What is MIDI COMMANDER
MIDI COMMANDER is a unique control device in the market, and it is a very special control pedal in the Tone Shifter series. It is convenient for the guitarists to control and switch the tone by using footswitch when they use the high-end devices (such as Software effects, advanced multi-effects, rack equipment and tube Amps with MIDI control). Besides most recording/effects software Apps, most hardware gears with MIDI IN jack can also be controlled. MIDI COMMANDER arranges normal control functions based on different HOSTs (software or gear who receive the commands) and pre-defined as HOST modes. In addition, it also has two customizable HOST that it is used to arrange self-defined MIDI control functions mapping with the footswitches. Also it has two expression pedal inputs, which control the Wah and the Volume to assist the flexibility and creativity of playing. It can be powered by 2x AAA batteries or USB, and it is also has the automatic charging function for chargeable batteries. (Requires special activation to avoid accidental charging or high current). This pedal design achieves minimum size and weight while keeping its usability. It can be used along with other audio interface or hardware devices for live show and recording.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Q1: For function of USB-MIDI, is there a driver needed of using in different operation systems?
A：No，plug and play on each operating system.
Q2: How can I connect the device to iPhone or iPad for the using of software effects, such as Bias FX, JamUp?
A2: For all the iDevices with lightning connector, we need a cable which called “Lightning to USB camera adaptor” (May also be called as Apple OTG cable) to connect the standard USB plug with the lightning connector. After connecting, enable the MIDI control in the Apps. It can work together with any other audio interface to use software effects, you can connect by a USB Hub to join the audio interface and the MIDI Commander. An anther way is connecting to audio interface through MIDI IN jack (Such as TSMINi in Tone Shifter Series). It should be noted that，for most Lightning OTG cables, it is required that the external device current should be limited.
Q3: What is the problem if the MIDI controller doesn’t work?
A3: Let us check the problem in several aspects. Firstly, check is the hardware connection valid, including whether the OTG cable or MIDI cable works. Then, if the MIDI channel for receiving equipment matches with the commander. When controlling software or hardware, please check whether the MIDI function of the HOST enabled or not. Last, check if the footswitches respond correctly, and the screen display shows normally.
Q4: Does the MIDI cable support the function of power supply?
A4: No, it doesn’t. It can supply power for redundant cables in MIDI cable, but it is nonstandard, and the devices which can support this method are few. The design of the pedal is convenient for many power supply ways And it is easy to supply power with USB port or batteries.
Q5: I don’t know MIDI controller, and if I really need this controller?
A5: Please refer to the first part of this manual. MIDI controller is the build-in function for many high-end gears and software. Only with MIDI commander, it can greatly play the function of gears and realize new usage scenarios. We can say MIDI commander is a creative tool for every electric guitar player, electric bass player, musician and producer.
Q6: Is there any recommendations on the expression pedal?
A6: Basically any standard EXP pedal will do a good job just make sure the connector for the EXP is a 1/4 inch 3 position plug. We have tested the followings may be a good reference.
11 Responses
Taylor Mabe (Swift Band NC)
Dear Melo Audio,
I think you have made a great product. I really like my Midi Commander. I do have some advice that I think could possibly better the company.
1. THE MANUAL – I would suggest you all get a native English speaking person to re-write the manual. The manual is very difficult to follow. I think editing or re-writing by an English speaking person would be a great improvement.
2. 12 BUTTONS, NOT 10 – It is much easier to follow the counting of presets if the bank up / bank down button change presets by a factor or 10. I know you can change this in the Custom Configuration mode, but if you do you do have get access to presets 9, 10 and 19, 20, and 29, 30 and so on. Therefore if the future version of the midi commander could add two more buttons (10 buttons for presets/programs and 1 button for bank up and 1 button for bank down). Currently, the midi commander has 10 buttons. I think adding two more buttons for a total of 12 would make this unit much better.
3. 7 PIN MIDI CONNECTOR FOR PHANTOM POWER – Add a 7 pin Midi connection for the midi out. It currently has a 5 pin Midi connector. With a 7 pin Midi connection, pins 6 and 7 can be used for phantom power. I would really like to see this feature. Those people that prefer to use a 5 pin midi cable can still do so with a 7 pin midi connector. And then us that prefer to use a 7 pin cable with Phantom power can also do so.
