Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
JohnClark
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Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by JohnClark »

One thing to try would be to route your MIDI chain so that you use MIDI Outs rather than Thrus on each piece of gear with the SpinDoctor placed last in the MIDI path. This will make it so that each device will filter out the messages it is listening for, leaving only the messages intended for the SpinDoctor present at it's MIDI In.
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bobdupuy
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by bobdupuy »

Hi Jon,

Thanks for answering. But I'm afraid my other midi device (G LAB MIDI 4X LOOPER) has only a midi thru, and I think that messages are directly copied from MIDI IN to MIDI THRU without any filtering.

Before buying the GLAB and my MidiMate foot controller, I was looking at the Voodoo switcher + Voodoo Commander, but it was too expensive...

Robert.

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by JohnClark »

Perhaps then in your case you can MIDI map your switcher and pedal to use the same information on a single MIDI channel.

A Commander would have communicated to the Pedal Switcher(s) using a proprietary message type wile sending Program Changes on MIDI channel 1 for your other MIDI devices in order to prevent exactly this type of issue. 8-)
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bobdupuy
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by bobdupuy »

Hi Jon,

I've already looked at this solution, but unfortunately, neither the Spin Doctor and the GLAB Midi Looper are configurable. Technically, it would work, but it's not an acceptable solution: Program change 1 would switch to the program 1 on the spin doctor, while activating loop 1 of the GLAB Midi Looper. Program change 2 would switch to the program 2 on the spin doctor, while activating loop 2 of the GLAB Midi Looper, and so on, which is obviously not what I want.

I had an answer today from the TREX support, they're looking at the problem.

Thanks for your help.

Robert.

bobdupuy
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 1:57 pm

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by bobdupuy »

Just to share with other people that may face the same problem:

I've made some progress by analysing what MIDI message was sent to the Spin doctor by the foot controller.

To sum up :

Everything works fine when the spin doctor receives MIDI commands one at a time: It handles correctly Program Changes on CH1 and ignores everything else.

BUT, when a batch of MIDI commands is sent (for example I can configure my footswitch to send several Program Changes on different channels by pressing a single footswitch), the spin doctor behaves as if it has only received the last MIDI command of the batch, ignoring the first ones. Of course, this is the cause of my problem.

Knowing that, a possible workaround is to make sure that the last command of the batch is the Program Change on channel 1 for the spin doctor, but this is not always possible to control the order in which MIDI messages are sent by the foot controller.

Robert.

wotreeclapton
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 1:27 pm

Re: Gc Pro with Trex Spindoctor problems

Post by wotreeclapton »

Seriously
Get yourself a Midi Solutions Router and program it to filter out everything except Midi Channel 1, and then place it before the Spindoctor in the midi chain. That will 100% solve the problem (i know its not the cheapest but it works) :)

T-Rex are now replacing my Spindoctor (after it breaking down twice) so im slightly happier with them now..

Cheers

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