who do not care to use a MIDI controller at all

Now...I do not send out a "newsletter". The email I sent you last night was a personal email from me...not a newsletter. I didn't realize you were a manufacturer even when I originally emailed you (I initially thought you were a dealer). I had found your site last night while I was searching for something else, and decided to email you in an attempt to connect with you...however, through all of this I'm starting to find that manufacturers do not seem to like to connect with outsiders for whatever reason (I tried the same with Diezel...they didn't like it either). It's like you all see us as potential threats or something. Doesn't anyone ever try to be nice and help one another in this business?

However, I regret to inform everyone that I've just been notified by Brad that I am not allowed to promote my Diezel products here. For those of you who have been wondering why I disappeared the first time, I did not disappear voluntarily. Brad deleted my account...pictures and all...for this very same reason. As I've stated before...kinda messed up as the whole reason for even making these products was for Rig Talk members who stated that they had been waiting for someone to make products of this nature. I even made an attempt to contact Brad via phone in an attempt to explain my side of all of this, but never received a return phone call from him. But despite my previous disappearance, I decided I was going to continue to develop the products and make them available anyway as I had already come a long way with both of them at that point.

To be honest I'm actually pretty hurt by the entire thing. I put a lot of time and passion into designing & developing this stuff (designing and building electronic guitar gear is to me as writing music is to lots of you). Countless "all nighters" were spent writing code, testing, and debugging (without an actual amp here to test on mind you) just to get the base code written and get it 100% right. I really thought I was doing a good thing, only to catch nothing but hell, grief and people wanting to see me disappear over it. I was never trying to pose a threat...I never imagined that developing accessories to make an exisiting product better that weren't available elsewhere would cause people to see me as a threat.

I am going to continue to offer these products, but I will probably be banned after this so if I disappear again, you all know why.
 
I do not have problems with compeditors. For products that are sold thousends, it makes sense to give the customer a choise. But in a so special, small market like our's you will never amortize the development costs with the few products you can sell. So it does not make sense for nowbody to clone such a product. The X07 can either recall presets, direct access the switches of the Amp (without any programming!) or even both (mixed operation). Of course it is plug and play, and synchronisation at startup is a matter of course. What else does a musician need? But if it's your marketing strategy to tell them that yours can so much more things and state that the other cannot, feel happy with your belief. Our customer support works slightly different. If there is a good product out in the market, we recommend that one rather than develop on our own side.
http://www.harmonycentral.com/search.js ... q=prostage
 
Jon, I really appreciate what you've done and I know a lot of other diezel users agree with me. Don't take any of this to heart. You did an outstanding job and I'm looking forward to your business.

Chris
 
Dear Jon,

you came second time to the Diezel forum after you got banned first time ... ok.
You got the Diezel software and you added the CC messages ... ok.
You praise Your midi pedal an the Diezel forum in many posts ... ok.

We are not stupid and we can also add the CC´s to our software but there
is a reason why we don´t do that. I´m tired to explain again.

Now Lukas from Prostage chimes in and that´s the second manufacture who
wants to advertise with his product.

So if I get upset I´m the bad boy. I miss any respect and tactfulness on
your side. You got a warning from Brad and there is a reason.

Why don´t ask Brad to have a own forum.

I have no problem with Wilder Amplification or Prostage and I´m willing
to post a link to your forum if you have anything new for the Diezel guys.

Thanks for understanding and have a great day,
Peter
 
Peter Diezel":dthaqrfe said:
Dear Jon,

you came second time to the Diezel forum after you got banned first time ... ok.
You got the Diezel software and you added the CC messages ... ok.
You praise Your midi pedal an the Diezel forum in many posts ... ok.

We are not stupid and we can also add the CC´s to our software but there
is a reason why we don´t do that. I´m tired to explain again.

Now Lukas from Prostage chimes in and that´s the second manufacture who
wants to advertise with his product.

So if I get upset I´m the bad boy. I miss any respect and tactfulness on
your side. You got a warning from Brad and there is a reason.

Why don´t ask Brad to have a own forum.

I have no problem with Wilder Amplification or Prostage and I´m willing
to post a link to your forum if you have anything new for the Diezel guys.

Thanks for understanding and have a great day,
Peter
Click to expand...

Hi Peter.

I apologize for this getting out of hand. I had no idea that Prostage was planning on hijacking this thread and pushing their products. They decided to do that after I had emailed them last night in an attempt to simply make a new connection with another gear company.

If Brad would be willing to give Wilder Amplification its own forum that would be a wonderful thing. I'm just not sure on how to go about getting one. If there is some required monthly fee I'd have to pay for it I would be more than willing to pay it. I don't have a high enough post count to be able to private message him yet so perhaps he will see this and PM me the information I'd need to go about obtaining my own forum on Rig Talk.

I would really appreciate if you could place a link to my forum once I get it. I am currently working on setting up the Wilder Amplification message board as we speak so if it is OK with you, I can either post a link to it here myself or I can email you the link to it and have you post it up. Just tell me how you would prefer to do it and I will make it happen.

Allow me to end this on a good note by stating that I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and Diezel Amplification. Like everyone else here, I feel that you design and make a superior product. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to make this a bit more pleasant experience for Rig Talk as well as Diezel Amplification.
 
Same to you, Jon. I appreciate your support and your good will
to develop products. Thank you very much for the kind words,
I just try to give my best if that´s good enough. You know how
to reach me. It´s just a not a very good situation to be a manufacture
on an other manufactures forum. Imagine I would post on Reinholds
forum about Diezel cabinets. :lol: :LOL:

Cheers,
Peter
 
Peter Diezel":n1xzogrl said:
Same to you, Jon. I appreciate your support and your good will
to develop products. Thank you very much for the kind words,
I just try to give my best if that´s good enough. You know how
to reach me. It´s just a not a very good situation to be a manufacture
on an other manufactures forum. Imagine I would post on Reinholds
forum about Diezel cabinets. :lol: :LOL:

Cheers,
Peter
Click to expand...

That handsome boy of yours built my Columbus !!!!

It says, "Best Regard's, Max"

You go Poppa !!!! Start him early...... :rock:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top