Good afternoon all.
Went to double check something in the manual and saw it updated to a new firmware, which should be out shortly it looks like. My question is, it states to enable saturation you have to send a MIDI CC message. Sadly I sold my one MIDI controller (DMC Micro). So my question is, what is the easiest/cheapest way to send the required Midi CC message to my pedal to enable saturation?
Things I have already that have Midi capability: PC, Reaper?, HXFX.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you all.
Hi @Silverburst are you a current Ribbons user or expecting a pedal from the batch that starts shipping this week?
If you’re waiting on a pedal from this batch, we will be pre-configuring them for tape saturation due to popular request.
If you don’t have a MIDI to USB interface, your HXFX might be able to send that MIDI CC data to Ribbons. Here are some tips and hints:
- First, you will need a way to connect the MIDI OUT on your HXFX to the MIDI in jack on Ribbons.
- A simple 5-pin MIDI DIN cable and the first recommended DIN to TRS adapter option on this page should get you connected to your HXFX.
- You should be able to use the Command Center on the HXFX. Set the MIDI channel to 1, the MIDI CC to 52, and send a value >0 to enable saturation:
You should now hear saturation when you turn up the Compression (CP) knob on Ribbons. Toggle the page at least once and wait 10 seconds and it will be stored in memory between power cycles.
Excellent, thank you @jaakjensen
Current owner/user here, rocking the teal. Love it but I think Saturation for me will be the winner over Compression.
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Another FYI, it seems like you will need to use the Command Center’s CC Togl (Toggle) to send MIDI CC data using the footswitches. The MIDI CC (continuous controller) described in the graphic above seems like it only sends MIDI data if an expression pedal is connected.
My plan would be, this cable, out of HX, to my own TRS cable to Ribbons. I think this should work and not require me to change any jumper settings.
I think my HX is my only unit capable of sending Midi (although I have two oxygen midi keyboards but I think that they work the other way around).
Will let you know as soon as that firmware drops.
Ok, I’m going to go out on a limb and ask if its possible a 1.3b firmware file could be made that enables saturation that way?
I guess the risk is blowing up old presets, but I would think once switched to saturation it would now be saturation in presets that previously had compression?
I can do a one-off file for this particular situation because I think it could potentially apply to a lot of people. It will require you to perform a factory reset after completing the update (which is super easy and described in our manual).
V1.3 is up on the development blog now and I will add this other file/variant sometime tomorrow. I will post here when it’s available.
Sounds like OP got it sorted and so I will not be generating a one-off firmware file for this particular situation. Please continue to use MIDI CC 52 if you want to configure your Ribbons for saturation.
Cool. Just got that file but just wait on my cable. I might MacGyver a cable we shall see much appreciated
If you can solder I could provide a MIDI DIN to TRS MIDI type A cable wiring diagram.
I got that but thank you, you have already gone way above and beyond, I appreciate the responses and don’t want to take up anymore of your time. But I will report back how it goes.
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Success! For anyone else using their HX as a Midi send device and like me is a little slow on the uptake, you have to hit the Mode button the footswitches then switch to Midi CC mode.
This is awesome @jaakjensen I dig this way more than compression, dirties it up just enough. Thank you again!
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HXFX’s Command Center seems like a great combo with Ribbons. You could dive into some of the MIDI CC stuff and program it to control the four track looper. You could program it to start/stop recording, clearing tracks, and switching between looper tracks just using your feet. 
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You aren’t kidding. So much potential to shift on the fly. I gotta say, you got a Gen Loss combined with a deco, combined with a DL4 (looper) and probably quite a few more, trem, verb etc. Makes me wonder what your system would look like in a Poly Beebo/Zoia enclosure…
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