Kev

The headache continues. So, I decided to just buy the Midi I/O, which I have done. QC can now send messages to the Ottobit, great stuff. However, when connecting the QC over USB and trying to use the desktop editor (changing the QC midi setting to thru), the Meris is not receiving nor sending any Midi. Id hope that a £1600 processor doesn't fall into this category, but could this be a factor? I have emailed Neural DSP for help. At the point of considering moving this pedal on as this is a whole lot of fuss for something that seems like it should be simple! I'm NOT prepared to invest any further, but if I did I guess the next thing would be to buy a USB midi interface to cut the QC out the chain. EDIT: Neural have confirmed it's the QC, it can't send messages from midi usb through DIN. Sigh. I'm not buying a USB Midi cable, have to draw a line somewhere! So, fiddly interface it is! Nothing is easy, eh?

At this stage I'd happily forget about receiving midi from the Meris and just let it receive midi from the Quad Cortex...

One of those would appear to do the trick and are somewhat cheaper than the midi i/o, if less available...

Thanks for the suggestions! Rob has asked that I send the cable back so he can have a look and do some digging. I don't have another midi usb adapater to use, but given the QC is responding to midi commands the issue I assume is going to lie with the QC not outputting midi through its midi out, or (more likely) there is an issue with the cable. To be honest, the pedal is almost unusable without Midi in some ways. The sequencer is very fiddly to set up just using the knobs on the pedal, and there is literally no way to use any of the preset functionality without midi. Its just so frustrating they didn't design it with the standard Din sockets. I don't have anything that can check that unfortunately. I know the QC is sending Midi messages internally (the QC is set to channel 1, and sending Midi messages to channel 1 causes to the QC to receive and act upon messages) but I don't have any other midi devices at the moment.

Yeah all global config settings are set right. I'm waiting for designacable to come back as they've literally sold the cable to me as a Meris Midi Cable, so I'll see what they say. But I've fiddled with the jack when sending midi to no effect.

...it didn't. Setting the Meris up to received Midi over TRS on a specific channel and connecting the cable to the Quad Cortex, setting the QC to send PC messages across the same channel, there is no sign the Meris is receiving anything. The QC can send and receive messages over USB midi with my PC with no issue but nothing I try gets it to communicate with the Meris. I'm assuming the cable is wrong, as otherwise it means there is something wrong with the Meris I guess? I've emailed Designacable to ask them how they've wired it, but you'd assume if they say they're familiar with Meris and realise its a different wiring they wouldn't get it wrong. Sigh.

It sounds messy, so I've just gone with a Din to TRS and will just send midi to the pedal. I realised that you can still use one of the editors if you make presets using it and save those presets into a library on the PC, and recreate any new presets you make on the pedal and save in library etc and load them on as needed. Fiddly but workable. Never used the QC to send midi, so lets hope that's simple and it works...

I'm incredibly green when it comes to Midi so I really don't know much about that at all. I assume their splitter box provides the isolation needed? I just don't understand why companies like Meris and Source Audio don't just allow space for the DIN sockets. The cynical side of me does, but its just daft, especially when this pedal needs midi so much to be useable. There is no way to access any of the 15 other presets without midi use, or the use of their (proprietary, shockingly) external footswitch.

Obviously sending midi to it is by far the most important thing, but the Meris is made a LOT easier to program by using a desktop editor, and the editor needs to receive midi from the Meris to load and save the presets. I contacted designacable who seemed to think it isn't possible to split a TRS into a midi in/out, so its looking like it isn't going to be possible. Sending Midi from QC to TRS shouldn't be a problem and those cables are readily available (although I'm struggling to find cables that specify what midi type they're for as it differs?). I just don't want to buy that box, but from looking online the other ones available that are cheaper just don't work both ways. EDIT: This is the editor I'd want to use: https://studiocode.dev/ottobit-editor/

So for those familiar with Meris pedals, they're one of those pesky builders who think it's a great idea to not put midi din sockets on their pedals. Meris use a single TRS Midi application to send and receive Midi. They also sell a ridiculously expensive I/O box that you plug your TRS into and get yourself a Midi Din in and out. I don't want to spend £100 to let me use my Quad Cortex as a midi controller, so what I am looking for is a cable to do the job. Is it possible to take a TRS plug and split it into two DIN plugs, one dealing with sending Midi from TRS (tip maybe, not sure!) and one receiving (ring??). Ie basically doing exactly what the Midi I/O box is doing, without having to find space for a big metal box under my board? If it is, who can build it for me?? 😁

Just took delivery of a rather bonkers little Meris unit from Nathan, next day delivery and as described, top gent!!

Haven't seen any sign of the Shuker up for sale so hopefully things aren't as bad as all that after all! If you're active on socials, he has listed a few things that a little engagement with would be a big help!

Didn't he use it on Under the Bridge too, or was that just for the video?

Hardly comparable companies, and Flea left Modulus a good amount of time before they folded, his Flea bass was rebranded as the Funk Unlimited. Also, I think Musicman have made MANY sales from Flea, as he's associated with the instrument, even if he never had an artist model with them. Put it this way, a hell of a lot more people bought a stingray than a modulus because of him.

Oh right, I haven't heard that story, I just knew he wanted a flea signature model. If he was demanding that all Stingrays be Flea Stingrays, that's insane. Is there anywhere I can read about that??

I'm sure the Stingray would have sold just fine without the Tim Commorford and Joe Dart models too, but it still doesn't really explain what he thinks he was "right" about, or how those artist models didn't do wrong by Leo, Tony, Louis and all of the other stingray players?

Interesting, what does he think he got right/Flea got wrong? Sounds like he gave him the opportunity to give him an artist bass before signing with Modulus, and then Ball went ahead and did artist basses in the future with others bassists anyway, trashing his original arguement. Seems without doubt a missed opportunity for them?

Who on earth designed that part of the kit? I mean it's not difficult to do for a tech minded person, but what an awful way to implement a firmware update in 2023.

I just want a better answer than "1 works for me"