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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2791.0. "Rockman/Scholz Octopus" by SUBSYS::GODIN (My other preamp is a Tri-Axis.) Mon Aug 23 1993 15:42

    Anyone out there ever hear of a Rockman/Scholz Octopus ? It's supposed
    to be some kind of MIDI switching unit. 
    What is it ? What does it do ? Where can I get one (if it's what I
    think it is) ?
    
    Paul
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2791.1Patch-o-maticTECRUS::ROSTGot a revved-up teenage headMon Aug 23 1993 16:177
    It's basically a patch bay under MIDI control.  You can hook up to
    eight loops and switch them in and out under MIDI control.  It's a
    standard Scholz half-rack package.  The idea is to allow patching
    older devices (like the Scholz boxes) that have no MIDI control into a
    MIDI-controlled setup.
    
    							Brian
2791.2More channels; ON/OFF ?SUBSYS::GODINMy other preamp is a Tri-Axis.Mon Aug 23 1993 17:0013
    > It's basically a patch bay under MIDI control.
    I think that's what I'm looking for. If it just does MAKE/BREAK
    connections to dual jacks or TRS jacks, I'd have to rig up some kind of
    shorting adapter to ues it for ON/OFF functions. 8 may be barely
    enough.
    
    I'll check around for real specs or a demo unit. How long ago did they
    make them ? Does someone make a MIDI patch bay or "switch matrix" that
    has more functions and/or channels ?
    
    Thanks for the info.
    
    Paul
2791.3TECRUS::ROSTGot a revved-up teenage headMon Aug 23 1993 17:078
    As far as I know, they are still making the MIDI Octopus and you can
    get them from most of the big mail order dealers.  Local (MA) stores
    don't stock the Scholz stuff too much, as it's expensive and somewhat
    out of the mainstream of the effects market (i.e it's analog and not
    programmable).  But call around, maybe one of the local stores will
    have one in stock.
    
    							Brian
2791.4Control Only, No Signal?TECRUS::ROSTGoing to hell in your heavenly armsThu Sep 02 1993 13:387
    Oops, .1 is incorrect!  
    
    I saw a blurb on the Octopus in a catalog the other day and apparently
    it has no signal path at all.  It merely gives you eight outputs which
    you use to control non-MIDI devices that have footswitch inputs.  
    
    							Brian
2791.5KDX200::COOPERTesting my new personal nameThu Sep 02 1993 15:144
    I thought it had signal flow thru mutliple loops that you could 
    assign via patch change? (Patch 1:  loop1=off, loop2=on etc...)
    
    ??
2791.6Well, I'm Confused Fer SureTECRUS::ROSTGoing to hell in your heavenly armsThu Sep 02 1993 16:3811
    Re: .1, .4, .5
    
    Well, I *thought* it had a signal path, but after reading the catalog
    description it's unclear.  I still have never seen one of these, I
    wonder if they actually ever made any, after all, noone seems
    to know what it's good for  8^)  8^)
    
    Someone call up Tom and ask him already...
    
    
    							Brian
2791.7Switches are all I really want.SUBSYS::GODINMy other preamp is a Tri-Axis.Fri Sep 03 1993 15:259
    I started out thinking that just a bunch of MIDI controlled ON/OFF
    switches would do what I want (It's none of your business what that's good
    for ! ;-). Now there are a few other things I'd like to add, but the
    switches are the most important.
    
    J.L. Cooper (no pun intended) makes a "MIDI Patch Bay", but based on
    the price, I'd guess it does a lot more than what I really want.
    
    Paul 
2791.8KDX200::COOPERTesting my new personal nameFri Sep 03 1993 15:373
    The TriAxis has three switch ports on the back...  So doesn't
    the ACCESS (right BoOm?)...
    jc
2791.9HEDRON::DAVEBanti-EMM! anti-EMM! I hate expanded memory!- DorothyFri Sep 03 1993 16:484
I think the JL Cooper is a midi switching unit not a audio/footswitch 
replacement. I coould be wrong though...

dbii
2791.10MIDI Programmable switchesSUBSYS::GODINMy other preamp is a Tri-Axis.Fri Sep 03 1993 17:1214
    There is a unit out there that does "MIDI switching" that I looked at,
    & it's definitely *not* what I want to do. I think they call it "MIDI
    switching" when you've got MIDI IN's & MIDI OUT's & you play a bunch of
    games with who's going where. 
    
    What the Tri-Axis does with those 3 switch outputs is basically what I'd 
    like 8 or 10 of. I'm not sure *how* they (Boogie) actually do it (relays, 
    SS switches, etc.) because they won't send me a schematic, but most of the 
    time, the current they'd be carrying & the potential to GND would not be 
    large enough for concern. 
    
    That's just one more neat feature of that beast.
    
    Paul
2791.11Mesa = short-to-ground switching.MILKWY::JACQUESVintage taste, reissue budgetSun Sep 05 1993 22:429
    As far as I know Mesa Boogie uses *short-to-ground* switches for
    channel switching, eq, and reverb foot-switches. This makes it
    easy to control a Boogie from a universal footswitch, or a 
    other devices with short-to-ground circuits.
    
    They definately use short-to-ground on my Studio Preamp.
    
    Mark
    
2791.12That's almost right.SUBSYS::GODINMy other preamp is a Tri-Axis.Wed Sep 08 1993 13:2117
    RE -1:
    Yeah, but watch out with those ones that have LED's in the footswitch
    if they also have *relays* in the amp.
    
    It seems that they use the LED/resistor combination in the Boogie foot
    switch to set up some residual current flow in the relay so that it
    behaves properly when switched. This means that if you lose your
    "genuine" Boogie foot switch, & replace it with a plain short to GND
    type, the relay will eventually start to do strange (not funny) things.
    Even the infamous "Dual Solo Rectifier" has its own dedicated foot
    switch (which is probably different from every other Boogie foot
    switch). You can always take some measurements & make up a spare from
    the junk box, but what a royal pain.
    
    Paul (who now has temporary residence in Boogie hell till I can tear
    open my ol' Boogie head & replace the relay with something reliable !)