HX Effects MIDI Control of the BluGuitar Amp1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มี.ค. 2019
- This video will show you how to control use HX Effects or other MIDI device to control the BluGuitar Amp1 as well as some things to remember as you create snapshots or use buttons to change the settings in the Amp1.
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Hi, many thanks for this. Up until now, I couldn't get Amp1 to switch with Snapshots, but now, thanks to you, I can. Cheers
You're welcome. I'm glad I could help.
Exactly what I want to do. Getting the Amp1 very soon.
Really useful and well explained, thank you👍
Steve Bennett you’re welcome. Glad it helped.
Are you still using the HX effects with your amp1 in 4 cable method. I am considering this setup and wondering if it works well. Did you stick with it or have you evolved sconce this video. If so what are you using now. Thanks for sharing.
@Dr. Gregory Weisswasser ND , I do not use that setup anymore, but I'm not sure I would have moved on given what I know now. That said, for about the same amount of $$, I'm using a Kemper Profiler Stage. I also have a full pedal board, so with the included effects of the Kemper and the board, I've got everything covered too many times over.
This really depends on what you're looking to achieve. If you're looking for a straight forward rock/blues sound on stage, the HX Effects and the Amp1 in 4 cable is all you need. You can go from 50's Elvis to sludge with that that. You can even do ambient with it. The truth of the matter is that I could still use that and be just fine doing everything I do. I play churches, I play festivals, I jam at open mics, I do club gigs; and I was doing it all with the HX Effects and Amp1.
Why go Kemper, you might ask. I sure did. LOL. Because I had FOMO (fear of missing out). I have a Kemper with literally 18,000 amp models at my feet and I use two, a Marshall Purple Plexi and a Fender Twin AC from 1965 that were both profiled by Tone Junkie. I paid for his everything pack, and that's really all I use. I have to laugh at myself while I type all of this, because I didn't have to spend a penny and would have been happy where I was.
The only two things I would add to the Amp1/HX Effects method would be a wah and volume/expression pedal, but that's me. I have a Slash wah, Mission volume/expression, Digitech Drop (which has gone up $100 since I bought it!), and a Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal. The Drop is so that I can change to a lower tuning without switching guitars and the Bigsby allows me to do bends without putting a bar on my guitars. I hate actual Bigsby's (my son has one that I have to maintain because I'm Dad), so this pedal lets me do dive bombs and all that and never lose my tuning. I play almost exclusively Gibson on stage these days, and they aren't famous for staying in tune when you bend them that way. I play a few covers that use the Wah and the volume pedal is to fool the sound guy.
So let's talk pros and cons. If you drop the extraneous pedals I listed in my last paragraph, let's look at the pros and cons of each of these solutions and where I would spend my $$ today.
Kemper PROS: I can do it all in one box, I have all of the profiles I need, and with the Mission expression pedal, I can assign it to do any "morph" function to use it for wah or volume. The profiler Stage is all in one, so you don't have to carry the toaster and foot controller. It has everything the toaster has, except there's no amplification option. The buttons are easy to read, and you can assign one or more effects to each effect button, so you can for example turn on a boost and delay at the same time for a solo. That's very convenient. When you switch from patch to patch, it's instantaneous! No delay. That's real important when I'm doing live performances. Built like a tank, it can take a licking and keep on ticking. I love using it, it sounds great, the effects are good for everything I do, and the amp models are very convincing.
CONS: You can't assign the pedal to do BOTH! Are you kidding, Kemper? The morph function can only be assigned to one thing at a time, so if you want to morph volume for solos, you can't morph the expression pedal to do wah during the solo! That's why I use a separate wah pedal. Not a big deal, when it comes to wah, it's very personal, and the right pedal is different for everyone. Some like a short throw and others a long one. I prefer one in the middle. I came up in the 70's and you need that disco funky groove, and my Slash wah can do it. I can't imagine trying to do that on the Mission. It's heavy! I bought the extra bag ($130 extra) and the lining where the Kemper sits is already ripping out a year later. Still works, and the bag holds up, but the pocket on the front isn't as big as the one for the Helix. Made by the same company.
Amp1/HX Pros: The Amp1 does three Marshall amp sounds and does them well! I've spoken with Thomas Blug personally, and he is a perfectionist. We had a two hour conversation and he took me for a virtual tour of his studio (we had a Zoom call and he was in Germany). He's everything you would expect from a genius exceptional guitarist. He's what Les Paul was like. The pedal shows his commitment to quality sound. It's very light. I don't know if it weighs two pounds! I thought, "you got a 100 watt amp in here?" You will be shocked if you try it! The HX gives you everything else. It's amazing the effects in there, and you'll want for none. You can get an effects pedal (or 2) and do everything you need with them. You can use the output of the HX effects to your DAW or come from the Amp1. Either way, you can get a cab sim in there. You can also take a cab sim output from the HX to a sound board and also go non sim out to the return of the Amp1 so you can use a cab on stage. Very versatile, and the number of effects is nearly limitless that you have available to you.
