The Grandmeister 40 Deluxe is here!

The WM-1 is its own wifi network and you don't need the venue to offer wifi through a router so it is a little more than just a dongle and that's probably why it's so expensive but I do agree it doesn't seem like it should cost so much. Maybe $99 but not the same as the footswitch which gives you the feeling that you actually got something for your money

bordonbert wrote:I've got to say I think the WM-1 shows huge opportunism on H&K's part.  The price is basically for a wifi dongle which deals with the transfer of piddling little amounts of data between two specific devices so needs to be the lowest throughput spec possible.  It should have been a lot cheaper.

Totally agree.
This essentially prices the app feature at $199.
I spend that on a Linksys router for my home, and there is a world of difference in engineering between those two devices.
The WMI-1 is a $15 in manufacturing cost accessory.

I would imagine they decided not to build it in because plopping a radio device onto the circuit board just complicates the board design.

My take on it - it's a "nice to have", but for that price I can probably gig just fine without it.

Still really interested in this amp, and I am considering it for my next gigging rig.

Ok, I had a reply from the Thomann tech support team on this.  Have a look here.  It looks as though there may be some alternatives out there at a much more reasonable price.

Yamaha MD-BT01

Sure it's a bluetooth device and not a true network one but if it connects securely and passes the data through in the correct manner I could forgive that.  According to Thomann this is a direct substitute for the WM-1.  That was the way I phrased the question to them as they stock both devices.

Anyone have one of these devices to try it out?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/IK-Multimedia-Universal-Interface-iPhone/dp/B00LFN72KW

So if I am to buy a GM40, I am going to want to hook in my iPad. I think the wifi dongle is too expensive for what it is so I don't mind a hard cable. Will the attached do or are there better options?

Ipad (lightning connector) -> Midi convertor -> midi out -> GM40 Midi in?

and in my case where I am going to have my Boss ES-8 select the presents then the midi out of the boss es-8 has to connect to the IK dongle together with the IPAD to pass through midi signals to the GM40? Does that sound about right?

II too want this app for my iPad 2 and will also wifi it. As far as the WMI-1 being expensive, yes it is IMHO but  OTOH you get what you pay for in general,  so maybe others will work (but work as well and without any side issues)? No real facts yet, Just thinking out loud here. It does say on the H&K site that the app works with any iPad midi compatible interface...

The old days of that philosophy are sadly long gone Spikey.  Nowadays I'd have to say "you get what you can be made to pay for".  H&K are NOT cheap, and that isn't always down to the quality of their gear, (which, granted, is good but that good?)

As regards work as well?  They have to pick up or transmit a minute smidgeon of control data every time we want to make a change and they probably have to poll regularly to check they're still in touch.  It's hardly asking them to stream high def video.  And Yamaha is at least as good a name as H&K so that device should really be pretty reliable.  That bluetooth comms item is made to interface with their own midi compatible gear like keyboards.  

The music field has always been a realm where too many prices are simply outrageous because of the high number of people in the market who simply do not know how simple it really is and who think that is what you have to pay to get something good.  Look at pedals.  They're toys in electronics terms, in fact most modern toys are more complex!  And the numpties who are out there charging the great unwashed £200 for something which takes no expertise to design and you can knock up on your kitchen table is unbelievable.  This is the same sort of area I'm afraid.  Until we all say "no" it will continue.  If we did say no you would be amazed at how cheap some of these esoteric items would suddenly become, and the companies would still survive and make money.

The old days of that philosophy are sadly long gone Spikey.

Yea that is a shame. Well I like the looks of the WMI-1 and so probably will go that route. BTW- the GM40 Remote app for iPad does NOT show up for me when I go directly to the app store and search. What I had to do was open up iTunes, then open up the App store and search from there. That was the only way I could find it.

bordonbert wrote:Look at pedals.  They're toys in electronics terms, in fact most modern toys are more complex!  And the numpties who are out there charging the great unwashed £200 for something which takes no expertise to design and you can knock up on your kitchen table is unbelievable.

So true!

Just pre-Ordered mine. Hope to see it before Christmas 2016!!!

Bet I cant knock one of these out on the kitchen table  


Edited: Canceled and then re pre ordered!

