• Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Topic: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Well first of all, this is my third unit.  The first one wouldn't record loops, and the second would crash on stage and make a crazy loud noise until I rebooted it.  All three of them have done this weird thing when I first sing through it after it's freshly booted.  Within the first 20 seconds of singing the unit will change to a different preset.  After it screwed me up a few times I realized I had to do was, before I play my first song of the night, mute my vocal channel on the mixer and sing until it changes patches and then just change it back.  After that it won't happen again.  It seems weird to me that I haven't noticed anyone mentioning this since all three of my units have done this. 

On top of that, this unit has been crashing on stage.  I use it four nights a week and it crashes once or twice a week.  When it happens, it mutes my vocal and the unit is frozen.  Touching the buttons does nothing.  It's similar to what my second unit did, but this time (thankfully) it's not making the awful noise when it crashes.  It still wrecks my set when it happens.  I have to walk over to the mixer, mute my vocal channel, go back to the unit and cycle the power, go back over the the mixer and unmute my vocal, and then apolgize to the audience.  Also, no matter where I set "above" note for midi, the low notes I play still affect the harmony and pitch correction.  For example, I can play a G chord with my right hand and hold it while I play an F note in the bass register (below the set note) and the F will change the harmonies.  This can be especially messy if the bass is walking.  Both times I had the unit replaced, I had to wait several weeks.  As many of you know, once you integrate this little booger into your show, your show can quickly become dependant on it.  I was very frustrated that I had to deal with so much downtime.  I will say for the record that the tech support people were always responsive to my emails and seemed to do what was within their power to help me.  But of course their ability to make things right is limited by the guidelines laid down by their bosses.  I really hope I'm not going to have to swap out units again.  This is getting a bit ridiculous.  Is this "locking up" problem familliar to anyone else?

Last edited by Ameritrash73 (2012-01-08 20:03:27)

  • From: Victoria, BC
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 739

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Hiya Ameritrash73,

The patch changing thing sounds like you might be using a condenser and have mic control enabled. If you don't have the MP-75 with the control button, some odd things can happen via phantom power if mic-control is enabled. Give a quick check and see how your phantom/mic-control settings are configured.

We've run into some freezing issues when keyboards send MIDI data that's specific to that keyboard or is "riding" along with notes/CC messages. The times we've run into this, it's very sporadic and hard to re-create on our end, which is frustrating since we'd sure like to fix things if it is indeed a bug.

I'd look into your keyboard settings and see what MIDI information is being passed. See if there's any settings to reduce your MIDI output to simply the notes information. Also, try the various filter settings in the MIDI advanced menu on the Touch, to try and filter out info that could be sending messages that are mucking things up.

For the split, try changing it to Below and see if that helps.

Cheers,
Craig

Craig @ TC-Helicon's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-27
  • Posts: 24

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Your not alone, I'm having the same issue with my VLT going dead(no vocals).

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

I'm using a Beta 58 there shouldn't be any issues with that.  I'll check my mic control settings anyway.  I have "CC and program change" turned off, but it probably wouldn't hurt to look into my keyboard settings and see what I can do just in case some signal is slipping past security and making everything go whacky.  It's a new keyboard so I'll have to do a little reading.  Thanks Craig.  I'll let you know what I figure out.

- Danny

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

First of all, the split note problem was my own goof.  For some reason I had the note numbering system (C4, etc.) wrong in my head.  So that's working fine.  The program change thing when I first start it up is still happening and I experimented a little with it.  It's not a midi issue because it happens even if my midi cable isn't plugged in yet.  And as I said before, I'm using a Shure Beta 58 so I'm not using phantom power. 
     
As for the freezing up, I tried everything you said and it's still happening.  I hope this can be fixed with a firmware update eventually.  Also if I accidentally hit the left and middle button at the same time on the pedal (which is of course is easy to do because they're less than a shoe's width apart,) the unit begins to scroll thru all of the keys until I double tap the slider, then I have to hit whichever favorite setting I was on to bring it back to the original key.  Is there a wiring diagram for the pedal that I could look at?  When I'm not playing guitar, I only use the left button to turn harmonies off and on.  I'd like to have a separate single button so that won't happen anymore.  I'm trying to connect with the audience, which requires not looking at my feet all night as you might imagine.

- Danny

  • steambc
  • VC Top Contributor
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-09-13
  • Posts: 33

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

You could probably find something with which to cover over the other two switches. I actually constructed my own footswitch unit (a clone of the digitech which works fine with the VTL), so I don't remember what kind of switches TCH uses, but perhaps a little block of wood with a hole drilled in it to accommodate the switch head, perhaps a pill bottle...you get the picture. Maybe you could do that temporarily until you find a single footswitch that works.

