Code Digital Amp Series (interface, App, Usb, Etc)

[big dooley]

It's all new Tech, and Marshall are looking at it, to see if there is another solution, apart from using controls on the AMP & A BIG MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

if you can't read the screen on the code 25 you need to see to a friggin optician

 

[Reno D'Santie]

No offence to anyone, but

If the BT is only a problem when streaming music, you guys can always use the input jack.
If the gateway works good enough for preset set up, I don't see the big deal. 9/10 guitarist gigging out there usually use 4 different preset
Dry Clean / wet Clean / crunch / lead in a real live situation at any bar.

I highly doubt anybody is going to relying on a cellphone for a gig. If your gig situation requires you to have a very wide range of tonal options on the fly, then maybe we shouldn't be spending $250 on your go to amp.

I'm interested on this product mainly as an home recording/grab and go small rehearsal.

 

[Dmann]

I highly doubt anybody is going to relying on a cellphone for a gig.

It is becoming a lot more commonplace than you think.... phones are now a complete part of our everyday lives, and I've yet to have any phone fail on me in any way, in fact IMO they are the most reliable piece of current technology available to consumers.

We started using our phones exclusively for tweaking our monitor mixes on the X32 over 2 years ago..... there is no going back after you get this level of tailoring, and man it feels really limiting when you have to play somewhere without "your" gear and mix, this is why we have a monitor rig in which we rehearse with and gig with..... I would estimate about 75% of the bands I see gigging are using their phones in the same respect.

Actually one of the big reasons for me wanting the CODE is because of this ability. I wish the Axe FX II had bluetooth.....

 

[Dogs of Doom]

^^^ yep. I know a lot of people who play in multi-media sets week after week. A lot of them use Aviom, or similar w/ IEM's, because many stages are going noiseless, or you have the DB police making sure you don't go over 80db (which is nearly impossible, if you are a rock band w/ a live drumset in the room...

A lot of them, use their iPad to control the monitor mix, as well as to feed them chord charts/lyrics...

 

[Reno D'Santie]

It is becoming a lot more commonplace than you think.... phones are now a complete part of our everyday lives, and I've yet to have any phone fail on me in any way, in fact IMO they are the most reliable piece of current technology available to consumers.

We started using our phones exclusively for tweaking our monitor mixes on the X32 over 2 years ago..... there is no going back after you get this level of tailoring, and man it feels really limiting when you have to play somewhere without "your" gear and mix, this is why we have a monitor rig in which we rehearse with and gig with..... I would estimate about 75% of the bands I see gigging are using their phones in the same respect.

Actually one of the big reasons for me wanting the CODE is because of this ability. I wish the Axe FX II had bluetooth.....

I think you are right in terms of monitor mixing, but for guitar playing???
At least here in Ottawa, I haven't encounter a band where the guitar rig involves a cell phone, Lots of ipad's (mainly for lyrics support) but for the most part any average joe playing at at bar has 1 or 2 gtrs a multieffects/ pedals and 1 or 2 amps. most of us have a day job and dreams of ever making it. Keep in mind that over here, everything you are able hear in a bar is classic rock or Hair metal. the market for any other musical style is very small so people either go for the tube amp + OD pedal or high gain pedal/line 6 + SS half stack.
Hopefully in Calgary the music scene is bigger.
take care EH!

 

[Antmax]

You really don't need anything fancy. There are some really nice cheap android tablets out there that are more than capable of working with the CODE.

I recently got a IRULU 8" tablet to try. Android 5.1, bluetooth 4, 16gb, IPS display. It looks and feels like a big Samsung galaxy S4/5 and can be found in the $60 - $80 range and competes very well with Kindle offerings costing 3x as much.

Another one is a 7" tablet Android 4.4, Bluetooth 4, 8gb also with IPS display for $50.

You really don't need to spend a lot for cutting edge high end tablets when there is plenty of decent quality stuff using slightly older tech at a fraction of the price if you don't care about cutting edge 3d accelerated graphics. There are plenty of alternatives to big name brands.

Here's the Irulu Based in San Jose, California) which impressed with most things comparing favorably to my 10" Asus tablet that still costs 4x as much. http://www.amazon.com/Lollipop-Multi-touch-Resolution-Bluetooth-Supported/dp/B015R1R5ZO

 

[blues_n_cues]

if you can't read the screen on the code 25 you need to see to a friggin optician

3-fer-$5 all day long @ Walmart.I have these danm things stashed everywhere around the house & in the vehicles.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/OPTX2020-3PK-400-Reading-Glasses-4.0-Clear-Acrylic-PK-3/40832660

 

[Toni]

I always had minor issues with Bluetooth devices. The compatibility between different specs and chipsets does not seem to be perfect in many cases. For instance, I used an older Bluetooth speaker from Creative recently. The audio streaming from my iPhone 6 to the speaker was fine 95% of the time. But it also happened to break up regularly or lose the pairing, at which point I had to "restart" the speaker. I also drive a lot of rental cars, and pairing can be an issue here as well. And that despite the fact that my iPhone is probably the single most popular and frequent Bluetooth device on the planet, and thus probably the one device that most Bluetooth periphery is tested with.

So I wouldn't be too surprised if the Bluetooth connection to the CODE isn't perfect in many cases. It's something I'd kinda expect to happen with a non-trivial number of possible combinations. Sadly, the 25 doesn't come with the full interface on the amp itself. Technically, you don't need the Gateway app to use the 25, but in reality you probably don't want to dial in your presets on the amp's tiny display alone.