Cons: It's two versus one pedal. You need an adapter ($60) for midi control if you want to use a midi controller. To mount it to a pedal board, you'll want the kit ($20) you can add four (4) effects loops for $250, but that's not a need. Because you have two pedals, you don't really need a board, and you're just putting the cables between the two, so you can do that in seconds during setup. I had them mounted to a board and controlled everything via midi.
Conclusion: Get what's right for you. The expense will be very close, so money should not be the object unless you already have an HX Effects or Amp1. For me, most gigs are just guitar into Slash wah into Kemper into the board. That's really it! When songs require it, I bring the Drop or Bigsby. The Mission is always there, but I've set up my presets and morphs to do most of what that would cover.
Hope that helps you to decide, and I look forward to hearing about how it goes. I'm also about to do a shoot out between Kemper, Helix, and the Dream 65 from UA audio. Let the games begin! :D
@@jimwoodard64 Thank you for your feedback. It is really helpful. Good luck on you journey to tone town.
I'm struggling to make this work, as well...what are your midi settings in the HX FX? I can get it to switch in Preset Mode, but, not in Snapshots.
Thanks!
I’m not sure what you mean. Did you understand the tutorial? I used snapshots to change the settings. No two amp 1’s will be the same. You have to teach it to understand the words. I do this in the tutorial about half way.
PRS Rocker I followed all the steps in the video, multiple times...but, the HX only changes channels on Amp 1 when the HX is in Preset Mode, not Snapshots.
I would hope that every Amp 1 is the same as far as this stuff is concerned.
Thank you so much !!! What kind of midi adapter is it? Where did you get it?
Hi Michael. I got the adapter from Sweetwater. www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BluMidi1--bluguitar-midi1-midi-adapter-cable-for-amp1. You'll also need a standard midi cable long enough to reach your Amp1. I hope this helps.
I am trying to do this on the HX itself instead of the editor and I can't get Amp1 to communicate. I have the Midi Adaptor. Any thoughts?
I am so sorry this is so late getting back to you. I thought I replied months ago. I hope you found the midi adapter. It's available via Sweetwater, just look for Amp1 Midi adapter.
Now I know why, because the question from MIchael Moore (just before yours) was the same, so I thought TH-cam had glitched and sent the same question twice. Check my response to him for a link.
Hi, so I got it working to switch between Clean, Classic, Vintage and Modern. Fine. But. If I call any of my former presets, it will toggle
the corresponding AMP channel as well, meaning, when I want to use a clean Country sound I stored on the same switch as "Modern", I am into one hell of problems. I get "Modern" gain and Countryis not possible. This applies to all the other used switches. They will load the AMP channel as well. Any advice?
The Amp1 will remember ALL settings for the word you send from the HXFX. You can't just change one setting. For example, if you tell the Amp1 that word 1 means Classic, Boost Off, Reverb Off; then if you use word 1 at any time, it will make all of those changes, regardless of what setting you manually made beforehand. If you make word 2 as Modern, Boost on, and Reverb on, it will remember that, even if you're on a "country" setting beforehand. You have to make separate words for each channel. I had a log because you can have like 126 words or something like that. If that doesn't help, reach out via Facebook via The Practical Guitarist Facebook group. facebook.com/groups/practicalguitarist/
@@jimwoodard64 With the help of your video, it was possible to communicate with AMP1 for the first time. Success so dar. Many thx. I do not understand the "Word! approach. I will take a look at the FB group though. Thanks for getting back so fast!
Hello, thank you for this Video! I have one question, are you using the Midi Adapter from BluGuitar? For me it seems that I can not connect this one and that I need another one... could you please help me?
Thank you for the comment. Yes, I use the official midi cable sold by BluGuitar (www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BluMidi1--bluguitar-midi1-midi-adapter-cable-for-amp1). You will also need a standard midi cable as well. I use a 3' Roland midi cable in the video, but get the length you need. This is the one I use www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RMIDIB3--roland-rmidi-b3-black-series-midi-cable-3-foot. The cable from BluGuitar allows you to adapt a standard midi cable to the 1/4" jack on the Amp1. Check out the video at this point th-cam.com/video/ruIChSzWTTw/w-d-xo.html (40 seconds) and I show how to connect it. If you have any more questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I'll do a quick video on the connections.
PRS Rocker Why do you need a standard cable with the BluGuitar midi adapter. (I have the hx effects on the way and the cable too)
Thanks Jim! this is exactly what I needed to know. Any chance you could post a preset at Line6.com/customtone so we have a working model to start with? I don't even know if that would work given that the local Amp1 has to "learn" these settings...
Sorry, man, I got rid of the HX FX, but I think I might still have the preset if you think it would be interesting.