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Does anyone have instructions on disassembling this unit? I want to add a jack for an external foot switch. I want to be able to get the pedal off the floor and use a larger keyboard pedal to turn it on and off.Like the M
Last edited by silvertones (2011-07-16 04:23:27)
I like your idea of hacking into it. I'd like to have everything but the footswitch up close where I can see and make adjustments. I've had mine for less than a month, so I'm not gonna risk opening it up just yet. Based on my experience with cracking open and modifying other effects (some successful...some failed), and also my knowledge of consumer electronic design, my guess (repeat...a total guess) is that there is not going to be a lot of spare room inside the Harmony-G XT. I would think a rechassising would be required to do just about anything to this box...especially adding in/out jacks.
I like your idea of hacking into it. I'd like to have everything but the footswitch up close where I can see and make adjustments. I've had mine for less than a month, so I'm not gonna risk opening it up just yet. Based on my experience with cracking open and modifying other effects (some successful...some failed), and also my knowledge of consumer electronic design, my guess (repeat...a total guess) is that there is not going to be a lot of spare room inside the Harmony-G XT. I would think a rechassising would be required to do just about anything to this box...especially adding in/out jacks.
Yes I agree. If you can't do rubics cube you'll probably not get it apart.LOL. Mine's new also so don't want to void the warranty either. Just preparing for the future.
I couldn't get the damn thing open for the life of me. This thing really needs a remote unit. Switching is impossible unless you're wearing ballet slippers.
Hi guys,
So, insert legal mumbo-jumbo about "you break it, it's not our fault" and all that stuff here.
Now, to get the Harmony GXT apart:
1. Remove the two black star head screws from each side of the unit.
2. Remove the metal side-plates
3. Remove the four silver star head screws from each side of the unit.
4. Remove the 4 control knobs on the face plate.
5. Remove the nuts that hold the control knobs in place. A small pair of needle-nose pliers helps.
6. Carefully pry the top plate away from the base of the unit. It will take some force as there's some hot glue on the inside that anchors a ribbon cable to the chassis.
Voila!
You should be able to cut the switch wires completely and install your own on a long cable, exiting through the hole that the switch occupies. You'd likely want to put a knot or something on the underside of the face plate to prevent the cable from pulling away your solder joints.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Craig
Hi guys,
So, insert legal mumbo-jumbo about "you break it, it's not our fault" and all that stuff here.
Now, to get the Harmony GXT apart:
1. Remove the two black star head screws from each side of the unit.
2. Remove the metal side-plates
3. Remove the four silver star head screws from each side of the unit.
4. Remove the 4 control knobs on the face plate.
5. Remove the nuts that hold the control knobs in place. A small pair of needle-nose pliers helps.
6. Carefully pry the top plate away from the base of the unit. It will take some force as there's some hot glue on the inside that anchors a ribbon cable to the chassis.Voila!
You should be able to cut the switch wires completely and install your own on a long cable, exiting through the hole that the switch occupies. You'd likely want to put a knot or something on the underside of the face plate to prevent the cable from pulling away your solder joints.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Craig
Craig,
It's refreshing to see someone not all tied up in legalities and able to identify a need and willing to help.
Thanks so much.
Agreed. That was, indeed, refreshing. And no one should try to take any gear apart and modify it unless they are prepared to void the warrantee. But sometimes you can create some neat stuff!
Run the GXT as described in the manual under "External Mixing with Mono and Dry Outputs". Your harmonies should run thru the left output and the dry voice (with Tone) should run thru the right.
Next, run both into an AB/Y footswitch (about $50). Run Right out to "A" and Left out to "B". Then from the switch to the board. The ABY goes on the floor and the GXT goes where ever you want it, subject to the length of your cables.
Now, when you select "A", you'll just have your voice. Select "B" and you'll just have your harmonies. Select "A+B" and you'll have both.
Only drawback I see is that you'll need to add effects to your dry voice (A). One plus is that you haven't voided any warranty and risked damage to the box.
Last edited by CEFlint (2011-08-26 04:34:07)
Finally got tired of stepping on the wrong buttons, hitting the voice buttons etc. As a Bass player I need to keep playing and can't get distracted. Singing and playing bass at the same time while concentrating on the music is tough enough. I opened up the pedal today. I mounted an 1/8 phone jack on the front side. Plenty of room. Plug in my keyboard sustain pedal and voila. Put the pedal on my computer stand were I can change stuff without bending over & have a BIG target to hit. All by itself.
This is working out great. The M has this. It would take an act of Parliament but should be considered for the GXT as well.
OK, all, I finally bit the bullet and "hacked" my Harmony-G XT. I just bought the darn thing, after using an older Harmony-G for the last two years. But I, too, always wanted to get it up off the floor where I could see it more easily, yet still have foot-switches. I decided to try and install a 3-conductor TRS jack (1/4" stereo phone jack), then make a floor box with switches that I could plug into this jack. So, here are the images after I took apart the HGXT per the earlier instructions.
I've put captions and notes on each photo. I hope I was clear enough. Reply back if there are any questions.
Enjoy!
- - fred
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WARNING!! -- You WILL void your warranty if you do this!! You are hacking into a perfectly good unit! It is likely a very stupid thing to do. But, it's a simple mod and if you're handy with tools and can solder (or know someone who can) you can do this. But YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! YMMV
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By the way, this is the type of clamp I'm talking about in that last photo:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi … 2000000000
I'm not saying this is the only one that will work, or even that you should buy it from these folks. But I think if I remove the mic screw at the end of the arm I might be able to simply Velcro-attach the flat arm to the bottom of my HGXT. Or, I could take the HGXT completely apart and drill/bolt this type of clamp to the bottom of the HGXT.
