tauzero

In this case, it was because the module I'd plugged it into to test it out was set up just to receive on channel 1, so the initial result was silence. That has educated me on MPE though so thanks, I'm rather a tyro at this.

I'm not sure why the MPE would make sense if one was trying to play all the strings on the same MIDI instrument. I can see that it would be useful in some cases, but definitely not all. After all, if I play a chord and want it to sound like a Hammond organ, I'm better off with single channel and sending it all to a Hammond organ patch than MPE and sending bottom E (channel 2) to Hammond organ, A (channel 3) to pan pipes, D (channel 4) to orchestral strings, G (channel 5) to angel choir, etc. I mean, I'd obviously assign all the channels to the same patch but why not just do it with a single channel? Yes, it does work in a useful way - it has the three modes (single channel, multi-channel - channels 1-6, MPE - channels 2-7 with channel 1 for controls) and it tracks the notes well. The advantage over the Roland is that it generates MIDI directly - the Rolands have to be run through one of the various GR pedals to generate MIDI (I've got a GR-20 and a GR-55) and the MIDI can be a bit glitchy and slow. The GR pedals seem primarily aimed at processing the signal direct. With tight integration of instrument and electronics, plus the fact this is a whole lot more modern than the GRs, the Jamstik generates MIDI more accurately. I don't know how the latest serial pickup and GM-800 module compare.

MIDI guitars interest me - I have Roland GK pickups on a guitar and a bass (OK for direct processing, not so good for generating MIDI), a YRG1000 MIDI controller, and an Artiphon Instrument 1. However, my interest was piqued by the Jamstik range, and with the Studio being (a) the cheapest and (b) headless, when one came up for sale for a good price I went for it. Tracking is good, as is the playability. MIDI out is via either a USB-C socket or a 3.5mm TRS socket with a supplied TRS to 5-pin lead. At first it didn't do anything, but I checked the settings and it was set to MPE mode which sends signals to channels 2-7, so reset it to single channel and all was well. There's a variety of parameters to play with in the Windows desktop software or the Android app. I haven't given the humbuggers a test out yet but I shall at some point. I've just found a review of the guitar which forms the basis for this - it's an Asmuse Leaf, and the review is complimentary about the pickups (and, indeed, about the guitar). Incidentally, there were no instructions on how to restring it (I don't need to now but I'm looking to the future). Jamstik do a tutorial video and it looks almost as simple as double ball end strings - you don't have to poke the end through the tuner, just bend it a bit, put it under the bridge roller, and start winding (with a dinky little allen key which is held magnetically to the bridge). Excellent. And I like allen key tuning on a headless - admittedly you have to be sure not to lose the key, but it gives greater feel than turning headless knobs.

I started looking at the Pi Pico when I ran into problems with the Arduino switcher - basically, it would switch up and down, but needed two button presses to switch once. I built a USB sniffer with a Pico - https://github.com/ataradov/usb-sniffer-lite and discovered that it was an issue with USB not being ready, and put in the delay loop that I mention. The USB sniffer (as you and others may find it useful): Anyroadup, once I got the Arduino working, I stopped looking at the Pico. It did seem interesting though. I may go back to it.

Yes - Mrs Zero. Consequences...

After skirting the edges a few times, a very tatty MXR Bass Octave Deluxe came up on Ebay and as nobody wanted it first time round, I had it second time round. As it has the word "bass" in its name, I can't really evade the consequences by pretending it's for a different instrument. So, less pressure on me not to buy a Cort Space 😁