The interference noise while recording through USB seems to be more concerning to me, especially since two different owners have encountered it.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

^^^ yep. I know a lot of people who play in multi-media sets week after week. A lot of them use Aviom, or similar w/ IEM's, because many stages are going noiseless, or you have the DB police making sure you don't go over 80db (which is nearly impossible, if you are a rock band w/ a live drumset in the room...

A lot of them, use their iPad to control the monitor mix, as well as to feed them chord charts/lyrics...

just want to add... also, when you're on a big, dark stage & there's no footcontroller available to help switch patches, you are pretty much at the mercy of what you've got, & in the case of CODE, if you already have an iPad for your multimedia stage, then it makes more sense to use it, rather than wear magnifying goggles w/ a lamp all the time during your performance, just to see the display, that is hardly larger than a wristwatch, & from a distance, unless, well, you are wearing it on your wrist...

 

[Dmann]

I think you are right in terms of monitor mixing, but for guitar playing???
At least here in Ottawa, I haven't encounter a band where the guitar rig involves a cell phone, Lots of ipad's (mainly for lyrics support) but for the most part any average joe playing at at bar has 1 or 2 gtrs a multieffects/ pedals and 1 or 2 amps. most of us have a day job and dreams of ever making it. Keep in mind that over here, everything you are able hear in a bar is classic rock or Hair metal. the market for any other musical style is very small so people either go for the tube amp + OD pedal or high gain pedal/line 6 + SS half stack.
Hopefully in Calgary the music scene is bigger.
take care EH!

well it's not much different in this neck of the woods really, I also am just a hobbyist / weekend warrior with a day job, a family, Kids.... no hair ......, but the way costs have come down with digital gear in recent years and the fact that it's not garbage and actually very good quality makes it really attractive and affordable. I know exactly what you mean about the average Joe, in fact there are a lot of guys that have setups they've been using for years and have zero need/want for change, but there are also lots of new blood coming in and also a lot of guys like myself that are just interested in tech and gear and never stop trying out and experiencing new stuff and new ways of getting it done that makes things easier.

 

[Antmax]

just want to add... also, when you're on a big, dark stage & there's no footcontroller available to help switch patches, you are pretty much at the mercy of what you've got, & in the case of CODE, if you already have an iPad for your multimedia stage, then it makes more sense to use it, rather than were magnifying goggles w/ a lamp all the time during your performance, just to see the display, that is hardly larger than a wristwatch, & from a distance, unless, well, you are wearing it on your wrist...

Good points, plus the CODE has a USB socket and therefore a power supply for your phone/tablet. So you can leave the screen on without a timeout and more easily see what your doing in the dark. a rugged case and kensington type lock could keep them tethered and relatively safe.

http://www.kensington.com/us/us/4481/tablet-security#.VzzMwJErIUE

A bit pricey but I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Footswitch for live use. I'm not personally dicking with my phone at a gig. Feet work well, simple. Switch on the fly mid song. Old school I guess but simple works.

 

[Goooner1]

Well the replacement Code seems to be working well at the moment, hope I'm not tempting fate here!

Streaming via Bluetooth still seems a bit flakey using Gateway though. Sound was very warbled and crackly. Interestingly, when I quit Gateway, the music was still streaming via the iPhone, may have been using the phones native streaming or Air Play or something? Sound was perfectly clear too, no warble or crackle. So maybe it's an app issue rather than Bluetooth, in which case it's hopefully something that can be fixed in an update.

 

[Quoman7]

Well the replacement Code seems to be working well at the moment, hope I'm not tempting fate here!

Streaming via Bluetooth still seems a bit flakey using Gateway though. Sound was very warbled and crackly. Interestingly, when I quit Gateway, the music was still streaming via the iPhone, may have been using the phones native streaming or Air Play or something? Sound was perfectly clear too, no warble or crackle. So maybe it's an app issue rather than Bluetooth, in which case it's hopefully something that can be fixed in an update.

Connect to the audio input via lead for audio playback, no crackles or warbles or other interference, really clear for jamming to!

 

[Goooner1]

Yeah I probably will if I find a lead, was pretty much just testing the BT, but as I said, it worked fine natively from the phone, just a bit iffy via the Gateway app, no big deal either way from my point of view.

 

[Antmax]

Hopefully it can be fixed in the gateway software. I have similar problems with Bluetooth in my car. Most MP3's are ok if you use an app with preamp boost. Then you can get a really nice strong signal. But if you use a high definition lossless FLAC sometimes you get interference like rhythmic clicks that sound like a scratched vinyl. They don't appear on other players, it seems to be exclusive to the bluetooth reciever. A phone app should be a lot easier to patch so fingers crossed the problems will be ironed out in time.

 

[DJHAD]

Quick update I've emailed Marshall direct so should hopefully hear back before too long.

Hi. Did you hear back from Marshall about this? I'm having the same issue.

 

[solarburn]

Hi. Did you hear back from Marshall about this? I'm having the same issue.

What issue?

 

[DJHAD]

What issue?

A strange static/buzzing sound when you record the CODE via USB into a DAW. Others on this forum seemed to be having a similar issue and I've just come across it too.

 

[solarburn]

A strange static/buzzing sound when you record the CODE via USB into a DAW. Others on this forum seemed to be having a similar issue and I've just come across it too.

Thanks. I'm watching for issues and resolutions.