Can Mick Do MIDI? [Plus FX Pedal Loop Switcher Basics] That Pedal Show

He said he would never do it. Now he’s doing it. These are indeed the strangest of times…

Life too short for long YouTube videos? See the ‘interesting bits and go-to sections timings’ below

Welcome to the show!
Well well well. It looks like hell is under ice while pigs with wings soar overhead. For sure 2020 brought us some things we could never have foreseen… but Mick doing MIDI?! Shurely shome mishtake? Erm, nope.

Greetings friends old and new. This video will go live not on April 4 2021, but indubitably on January 1 – New Year’s Day – when many of us will be in more contemplative mood than usual. A time to look forward; a time to ponder new things; a time to embrace your inner Yoda and declare: “Do or do not: there is no try.” So I am doing, and I am asking dear Daniel to help me wrap my reluctant swede around a decades-old technology that will help eke out some extra fun from a collection of superb sounding stomping machines of which I have recently become jolly fond. Jolly, jolly fond, I tell you.

We also spend some time on basic loop switcher functionality for those of you who have been asking for that.

It’s a long show, pretty rambling in parts but hey: 1. This is That Pedal Show, and 2. This is a journey that’s probably more interesting than the destination. So let us take the first step together…

This show was recorded mid-December under Tier 2 restrictions. Dan and I are exposed to one another so a screen or masks were pointless at that time. There was nobody else in the room.

Links to previous Chase Bliss Automatone shows:
• Preamp MKII:
• CXM1978 Reverb:

Enjoy the show!

Questions arising:
Q: Why did you take the fuzz off and put the Klone on instead?
A: The fuzz was acting up – a germanium temperature issue we think. And the fuzz in the Automatone sounds great.

Q: Those pedals don’t fit on that board?
A: No – it’s just an experiment today.

Q: No tuner?
A: No – it’s just an experiment today.

Q: So are all your other pedals now redundant?
A: Lord no! As the coming year will no doubt prove.


Pedals, amps and stuff in this episode:

• Chase Bliss Audio Automatone Preamp MKII
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• RYRA The Klone
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• JAM Pedals Harmonious Monk
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• Free The Tone Future Factory
UK & Europe:

• Chase Bliss Audio CXM 1978 Reverb
UK & Europe:
Australia:

• TheGigRig G3 Atom


• Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature with Two-Rock 212 cab / TR1265B speakers


• Marshall 1987x with Marshall 1960AX cabinet / Celestion G12M Greenback speakers

* Why do we have preferred retailer links? Find out here:

Interesting bits and go-to sections:
- Intro playing: 00:00
- The story and context: 03:55
- MIDI – over my dead body: 06:05
- Awesome Automatone UI: 09:25
- Dan explains today’s board: 11:34
- Loop switcher basics: 14:30
- Signal flow diagram and basic preset setting: 17:19
- Why use a loop switcher so simply?: 22:06
- Combinations of pedals for instant recall: 24:47
- Add pedals to presets with stompbox mode: 29:08
- A couple of presets for rhythm and lead: 34:28
- Mono, parallel and stereo signal paths: 37:03
- Wet/dry and dual mono Harmonious Monk: 39:56
- The point of MIDI in guitar pedals?: 42:42
- General discussion of MIDI, switchers and pedals: 44:50
- Using G3 to change pedal presets with MIDI: 53:04
- A couple of reverb presets: 56:30
- A couple of delay presets: 58:00
- CC messages for expression pedal control: 1:01:18
- Dan has a play: 1:09:08
- Closing thoughts and roundup: 01:12:41


Guitars in this episode:
• Fender Custom Shop ’63 Telecaster (2002) – Dan’s video at
• Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster (2001) – Mick’s video at

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