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Source Audio SB2 MIDI Hub

#102
nshuman said:
The deal killer for me on the Mouse was the side jacks. I know you could just put it vertically and then you basically get something close to the form factor of the Gecko, but, then, the screen is sideways...
Click to expand...

Except due to the back angle of the Gecko and the fact that the Midi connector is "upside down" compared to the Hub, it actually isn't quite as useful as it could be.

I'm having a custom board built around the functionality of how I use the hub that should be ready in around a month. The main thing I'm looking forward to is that I won't have to unplug the midi cable everytime I have to pack up!

I've also got my eye on a new simple/smaller Midi controller that's getting built and I'll make sure to point everybody in that direction once there are more details available.
 
#103
Smallequestrian said:
Except due to the back angle of the Gecko and the fact that the Midi connector is "upside down" compared to the Hub, it actually isn't quite as useful as it could be.

I'm having a custom board built around the functionality of how I use the hub that should be ready in around a month. The main thing I'm looking forward to is that I won't have to unplug the midi cable everytime I have to pack up!

I've also got my eye on a new simple/smaller Midi controller that's getting built and I'll make sure to point everybody in that direction once there are more details available.
Click to expand...

Switchcraft MIDI plugs let you rotate the midi connector to whatever you want. That would allow you to use their 90 degree angle connectors however you want.

The big problem with midi is that it was not really meant for pedalboards so there is no good standard on to how your connectors should be angled. If they were all at 12 o'clock and all the 90 degree connectors were that way, it would be better. Also, all right angle connectors are still ridiculously big. There is no reason for them to be that long.
 
#107
Smallequestrian said:
Except due to the back angle of the Gecko and the fact that the Midi connector is "upside down" compared to the Hub, it actually isn't quite as useful as it could be.
Click to expand...

Can you share some photos to elaborate? I'm guessing it makes the cable stick upwards into the air a bit causing lidded cases to press on the cable when closed?

Here's how I have my current MIDI Mouse based Source Audio test board setup. I have everything jammed in there pretty tight.

The only thing I have to unplug/replug is the main power to the PedalPower under the board, and the Source Audio power to the top row of pedals run off bricks on the power strip.

That's a Pedaltrain-1 board for reference.

attachment.jpg
 
#108
nshuman said:
Switchcraft MIDI plugs let you rotate the midi connector to whatever you want. That would allow you to use their 90 degree angle connectors however you want.

The big problem with midi is that it was not really meant for pedalboards so there is no good standard on to how your connectors should be angled. If they were all at 12 o'clock and all the 90 degree connectors were that way, it would be better. Also, all right angle connectors are still ridiculously big. There is no reason for them to be that long.
Click to expand...

Wow! I can't believe that these exist! We were all complaining about this problem early in the week, and I even went so far as to take the Programmable EQ pedal apart so I could rotate the jack 90 degrees (not recommended, by the way). Thanks!
 
#111
And this is the Gecko board. Note the rotation of the EQ MIDI jack. This one is nicer, but it will be best to have the rotating MIDI connectors. We just found another source of them, by the way. Only drawback is that they come in either 1 foot (too short) or 3 feet (too long). 1.5 or 2 would be better. This is a PT Jr., by the way.
 

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#113
rsmith601 said:
And this is the Gecko board. Note the rotation of the EQ MIDI jack. This one is nicer, but it will be best to have the rotating MIDI connectors. We just found another source of them, by the way. Only drawback is that they come in either 1 foot (too short) or 3 feet (too long). 1.5 or 2 would be better. This is a PT Jr., by the way.
Click to expand...

I can't tell on my phone, but did you not have to rotate the midi jack on the Gecko to use that right angled cable?
 
#116
Smallequestrian said:
I can't tell on my phone, but did you not have to rotate the midi jack on the Gecko to use that right angled cable?
Click to expand...

The cables we used have one end which goes one way and the other end that goes the other. This leads to trying lots of different combinations and then living with the one or 2 ends which look ugly! As noted, we did change the jack on the EQ 90 degrees. We did NOT change the jack on the Gecko.

The cables that have the rotating heads will change all of this and almost make the problem go away. Having variable MIDI cable lengths is the one last remaining annoyance .
 
#118
gastric said:
Can you share some photos to elaborate? I'm guessing it makes the cable stick upwards into the air a bit causing lidded cases to press on the cable when closed?

Here's how I have my current MIDI Mouse based Source Audio test board setup. I have everything jammed in there pretty tight.

The only thing I have to unplug/replug is the main power to the PedalPower under the board, and the Source Audio power to the top row of pedals run off bricks on the power strip.
Click to expand...

My issue is I'm trying to keep things as compact as possible while still using my bypass looper. So, the hub and the Gecko end up on the top row and the midi cable sticks out the back, therefore I have to unplug the cable when I put the board in its case. Of course the hub could be turned around, but I'd still have the problem with the Gecko. I bought a standard right angle midi cable thinking that then I would have the cable fairly flush to the back of the board, but realized that the gecko's jack is upside down, causing the cable to stick up in an odd manner.

So, I have a board coming that will be a couple inches wider and two inches shallower than the PT Jr. It will have a upper tier where all of the SB2 boxes sit and under it I'll hide the power supply, my octaver, SA midi Hub (I'll still have easy access to the save button though and maybe a couple of other things. the midi controller will be down at the front of the first tier along with the bypass looper and the midi cable from the controller, will feed underneath the upper tier. Will be able to keep everything plugged in that way.

Below is the current board...should have the new board in a few weeks if everything goes well.
8af818b679372da465f85888e1920751_zps463d7d74.jpg
 

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