Request for comment: saquatch|project Bigfoot

  • That's pretty neat! The one suggestion I might have for something like this is to have either the MIDI in or MIDI out to the remote as a 7-pin connection. This way, you could have another toggle switch somewhere that would:


    1. Normal mode: MIDI In and MIDI Out function as standard MIDI cables, transferring data on MIDI pins 4 and 5 (standard) with 2 being ground. Additional pins not in use.
    2. Bidirectional mode: 7-PIN remote port acts as a combo MIDI In and MIDI out cable, allowing you to run both leads on one 5-PIN cable (In on pin 4, 5, Out on pins 1, 3, or vice versa). Pins 6, 7 are ignored.
    3. Bidirectional mode w/ phantom power: Same as bidirectional mode, except phantom power is supplied on pins 6 and 7, allowing you to power your remote and have bidirectional communication via a 7-PIN MIDI cable.


    Other thoughts:


    1. You could simplify the switch and ALWAYS have 6 and 7 active for power, but only transmit when connected (i.e. when a 7-PIN MIDI cable is connected). This would make that switch "normal/bidirectional" instead of "normal/bidirectional/bidirectional powered."
    2. You could also make both remote outs 7-PIN, ensuring compatibility with any device. For example, the MIDI In would, in bidirectional mode, use pins 4 and 5 for MIDI in, and 1 and 3 for MIDI out; the MIDI Out would, in bidirectional mode, use pins 4 and 5 for MIDI Out, and 1 and 3 for MIDI In (the reverse of the other port). Power could still be sent on 6 and 7.


    This is very similar to how RJM Music's breakout boxes are. I have two 5-PIN cables going to a phantom power box in my rack, then a single 7-PIN MIDI cable goes out of my rack, through my snake, and into my controller on my pedalboard. All power is in the rack itself for my controller.


    Obviously, the remote would also have to support your particular pinout, but there are a lot of mod guides out there, especially for the FCB1010, that can direct you on how to phantom power and communicate bidirectionally with one 7-PIN cable. For me, I generally run a snake of cables from my pedalboard to my rack (4 instrument cables (to amp, from amp fx send, left and right stereo fx returns), a MIDI cable, and a power cable). It was actually amazing how much smaller my snake got and how much lighter it got from just running one less cable down the line when I went to a 7-PIN cable. For those situations where all you have is a controller, you don't have to find a power outlet close to your controller either - you can just run one cable and you're set.


    Just my 2 cents, but I'm digging this.

    Guitars: Parker Fly Mojo Flame, Ibanez RG7620 7-string, Legator Ninja 8-string, Fender Strat & Tele, Breedlove Pro C25
    Pedalboard: Templeboards Trio 43, Mission VM-1, Morley Bad Horsie, RJM Mini Effect Gizmo, 6 Degrees FX Sally Drive, Foxpedals The City, Addrock Ol' Yeller, RJM MMGT/22, Mission RJM EP-1, Strymon Timeline + BigSky
    Stack: Furman PL-Plus C, Kemper Rack

  • How could you build such a nice housing for your electronic.
    Looks great



    Because in a former life I was 3D artist, and a just-good-enough pre-viz mockup like this is only 2h work. :D


    Nevermind, the product is total vaporware, as I have my footswitch needs covered, and rather spend my time playing than adapting my firmware to umpteen other controllers I will never buy.


    Solder on,
    Shredd


  • Fantastic work!
    :thumbup:

  • Long time no see ;)


    After the non-existence of any statistically relevant demand whatsoever I look back to succesfully saved moneys and time by not building a factory for bigfoots :D


    And WAAAAAHHHHAAAHH


    Everything is broken! I put on the 4.0 public betas the day they came out and my remote went like belly up! :_( No amount of fiddling my code would fix it. Kemper has totally destroyed everything!
    Or so I thought.
    Couldn't see the wood for the trees. I haven't touched my code in half a year because it just worked(tm).
    As my programming experience goes towards 0 by any decent standart, I had to kind of relearn everything including my own code. Lots of comments, yes, but often written in a style that rivals my pointer arithmetic.
    It never occured me once downgrading the KPA to known good state aka <4.x. Too farken obvious and not a solution. Loaded a year old prototype firmware that worked on my footswitch for work. This version only employed the most basic 'manual' queries.


    Fast forward a few weeks of little time to fix my problem in code...
    In the weirdest moment and place I got a flashback of my PCB layout. Which shows a tiny but deadly let's call it inherent design flaw:
    The floorboard runs on MIDI phantom power. (only) during code development it is hooked up to USB, which then takes over the power supply, also for the case of no MIDI power available which just doesn't happen in my use case, d'uh.
    The unpowered USB hub I run the floorboard off went flaky on some rainy day, outputting a brownouty stream of garbage on the 5V, and in turn fekking up the microcontroller causing the most random bogus happening, that cuold't even be cauhgt by software implementing ECC ROFL.


    Unnoticed by moi, because i do not ever run a phone off that hub since using adb via network.


    TLDR:


    Guys, check your cables before spending literally weeks of debugging.


    My code comes with the kitchen sink, but the PCB without proper capacitive VCC buffer.
    My USB hub is as stable as a G4 signal in Atacama desert.
    KPA FW 4.0 is splendid.
    bigfoot needed just the slightest of changes in some deep logic to adopt the new features. Despite the changes in 4.0 being technically huge.


    doublefacepalm.png, whenthefailistoobig.png, captainobvious.png, soniamdisappoint.png </IMG>


    On a differnet note, I found the IMO definitive answer to all discussion about the elusive in-the-room sound.


    Please endure the 4 minutes and listen on whatever monitoring solution
    you have.


    Reverse logic and an ear or two tell that KPA is a fully transparent device. Without a Kemper in the room.
    'nuff said. IMO. Feel free to elaborate :D


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    give the guy some deserved hits! :D


    SFW, not affiliated, etc pp.


    Consider R'n'R,
    Shred


    EDIT why is my spell checker in german :D