Voodoo Lab

I'm running my GCP with the following MIDI chain

GCP> Midi Solutions Thru (2 way splitter) Out 1.> Hex > Source Audio Reflex > Source Audio Hub

_____________________(2 way splitter) Out 2. > Boss DD500 > Mesa Triple Crown 50

Everything but the DD500 works fine. The issue being that randomly the DD500 will not change banks when presets are recalled or when programming a preset. Stranger still is that when this happens the DD500 still reacts to MIDI input from the Source Audio Reflex sending MIDI CC...so I know MIDI is transmitting and being received by the it.

Also, the Triple Crown 50 still responds when the DD500 doesn't and it's after the DD500 so I know the DD500 is thru putting the MIDI PC# from GCP.

The problem is the same with and without the splitter. I've quadruple checked the MIDI RX / TX on the DD500, changed the cable, changed the MIDI channel, put the DD500 after the Triple Crown and everything else I can think of with no solution.

After losing my mind with this for months I spent yesterday ripping everything apart and re-assembling. I re-read the GCP manual and noticed the section on "filtering" where it mentions that the GCP won't double transmit info. I also noticed that this problem seems to happen when I am hunting for sounds and clicking through GCP > DD500 banks fairly quickly...so....

Does the GCP have some minimum amount of time that needs to pass before you can send another multi channel, multi PC# command that is completely different from the preceding command? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm getting ready to ditch the DD500 if I can't figure this out.

The filter in the Ground Control Pro is that it won't send the same Program Change multiple times in a row... it will always send a new Program Change.

That everything else in the rig responds just fine really suggests that it is in fact the DD-500 that is just not responding properly when sent too many Program Changes in rapid succession. The way you have it routed, the DD-500 is seeing every MIDI command you are sending. Try running at least the HEX ahead of the MIDI Splitter (are you controlling the HEX with Program Changes or Control Changes?) OR try getting rid of the MIDI Splitter all together and run the DD-500 as close to last in the MIDI signal path as possible.

Let us know how it goes!

Thanks John. I figured the issue was actually with the DD500 and not the GCP, but I wanted to check here before I ditched the DD500. You had actually helped me out before on this and I took the advice to up the mA from the phantom power of the HEX to implement the MIDI splitter. That was great advice and I thank you again for it because it pretty much shows the GCP is definitely not the issue.

I really like the DD500. It seems that if I wait about 45 seconds or more between sending PC# it is o.k. This would be no problem during performances so I could live with it. I'll ask around on the DD500 forums if anyone else has seen this.

45 seconds would be quite a long time to have to wait for something to respond... I thought the problem was bouncing between presets rapidly.

I think the first step would be making sure the DD-500 is set to receive only on one specific MIDI Channel rather than in OMNI Mode.