Here is another type, but it seems hard to find. Would be perfect, though!
http://www.djdeals.com/quiklokMS329.htm
Stay tuned!
- - fred
Last edited by fredthomke (2012-01-15 21:57:21)
I really hemmend and hawed over the use of 1/4 jack.I was really concerned about the ribbon cable. I opted to replace the 1/4 plug on the sustain pedal with an 1/8 one. I didn't do the TRS jack as I never use the other button in real time.
Let me know how you make out with chaffing of the ribbon cable. It looks like the movement of inserting the plug will cause chaffing back and forth.
Yeah, I thought about that, too. My original plan was indeed to use a 1/8" stereo jack, but I just KNOW I'd end up breaking the cable, I'm so rough on my gear. Plus, I wanted a little a more robust jack.
I'm going to insert/remove the plug about 50-80 times then check the internal ribbon for excessive chafing. One thought is to replace with a longer ribbon or wires, as mentioned. OR perhaps just slip in a thin, tough piece of protective plastic (say, from a milk carton) between the end of the jack and the ribbon.
I'll let you know (with photos) what I end up doing...
Gee, for the cost of a 50-cent jack TC Helicon could have made this SO much more useful!
Stay tuned!
- - fred
I haven't cut the plug off of the cable yet> I'm using an adapter. You are right though the 1/8 is a little light duty.With the adapter I sometimes have to replug so it's not intermittent.I'll wait for your report and may change to 1/4".
I decided on keeping it 1/8. Just too tight inside. I cut the cable and left about 6" on the end. This way I installed an 1/8 inline jack. It made an adapter cable so that I can use it on my keyboard if needed. I bought another pedal for the keyboard though. I love having the GXT on my stand. The pedal works great now that I've gotten rid of the adapter.
This thread totally makes me smile. I just love seeing you guys innovate to get functionality that is custom for your needs.
Nice work gents!
Just out of curiosity. Won't hold you to anything you say. My unit works great and I didn't break it. Lets say that something goes wrong & has nothing to do with what I did. Do you think that TCH would honor the warranty. Don't care either way. Just wondering.
Heya,
It'll definitely fall into the voided warranty category with the mod. The issue is that it becomes impossible after the box is opened to determine where the cause of failure is. For example, if a solder joint was weakened inadvertently, but not broken, and fails three months later, it's due to the mod activity yet could look like a weak job during manufacturing. Does that make sense?
Hope you guys have a great holiday!
-Craig
Makes total sense. I was just curious. It had to be done.I really wasn't enjoying it the other way.
Fred,
How'd you make out with your mod. Mine works great with the 1/8 jack and replacing the 1/4 plug on the sustain pedal with an 1/8. And what a pleasure to have that BIG pedal to step on. Using the harmonizer is no longer a distraction.
OK, I'm just about finished!! I have done everything except mount the H-G onto a mic stand "tray". I will probably use velcro to hold the H-G to the tray.
I did indeed have an issue with the "scuffing" of the internal ribbon cable, as expected, but it was a simple fix.
Here are the final pix of the project. Feel free to comment or ask questions!
- - fred
I used the more expensive pedals from MAudio. The same one I use for my MAudio Keystation 88ES controller. I opted out of the second pedal as I really don't change harmonies during playback.Just different songs.I simply just push the button on my stand. Both my switches on the GXT also work.
Looks good man.I'm surprised no one has asked us to do the mod for them.Isn't it a pleasure to have these new foot switches? Like night & day to me.
Last edited by silvertones (2012-01-16 07:05:51)
I'm new here; however, this is the same problem I had with my Minn Kota trolling motor. Foot control chord 20 feet long but to activate auto-pilot you had to walk to the front of the boat and manually turn switch on of off all the time. I wish the people who design these things would have to use them for 6 months. Same solution,,, rather than try to fit a 1/4 inch plug into the unit,,, I am just going to get a stereo chord and solider the ends inside the unit, drill a hole for the chord, run the chord out to whatever length I need, then add a double pedal. NO JACK! It will be non removable but so what!
You'll be sorry the first time the pedal gets hooked on something and you rip the guts out of the XT. 1/8" jack works great.
Is there a way to utilize the Harmony gxt's "mic control" function to hook up an external foot pedal?
Possibly make a cable to run a mic and a footswitch into the xlr in, so the pedal mimics the MP-75 "mic control" switch's function?
I GOT IT!!! I wired in a 1/8 inch stereo jack into the front as pictured earlier. I DID NOT bypass the original switches. I can now use the foot pedal OR use the original switches. One thing you NEED TO KNOW,,,, wire in ONE side at a time or nothing will work. Been there done that,,, a little scary. It helps to take the front plate off completely when you drill your hole and solder in the wires. The 1/8 inch female jack (radio shack) is a little chincy but I’ll be careful.
Thanks for all the info guys!!!!
jack
I GOT IT!!! I wired in a 1/8 inch stereo jack into the front as pictured earlier. I DID NOT bypass the original switches. I can now use the foot pedal OR use the original switches. One thing you NEED TO KNOW,,,, wire in ONE side at a time or nothing will work. Been there done that,,, a little scary. It helps to take the front plate off completely when you drill your hole and solder in the wires. The 1/8 inch female jack (radio shack) is a little chincy but I’ll be careful.
Thanks for all the info guys!!!!
jack
Good work.I did not disable the original switches either.Now look what I've started. It's great to use it like this though.
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