Should I use the Source Audio Neuro Hub?

I

idimata

Active Member
I'm getting an RJM MasterMind PBC/6X, because I have several MIDI enabled pedals. It's still on its way. I'm going to use a MIDIHub by Blokas. However, three of my pedals are from Source Audio. They promise 128 presets with the Neuro Hub. However, it makes sense to me that I can use the PBC/6X instead to store all sorts of presets, for Source Audio pedals and also all the other MIDI enabled pedals. That led me to wonder....

Do I even need a Neuro Hub?

Source Audio has a new SA168 MIDI Adapter cable to connect their pedals together since their pedals use a non-MIDI format. Should I just use this MIDI adapter with the PBC/6X and store all the presets in the PBC/6X and forget about the Neuro Hub, saving the space for something else?

How do all of you here deal with this dilemma? Are you using the Neuro Hub and also your pedal switcher?
 
I’ve had the Ventris and Nemesis and used to have their eq and I’ve always been able to use them just like any standard MIDI device. I want to say their adapters are only needed if you use a neuro hub or connect them to your phone or something.
 
kiesshauer said:
I’ve had the Ventris and Nemesis and used to have their eq and I’ve always been able to use them just like any standard MIDI device. I want to say their adapters are only needed if you use a neuro hub or connect them to your phone or something.
Click to expand...
No, actually the newer SA168 One Series MIDI Adapter allows their non-legacy, newer One Series pedals to be connected via MIDI because they have no 5-pin DIN MIDI connectors. The adapter was just released, and their isn't even a manual for it out yet. The Ventris, Nemesis, EQ1, and EQ2 you may have had all have full-sized 5-pin DIN MIDI connectors and need neither the adapter nor the Neuro Hub for MIDI input.

The One Series pedals Atlas, Gemini, Lunar, Kingmaker, Vertigo, Aftershock, Mercury, True Spring, and LA Lady, need either the Neuro Hub or the SA168 MIDI Adapter for any MIDI integration because they have no such 5-pin DIN connectors but instead a TRRS 'control' input, which is proprietary and not compliant with the MIDI standard. The Neuro Hub also allows the Neuro Editor software to save pedals into preset groups called 'scenes', so that just one message needs to be sent to switch presets for a group of up to 5 pedals. The Neuro Hub also allows one to save 128 presets for up to 5 pedals, instead of the amount intrinsic to each pedal: many pedals only store 8 presets without the Neuro Hub. (This is extremely confusing in their manuals and documentation, and I had to rake through forum posts from Source Audio employees and watch random YouTube videos to figure this out with clarity.)

So, my dilemma is mostly about getting the Neuro Hub to better use the Neuro Editor software, if it's worth it, or whether to just store the equivalent of those 'scenes' to the PBC/6X instead.
 
Last edited:
Oh I gotcha. So yeah maybe you have some other pedals that have different requirements from mine. :) I do like the neuro editor for programming presets on the units (I just use a USB connection for that) but use the 6x to do almost everything else (PC and CC messages for each preset, etc)
 
Which SA pedals do you have, and which ones use which kind of midi connections?

If you’ve got two or more of the pedals that need SA’s trrs connectors to receive midi messages (or if you’re planning to get more), then it might be worth getting the Neuro hub. Send midi messages from your PBC to the Neuro hub, then from there to your SA pedals. But if you’ve only got one that has only the trrs input (and no intention of getting more), then just that new adapter should be sufficient.

I guess the only other question is whether you want 128 presets (or more than 8) on your pedal(s) that don’t have midi 5 pin inputs. If not, then no need for a Neuro hub. If so, then the Neuro hub would seem necessary.

I’ve only got an SA Ventris, so I do all my programming of Ventris presets via my computer, but all the saving of combinations of pedals and different pedal presets on my PBC. So like kiesshauer I have no need for a Neuro hub.
 
AndrewL said:
Which SA pedals do you have, and which ones use which kind of midi connections?

If you’ve got two or more of the pedals that need SA’s trrs connectors to receive midi messages (or if you’re planning to get more), then it might be worth getting the Neuro hub. Send midi messages from your PBC to the Neuro hub, then from there to your SA pedals. But if you’ve only got one that has only the trrs input (and no intention of getting more), then just that new adapter should be sufficient.

I guess the only other question is whether you want 128 presets (or more than 8) on your pedal(s) that don’t have midi 5 pin inputs. If not, then no need for a Neuro hub. If so, then the Neuro hub would seem necessary.

I’ve only got an SA Ventris, so I do all my programming of Ventris presets via my computer, but all the saving of combinations of pedals and different pedal presets on my PBC. So like kiesshauer I have no need for a Neuro hub.
Click to expand...
I have the Source Audio Atlas, Source Audio Ventris, and Source Audio EQ2. The Atlas needs TRRS connectors and has no 5-pin DINs, but the other pedals have MIDI In and Thru 5-pin DINs. I just recently purchased them and am still figuring things out.

The website and manual are confusing to me. So can I get 128 presets on these three pedals without the Neuro hub?
 
idimata said:
I have the Source Audio Atlas, Source Audio Ventris, and Source Audio EQ2. The Atlas needs TRRS connectors and has no 5-pin DINs, but the other pedals have MIDI In and Thru 5-pin DINs. I just recently purchased them and am still figuring things out.

The website and manual are confusing to me. So can I get 128 presets on these three pedals without the Neuro hub?
Click to expand...
Ventris can definitely do 128 presets without the Neuro Hub, and I’m pretty sure the EQ as well. The way I read it, for the Atlas, if you use that sa168 adapter, it should do 128 presets as well.
 
AndrewL said:
Ventris can definitely do 128 presets without the Neuro Hub, and I’m pretty sure the EQ as well. The way I read it, for the Atlas, if you use that sa168 adapter, it should do 128 presets as well.
Click to expand...
I see, thanks a lot! I was confused by what I read. It's not so straightforward.

So the way I understand it, the tradeoff I'm giving up by not going with the Neuro Hub is the ability to create scenes in the Neuro editor software.

I now have all 3 pedals, so I've been waiting for some off time to try to wire them together and talk to each other. I'm still waiting for RJM to ship my PBC/6X so I can try them out with the PBC/6X. I'm hoping that the workflow of using the PBC/6X with these is okay with the Neuro Hub.
 
Yeah, I find SA’s manuals occasionally confusing as well. But to be fair, they make some pretty complex pedals and writing technical manuals is not easy (been there, done that).

If you’re running all the pedals through a PBC, I think that kind of takes the place of the Neuro Hub. Assuming a “scene “ means something like “press one button to choose preset 7 on Ventris, preset 22 on EQ, and preset 4 on the Atlas”, that’s one of the many things a PBC does REALLY well. Plus controlling pedals not from SA.

You will have to use a different piece of software (PBC Editor) in addition to the Neuro editor app but I don’t find it’s that big a deal.
 
AndrewL said:
Yeah, I find SA’s manuals occasionally confusing as well. But to be fair, they make some pretty complex pedals and writing technical manuals is not easy (been there, done that).

If you’re running all the pedals through a PBC, I think that kind of takes the place of the Neuro Hub. Assuming a “scene “ means something like “press one button to choose preset 7 on Ventris, preset 22 on EQ, and preset 4 on the Atlas”, that’s one of the many things a PBC does REALLY well. Plus controlling pedals not from SA.

You will have to use a different piece of software (PBC Editor) in addition to the Neuro editor app but I don’t find it’s that big a deal.
Click to expand...
I see, I imagined that that's how it must work -- thanks for confirming! That's good news for me, that's exactly what I wanted since I'm using various other pedals also.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top