Hey y’all. Pardon my ignorance. I’m loving my Eventide H9 with the Sub37. Awesome delays, verbs, etc. but I’m looking to save myself some time switching between effects presets during songs.
Have any of you set up your Sub37 so that it controls an external effects unit? My ideal scenario is to rename Sub37 presets by song names and with that have all the effects settings I use on the H9 saved and switched automatically via MIDI.
Can anyone walk me through this process? Will I only need one MIDI cable? Thanks!
I don’t think choosing a preset on the Sub 37 can also send a program change event to an external device. I think you’ll need a separate device (computer, mobile device or some dedicated MIDI hardware device) to send simultaneous program changes to both the Sub 37 and H9.
If your synth sounds and effect patches are in corresponding locations, you could send the same program change to both units via a MIDI hub for instance. If they’re not, you’ll need to send two separate program changes, one to each device, which may require a slightly more advanced program switcher (software or hardware). See https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/multiple-midi-program-changes/ for instance.
Really? That’s disappointing. As I mentioned, I’m a total MIDI newbie, but that seems like it should be an obvious possibility. Hoping there is a way to get around it. Having to use my iPhone to switch on the fly between H9 settings is not ideal.
Yes, you will only need one MIDI cable from the Sub 37 out to the H9 in.
Make sure that SEND PGM CHG is set to ON in MIDI MENU 1.3, as described in the manual on page 36 (ON is probably the default).
You will have to place your H9 presets in slots that match the program changes sent from the Sub 39. There is one slight spanner in the works here and that is that the H9 only stores 99 presets, so selecting presets higher than that number on the Sub 37 will not select a corresponding preset on the H9. However. if you arrange both your Sub 37 and matching H9 patches in the first 99 presets that should see you through even the longest set.
BTW, I’ve never had a synth that doesn’t send program changes; this is one of the most basic MIDI functions. Practically all synths have features to switch on and off the reception and transmission of program changes.
Ah, I guess I learned something. Sorry for the confusion I may have caused, I never really use program changes, except for one time when I used an external foot pedal to switch synth presets, which is going the other way of course.
I’ve just come across your post via the search function. When you say “place your presets in slots that match the program changes sent from the Sub37”, how exactly do I find out about that? I mean what exact midi command is being sent by the Sub37 and how do I change it?
Sorry, but I just started this whole MIDI journey about two hours ago.
A MIDI program change message is a simple command with one parameter, the program number, which gets sent when you change the program (aka patch or preset) on a device.
Under normal circumstances, when one MIDI device sends a program change message with program number = 1, the receiving device will respond by changing to its program number 1. So basically, when you select preset 1 in bank 1 on the Sub 37, the H9 (or whichever device is listening) will call up its preset number 1.
So, what I meant is that if you wanted, say, a reverb effect on the H9 when you select the 1st preset on the Sub 37, you’ll have to make sure that you place the desired reverb effect in H9’s preset number 1. I.e. matching up Sub 37 sounds with desired effects.
The H9 has a MIDI Program Change Receive Map.
Open up the H9 User Guide to pg. 39:
[RCV.MAP] – Create a MIDI Program Change Receive Map
MIDI maps are an efficient way to instantly recall any of the H9’s Presets using your favorite MIDI controller (pedal board, sequencer, etc.). Press the HOTKNOB button to select and create a MIDI Program Change Receive Map. This function sets the corresponding Preset that is recalled when a MIDI Program Change message is received. (Referred to as Prg No. from here on.)
(Additional instruction about this follows. Also on pg. 39)
Sorry for the confusion I may have caused, I never really use program changes, except for one time when I used an external foot pedal to switch synth presets, which is going the other way of course.