I would guess not Spikey. To put that in perspective, I came across the Wampler Triple Wreck the other day. £230, $300 ish? It's an absolutely bog standard nothing remarkable circuit which anyone could build up as I suggested. There are about $10 worth of components and a few unnecessary "super spec" opamps , (yes it's totally opamp!!! ), in a pretty box. I rest my case!

But let's save the arguments about rip off effects for another thread. I'd be happy to step up to the podium there, (with evidence!)

bordonbert wrote:I would guess not Spikey.  To put that in perspective, I came across the Wampler Triple Wreck the other day.  £230, $300 ish?  It's an absolutely bog standard nothing remarkable circuit which anyone could build up as I suggested.  There are about $10 worth of components and a few unnecessary "super spec" opamps , (yes it's totally opamp!!! ), in a pretty box.  I rest my case!  

But let's save the arguments about rip off effects for another thread.  I'd be happy to step up to the podium there, (with evidence!)

Parts are in general a dime a dozen. And Ive known some really really smart engineers in my 40+ years as a tech. The one thing that I could not ever make them ever understand, was that just because they understood a highly technical diagram/schematic they created and then wrote a manual on, didn't mean that everyone else could even read it, or understand it like they did. Believe me, Ive tried too. You see Troubleshooters don't necessarily need to know how the part works to fix it. Engineers do.  That said, I think the old adage applies here, and that is we pay them for what they know, not for what they do. The same go's for the engineered designs as well. It might take $100.00 worth of parts to make the thing, but the idea to make it all work may have cost thousands (or even millions). Don't believe me? Has the cost of having an MRI ever dropped even thou they paid for the machine years ago?

Irocdave12 wrote:I got one pre ordered today and got a great deal. H&K rep told my dealer early Dec. to put hands on it in the USA which I was a little surprised since initially thought they were slated to hit streets in Europe end of September. If anyone hears different please chime in on the USA release dates

Sweetwater told me early (7th or so) of December, just in time for Chirstmas

Differences between the GM40 and GM36:
https://youtu.be/pXok1oHky6A

Not mentioned in the video, but did I read in this thread that the GM40 cleans are more Fender-ish? That and most of what is mentioned in the video, including more clean headroom on all channels, a smoother transition between channel switches which I hope goes also for its effects, and global power soak (also resonance and/or presence?) settings, are huge selling points for me! GM36 presets are also transferrable, though gain and EQ settings will have to be tweaked to account for the new amp voicing.

Yea Bill I read the same thing abt the cleans, and more headroom with smoother transitions. I have the foot switch and WMI-1 (grabbed them before the Christmas rush). I have preordered mine and I hope to see it before Christmas. Last I was told it has a early Dec-2016 arrival date.

https://youtu.be/5F_-TQneRjo


At 5.54 he compares the 36 model with the deluxe....in my humble opinion not that much of a difference!!!! From what i hear so far.....i am afraid it doesn't meet my expectations!

ignantios wrote:https://youtu.be/5F_-TQneRjo


At 5.54 he compares the 36 model with the deluxe....in my humble opinion not that much of a difference!!!! From what i hear so far.....i am afraid it doesn't meet my expectations!

And yet when you watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXok1oHky6A  there is a lot of new changes.

On the video you show/list, the lead channel on the GM-40 is fuller, more brutal and mean sounding to me. And theres more variety of sounds/tones with Redbox settings on the GM-40.

ignantios wrote:https://youtu.be/5F_-TQneRjo


At 5.54 he compares the 36 model with the deluxe....in my humble opinion not that much of a difference!!!! From what i hear so far.....i am afraid it doesn't meet my expectations!

It's not a huge difference, but I didn't expect it to be. It's definitely noticeable though. More full-sounding, especially in the low mids.

I want to try one out in person, but I'm already debating selling my TM36 when this is available and tested, buying this and keeping my gm36 as a backup.

The beast has arrived in the USA and my pre order was at my door yesterday. I was told by distributor in NY I have one of first delivered so you guys waiting on one it's literally in the mail!
I'll post some additional pics and info once I get it un boxed and hooked up to the dual TM 112 it's gonna power. Have beautiful set of NOS tubes that will go in over the weekend after initial fire up with Chinese junkers powering things for test purposes