HEX MIDI OUT flakey

[guitarweirdo]

HI, I just got a HEX box for my rig. I run a Rocktron All Access into the MIDI IN on the HEX on my pedal board and then from the HEX MIDI OUT to the rest of my gear in a rack. I set the HEX to respond to MIDI Channel 5, my Marshall JMP-1 on Channel 4, Roland GR-30 on Channel 3 and rack effect until on Channel 2. All devices are just daisy chained together (MIDI Out/Thru to MIDI in of the next device).
The problem I have is the Program Changes to devices downstream of the HEX are flakey. I have tried a couple different MIDI cables but didn't help. Sometimes the devices get the correct program change, the rest of the time, the Program Change they receive is something weird.
I did have an old MIDIMan MIDI thru box, so I used it after the Rocktron, with one "thru" going to the HEX and the other to my rack gear. So I guess this is a solution, but I was surprised the HEX MIDI OUT doesn't work well as a MIDI Thru. Does anyone have any thoughts?

[Marlboro05]

Hi there,
The midi out is supposed to be a mirror of midi in so should work as you wish it would.
Did you buy new or second hand? Only thing I can think of is if you bought it second hand, do a factory reset and start again and see if it still does this. If so, maybe this is why the person sold it.
I’d reset, leave it on channel 1 as no other device you have is set to this. Set it to receive cc and pc commands.

Looks like you have it sorted with the midi thru box but you should be able to daisy chain at least 8 devices.

See how you go

[guitarweirdo]

Thanks for the reply. I did all what you suggested when I received it except try channel one, which I reserved for a really old device that only worked on that channel. But I don’t intend to use that device ever again, so I might try channel one.
Yes, I did buy secondhand as all stores online were “sold out” or “back ordered”. Reverb had one advertised as “mint”. But a guy never knows what you are going to get. Everything else working fine, and it’s cool to be able to switch to my talk box amp via midi and use my Fuzz God 2.

[Marlboro05]

Hey there,
Sounds like you have a nice setup.
What midi cable are you using between the Hex and the All Access? How are you powering the Hex and the All Access? To use a GCX or a Hex with the All Access, you are supposed to have pins 1 & 3 removed from the GCX-Hex end and connected to pins 6 & 7.
This may be why you are having problems?
Maybe try a 3 pin cable if you have one lying around or modify a 5 pin cable.

[guitarweirdo]

Thanks again for your reply Marlboro!
That is interesting about the 3 pin thing...I suppose that is worth a try, but the HEX manual specifically says:

"Connect a standard 5-pin MIDI cable from your controller’s MIDI out to HEX’s
MIDI IN. If you have additional MIDI devices, connect another MIDI cable from
HEX’s MIDI OUT to the MIDI in of your next device."

So that is perplexing.

[Marlboro05]

Hi there,
It’s the All Access controller that is sending midi on 1 & 3 that the HEX uses for power, so the power is interfering with the midi signal.

In this post, John says make sure pins 1 & 3 are removed, in his second reply.

http://voodoolab.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2599

[Marlboro05]

Hey there,
Any luck?