Analog button to send MIDI Program Change message?

Started by m10071978, July 17, 2019, 03:37:55 AM

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m10071978

Hi to clever people)))
I have a distortion pedal without MIDI and FX unit with MIDI which can
change its preset number on receiving PC message.
Presently when I turn on distortion  I have to tap on FX pedal simultaneously (to turn delay/chorus off).
Are there any small solutions to tap only once? I.e. send a control message to activate preset #1 from pedal to MIDI IN?
I see it as a small extra footswitch button which I could add to my Dist pedal.
But what would be in between this button and MIDI input of my FX unit?
I have a soldering experience, but never dealt with MIDI constructions))

FiveseveN

Quote from: R.G. on July 31, 2018, 10:34:30 PMDoes the circuit sound better when oriented to magnetic north under a pyramid?

ElectricDruid

Quote from: FiveseveN on July 17, 2019, 05:09:19 AM
Quote from: m10071978 on July 17, 2019, 03:37:55 AM
what would be in between this button and MIDI input of my FX unit?
A microcontroller. See here: https://www.arduino.cc/en/tutorial/midi

Yes, and it really wouldn't need to be much more than just the bare microcontroller either. For sending MIDI, you only need a MIDI socket and a resistor - that's it. The UART on the microcontroller does the rest. MIDI *input* is opto-isolated and a bit more complicated, but for output, you don't need to worry about that.

pruttelherrie

Quote from: ElectricDruid on July 17, 2019, 02:21:58 PM
Quote from: FiveseveN on July 17, 2019, 05:09:19 AM
Quote from: m10071978 on July 17, 2019, 03:37:55 AM
what would be in between this button and MIDI input of my FX unit?
A microcontroller. See here: https://www.arduino.cc/en/tutorial/midi

Yes, and it really wouldn't need to be much more than just the bare microcontroller either. For sending MIDI, you only need a MIDI socket and a resistor - that's it. The UART on the microcontroller does the rest. MIDI *input* is opto-isolated and a bit more complicated, but for output, you don't need to worry about that.
You won't even need an actual button if you read the state of the distortion off the LED.

All it would take is an Arduino Nano clone (<$3 on eBay), a resistor and a MIDI socket (as Electric Druid wrote). Current draw will not be optimal with a standard Arduino Nano, but it's *probably* the quickest solution.

potul

If  your FX unit has an Send/receive loop, it might be better to do it the other way around. You put the distortion in the loop, and control if grom the FX unit.