Simple Zoom up/down patch switcher. I wanted a simple way of going up and down through patches on an MS-60B - this would also allow one effect in each patch to be switchable. This uses the Arduino Pro Mini (3.3V version) and a USB host shield, which keeps it all in a compact format. It does require a minor modification to the host shield as the Zoom pedal will take power from the USB connection, which needs to be at 5V. This is the USB host shield I used: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192928198858 and an example of the Pro Mini is https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305210446733. This also needs a programmer, for example https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235444132988, as the Pro Mini doesn't have a USB port. The host shield is modified by cutting the trace running to the USB 5V pad (note: there may not be a 2k2 resistor where shown) and then connecting Vraw on the Arduino Pro Mini to Vbus on the USB connector (the red blob marked 5V, see photo a bit further down). Power is then supplied via a protection diode and 7805 voltage regulator, giving 5V. Incidentally, cutting the trace is harder than it seems - after cutting it, check there's no continuity between the 5V Vbus pad and the 3.3V pin. Two momentary action footswitches do the switching: patch up -> pin 2, patch down -> pin 3 Cutting the hole for the USB socket - make sure the plug body can fit in to ensure a good connection. All the internals: Switches and power supply (I used 4-way male and female headers for 5V, ground, and the two switches to make it easy to split the two parts). The voltage regulator is bolted to the box, somewhat overkill for a heatsink but it does keep it anchored in place. The connector is centre negative and there's a diode in the positive line for reverse polarity protection (somewhat surrounded by heatshrink).There's not a lot of vertical space so the footswitches are as high as they'll go. A less obstructed view of the board. Note that the plain veroboard under the Arduino is simply there for insulation, and the two pieces above it are just to hold the Arduino in place - thinking about it more, with the benefit of hindsight, if I'd soldered the male headers pointing downward on the host shield rather than upwards on the Arduino, they would have protruded enough to solder a piece of perfboard with pads rather than strips on it to the underside which could have been used to fasten it all to the lid. You can see in this that I've run the 5V (red) to the Vraw pin, and from there a second red wire runs to the Vbus pad right behind the USB socket. There's heatshrink all over the place because this is so tightly packed. The GND and DTR that you can see written there are to make it easy to get the programmer connected the right way round, although that should no longer be relevant since I got it working properly. In the program, set patchMax to 49 for MS-60B etc or 99 for G3/B3. The program itself is pretty simple, it uses ezButton to handle debouncing etc. The only bits that might warrant further explanation are the delay loops in setup - the 7 second one is the pause for the MS-60B to get started up (from powering up to when the current patch appears on the screen) and the USB one is waiting for USB to get ready (behaviour is rather odd if that isn't in, took me a little while to work that out). Note that because it's not detecting the current patch number, it simply resets the pedal to patch 1 (program 0 in MIDI terms). ZoomPatchSwitch.ino

I made one for under £20 - it depends how you feel about soldering and drilling boxes.

This one?

Waterfront by Simple Minds.

Have any of you delighted new owners also had Nux Mighty Plugs and feel it's enough of a step up to make it worth buying? Having a few effects is nice but the main purpose is simply as a practice device.

All these people saying they base their position on not having the headstock hitting things - for heaven's sake just go headless, then you only smack the singer round the back of the head if you really want to.

What are these "adverts" of which you speak on Windows?

As long as you've got iOS to program it with, or be prepared to spend hours knob twiddling.

Wildly OT, but just looking at Peaches's 5-string stock and the Mayones Caledonius reminded me very strongly of a kettle.

I'm looking forward to taking it off your hands.

So if you have something the exact diameter of the holes, you could cut to length and put the dots in place in the holes on the neck before putting the fretboard on and thus exactly position it?

Ikea used to do a laptop stand which is similar to what would be needed - a downward lip at the front to hook over the cab front and an upward lip at the back to rest the back of the amp on. The upward lip would need some surgery to accommodate any cables that needed to go through the amp rear. I don't think the Ikea stand would do the job, although I use one to tilt my combo. The Ikea laptop stand (no longer available from Ikea): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/386946235146

The world was crying out for a cheap copy of the Precision bass. How fortuitous that Squier are filling that vacant niche in the marketplace.

No - v4.3.1 is the most recent version, supporting G1(X) Four, B1(X) Four, G5n, G3(X)n, B3n, G1(X)on, B1(X)on, MS-50G, MS-60B, MS-70CDR.

The dreadful Lip Up Fatty That's Entertainment Monkey Man Message for you Rudi Just a few songs from a former band whose guitarist/singer was not just not a lead guitarist, he was probably the worst guitarist in the band (as he would be the first to admit).

Where do you stand in a five piece band Would you stand on the left or the right Would you stick your headstock in the singer's ear I will try not to do it tonight I'll stand by with a little help from the band I'll squeeze in with a little help from the band Gonna try with a little help from the band Dum dum de dum with a little help from the band

Oh, that's easy. I just play a five minute bass solo.

It's rather a step backwards with a fixed signal path rather than the multiple building block approach that's been in favour for the last decade at least.