AFX 8 – Setup & Pairing



This guide explains how to setup and pair the AFX 8 to the ACS 8x4 or ASX 8 amp switcher. For the AFX to work, it has to be connected and paired with its master amp switcher. This pairing enables the AFX to synchronize its switching operations with the activated amp. The AFX does not have any standalone operation or function.


Setup & Pairing Procedure

  1. Connect the AFX - CTRL OUT jack to the ACS 8x4 - CTRL IN jack using the included 5-pin patch cable. This connection enables communication between the units, allowing them to exchange status and commands within a network. Be careful not to mix up the CTRL IN and OUT connections, and don't use the MIDI IN jack for this network link!

  2. Turn on both units. The CTRL lights will blink red/green, and the switching won't work. Don't worry; it's normal. Some extra steps are required to complete the setup.

  3. Assign each switcher its own specific MIDI channel. In this example,

    • Set the AFX to MIDI channel #1 (default setting)

    • Set the ACS 8x4 to MIDI channel #2

    • Refer to the section below for instructions on setting the MIDI channel on the KHE.

    • Each switcher has a unique ID in the network, which is the MIDI channel. The channel number depends on the wiring of the CTRL IN and OUT jacks. Always check the setup diagram. The first unit must be channel #1, next switcher #2 and so on (top down wiring).

  4. Check the CTRL lights; they should be green. Once the switchers are correctly linked, the CTRL lights on both units will stop blinking and change to green. If the CTRL lights continue to blink red/green, double-check the wiring of the CTRL jacks and the setting of the MIDI channel.

  5. The next step is to 'pair' the AFX with the ACS 8x4 to synchronize and the switching operations. Proceed with this step only if the CTRL lights are green on all switchers.

    1. Activate an amp + cab on the ACS 8x4.

    2. Enter the System Menu on the AFX by pressing the CTRL button for 3 seconds, then releasing it. The AFX’s CTRL light starts to blink, showing the system menu is active.

    3. Wait for 5 seconds. The AFX will now automatically check which amp switcher has an active amp and assign its switching operation to this amp switcher.

    4. Exit and save the System Menu by pressing the CTRL button on the AFX again for 3 seconds, then releasing it. The CTRL lights turn green again and the switcher is back in normal switching operation. All settings are saved and will be automatically loaded on the next power-up.

     

Done! With the green CTRL lights and the paired AFX, the switching system is now ready to use. When switching amps on the 8x4, the lights on the AFX will now change in sync with the 8x4.


FX-Loop Wiring & Operation

  • The AFX FX-Loop is in bypass by default, indicated by a dimmed FX light on the AFX. Any connected effects will be in bypass (no effect).

  • Short-press the FX/CTRL button on the AFX to activate the fx-loop. The FX light turns on bright red, indicating the loop is on.

  • The fx-loop on/off state is automatically saved for each amp. The KHE remembers the last fx-loop state for each amp individually and will turn it on or off automatically when switching amps on the amp switcher.

 



 

The final step is to connect the amplifiers, the fx-loop and the effect pedals:

  • Connect each amp’s guitar input and speaker output to the KHE as usual.

  • Connect each amp’s fx-loop SEND jack to the corresponding KHE FX-LOOP SEND jack.

  • Connect each amp’s fx-loop return to the corresponding KHE FX-LOOP RETURN jack.

  • Connect the input of the effects pedal to the KHE FX-INPUT.

  • Connect the output of the effects pedal to the KHE FX-OUTPUT.

  • Use normal instrument cables for all amps.

  • Learn more: KHE FX-Loop Switching (coming soon)

Notes:

  • In case something goes wrong with the setup, a system reset can be executed to restore the factory settings. Power off the KHE, press and hold the CTRL button, power on the KHE, and then release the CTRL button.

  • A comment regarding the CTRL jacks and the MIDI channel setting: The diagram above shows just one example. It is possible to freely arrange and stack the switchers and change the order of the switchers. With this, the CTRL wiring and the MIDI channel settings can change too. The CTRL jacks are connected in a daisy-chain fashion, top to bottom. Link CTRL OUT from the top unit to CTRL IN on the next unit below, and repeat for all units. The top unit is set to MIDI channel #1, and each next unit increases the MIDI channel by +1 following the CTRL jack wiring (start with ch#1, don’t skip any numbers). Learn more: Linking KHE Switchers.

  • The linked switching system can be controlled by a single MIDI footswitch. Connect the MIDI controller to any MIDI IN jack of the units. For AFX 8 with a serial number starting with B3 or lower, always connect the MIDI controller to the AFX MIDI IN jack. Make sure the controller's MIDI channel matches the KHE unit it's connected to. Use command CC127 / Value 127 to toggle the master-fx-loop on or off. For AFX 8 with a serial number starting with B3 or lower, always connect the MIDI controller to the AFX MIDI IN jack. Learn more: MIDI Control Basics & Linked MIDI Control (coming soon)

How to program the KHE’s MIDI Channel

  1. Enter the System Menu by pressing the KHE CTRL button for 3 seconds, then release it. The CTRL light starts to blink 1x, indicating “Page 1 - System Functions” is active. “Page 2 - MIDI Menu” has 2x blinks of the CTRL light.

  2. Short-press the CTRL button to switch menu page 2. The CTRL light blinks 2x, showing “Page 2 - MIDI Menu” is active. With the AFX, this step is not needed, as it has only one menu page, which is the midi channel setting.

  3. Repeatably short-press switch AMP 1 until the lights match the readout table. The MIDI channel is displayed in binary with the first four amp lights. Each press of the switch AMP 1 increases the MIDI channel by +1. The MIDI channel can be set between 1 and 15. With the AFX, which has no amp switches, use the FX/CTRL button instead to increase the MIDI channel.

  4. Exit and save the System Menu by pressing the CTRL button again for 3 seconds, then releasing it. The CTRL turns red (or green if linked) and the switcher is back in normal switching operation. All settings are saved and will be automatically loaded on the next power-up.

 
 

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