  • Registered: 2011-05-27
  • Posts: 24

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Hi Ameritrash,
Sorry bout your VLT freezing up, mine was doing the same thing and was very frustrating not to mention embarrassing. You said you had to send your VLT in for replacement a couple times and waited several weeks for it to arrive.  I was wondering exactly how long the turn around time was because I have been waiting myself for a couple weeks on what's wrong with my VLT from the repair people with no word, and am getting nervous? 
 

Thanks,
Mike

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

I think the second time it was around 3 weeks.  And that was with an agreement that as soon as it was checked in they would send a new one out.  Obviously that didn't happen, but I'm saying that without a "rush" on it, it might take even longer.

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

I built a bigger pedal so I'm not hitting 2 buttons at once as often (although I still manage to do it a couple times a night.)  It still mutes and locks up occasionally.  Last night it started doing something new.  Three different times the screen read "J:" and then was locked up.  What's interesting about this one is that it doesn't mute when it locks up.  None of the buttons work, but until it's rebooted all the effects stay however they were when it locked up.  So basically, I can finish the song, but I'm unable to change any settings.  Depending on the song and settings, I may or may not be able to finish the song.

- Danny

  • Registered: 2012-01-19
  • Posts: 21

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

mine did a countdown from 16-0 @ about 1 second intervals.??????????

Biff

  • jimo
  • VC Top Contributor
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-01-06
  • Posts: 27

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Hello Ameritrash73

I have found that the hangup when the screen goes J and freezes all functions,
only happen to me when I make changes on the keyboard when loading 3rd party styles. I have assumed it is a midi problem. Thing is, I can't duplicate it.

Does not help you but check it out.

Cheers Jim.

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Biff- The countdown is a new one for me.

Jim- Thanks for the info.  I'm having some midi problems that may be related.  I'm on my third midi cable in a couple of weeks because the unit stops receiving the signal.  Sometimes when it happened I could move the cable into a certain position and it would work temporarily.  I think it's the midi jack on the unit, but I haven't gotten around to really testing it off stage yet.  I'll try to do that today before my gig.

- Danny

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

I wanted to mention that I think some of my problems with this unit may very well have been mimi cable related.  I had 5 midi cables and all of them were cheap (the brand name rhymes with shmosa.)  It seemed to give me problems no matter which cable I used.  Then I got a new cable and I have not had many problems.  My advice to everyone is don't skimp on midi cables.  This unit needs a dependable signal or it can get pretty confused, which of course is logical.  There's a whole lot going on in that little box.  I still don't understand the automatic weird program change when I first start singing.  I have to get the sound guy to mute me while I sing for a minute so it will get it out of it's system.  I've also noticed now that the program change is consistent. For example, if I start with the unit set to Bank A #2, then I sing for 10 or 20 seconds, it switches to Bank A #3 every time.  It won't ever do it again unless I cycle the power.  And as I've said before, it happens even if no midi cable is connected.  The only thing that triggers it is a signal from my mic (Beta 58) and even then it seems I have to be loud enough for the green signal light to be lit or it won't change.  It's somehow triggered by an audio signal.  pretty strange.  Anybody know what I'm talking about?

  • From: Victoria, BC
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 739

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Heya Ameri,

A loud mic signal triggering an action in the box sounds like a Mic-Control/Phantom is turned on and misinterpreting the loud volume voltage spikes as Control messages.

Make sure you don't have Phantom or Mic-Control enabled if you're using a Dynamic mic.

Cheers,
Craig

Craig @ TC-Helicon's Website

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

-Mic control/Phantom is off
-I'm using a dynamic mic
-Not only does it happen every single time within the first 5 or 10 seconds that I start speaking or singing after it's first been powered up, but I've also noticed a pattern in the "Favorites" change.  If I'm on Bank A 2, it will change to A 3.  If I'm on C 4, it changes to C 5.  It always goes up one favorite patch.  I don't know if that helps to understand the glitch or not.

- Danny

  • Registered: 2011-12-23
  • Posts: 102

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Hi Danny,

It does sound like the mic is trying to control something, i have had this issue with one of my vlt, and i managed to minimize it, by reducing the mic gain to a point where it never clipped.

With mine it was going to talk mode, as that was where i had a mp-75 mapped to, even though mp-75 was not plugged in, loud singing that caused the clipping light on would simulate the function of the mp-75 even though all the parameters were turned off in setup.

*insert funny frase here*

You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think .
Everything is possible, except to ski through a revolving door.

Many times I say only 'yes' or 'no' to people. Even that is too much.
  • From: Victoria, BC
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 739

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Hey guys,

This fix is part of the beta release. Give it a shot if you'd like:

http://voicecouncil.com/forum/topic/362 … beta-test/

-Craig

Craig @ TC-Helicon's Website

  • Registered: 2012-01-08
  • Posts: 11

Re: Some glitches - Is it just me?

Don't mind if I do...