4. ADD A 9V DC BARREL CONNECTOR – If a 2.5 mm X 5.5 mm barrel connector 9V DC with center negative and outside barrel positive was added as another option to power up the Midi Commander that would be great. Users that have a power brick for powering many pedals off of a daisy chain system, could also power their Midi Commander this way. I believe that the current power system of using the USB for power is also a great idea. These USB power adapters are widely available due to the popularity of mobile phones. Therefore, USB is a good choice because if the USB cable gets damage, you can easily find a store to purchase another one. But I feel that keeping the USB as a power option, adding the 7 pin midi as a power option, and having the 9V DC barrel connector for a power option would be amazing. These parts are very cheap and likely would only increase the cost of the device by a very small amount.
5. SOFTWARE FOR PROGRAMMING – If a simple computer (Mac and Windows) software could be make to help program the midi commander, that would be awesome. I finally figured out how to program mine, but the manual was not very clear so it was difficult at first and I really only learned by spending many hours with the midi commander and just trying different things and seeing what happened after each change.
6. MORE EXPRESSION PEDAL CONNECTORS – I know this may be asking a lot, but i would like to see 3 or 4 TRS 1/4" connectors for the expression pedals on the Midi Commander. I love the Mission expression pedals. The Mission SP-1 is the version with a switch. This Mission SP-1 has two connectors and each one is a stereo TRS (tip, ring, sleeve connector). So one Mission SP-1 expression pedal will use up both of the Exp1 and Exp2 connectors/input jacks that are currently on the Midi Commander. If there were 4 TRS Exp pedal connectors/ input jacks on the Midi Commander, then we could use two Mission SP-1’s. Even if there were 3 Exp pedal connectors on the Midi Commander that would be better. That way us Mission Pedal users could use one SP-1 (2 TRS connectors) and one Mission EP-1 expression pedal (1 TRS connector).
I hope these ideas help in some way.
Meloaudio
Please click “Manual” in the navigation bar to the page where you can download the manual of three products.
Meloaudio
Dear Customer,
We are sorry that there is no software to edit foot switches, which should be edited in setup mode. And now each button press is limited to one command. Combining a number of midi command on each button is a great advice, and our engineer is working for it in product up-gradation.
Steven
Do you guys have software for editing the foot switches?
Is each button press on the midi commander limited to one midi command or can you combine a number of midi commands on each button?
cheers
Shwan
Where’s the online MeloAudio MIDI Commander user manual?
Meloaudio
The midi commander works well with Roland FV50 volume pedal . Please make sure it’s the exp2 port that connects midi commander. And there is a switch is pedal’s flank, Please turn it on before use.
Todd Campbell
You say that if you use an expression pedal with the Midi Commander you need a “1/4” 3 position plug…" I am not sure what that is. I have a Roland FV50 volume pedal (stereo) and I cannot get it to work with the midi commander. is a 3 position plug the same as a stereo plug?
Thanks for the help
Todd
Meloaudio
Thanks so much for your appreciation on our product and now we add manual part. You can down load it freely.
Meloaudio
Thanks so much for your appreciation on our product and now we add manual part. You can down load it freely.
Michaël WEN
Good afternoon my friends in meloaudio! Recently I am intersted in your new midi commander and I am a user of Fractal Audio. Everythings on your products seem great but it is really strange that there’s no user mannual on your website. It’s inconvinent for user of customer to know how your product works and I found there’s nothing like the software on your pages. Hope you can upload the user mannual of your midi commander and I will be very happy to purchase one with the mannual included.
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Meloaudio
August 21, 2019
Regarding your suggestion, this is our reply.
1.Thank you! We will get into this and re-write our manual.
2.12 buttons may cause a little long of device and loss some portability. We are working on the firmware change to make more PC control possible.
3.This is a great idea and we will check how many hosts device supports Phantom power output.
4.Adding in 9V DC is nice. We are trying to make this happen in the next batch production.
5.This could be a total change of the current firmware structure and we are trying to put up more resource on this change.
6.We haven’t known that there are EXP pedals like Mission SP1 with two TRS outputs. We will check if this is possible to add more EXP inputs.
Thank you so much for all the advice. Although we can’t grantee that all been achieved in next version but for sure we will carefully think about each suggestion on our new update.