Ob4 + Ortho Remote

I cannot find a “sync button” on the ob4. I tried holding the Input and the Play buttons but that didn’t work. Has anyone synced the two successfully? Thanks for any help.

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They probably sync up through the Orthoplay app. It’s also how you update the OB-4 firmware

it’s a little confusing because there are no clear instructions on how to do it in the ortho remote guide. basically, you have to switch modes on the OB-4 to bluetooth and you should see a flashing blue light when you do. then, hold down the pairing button on the ortho remote for 3 seconds until you see the flashing blue light. after a few seconds, they should connect and the ortho remote should have a green light. hope this helps!

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Yes it is confusing because the instructions are geared to theRemote and OD-11 and has no clear cut away to do it on the ob4. I did get the blue flashing and the green light but I still can’t get the Remote to do anything with the 4. Crazy!

I’ve got the Remote to sync with the iOS Ortho app but the remote still doesn’t control the ob4.

This is insane. I literally got the OR-1 remote in a bundle with my OD-4 and there is NO information on how to pair it with the OD-4. Have not been able to get it to work with my OD-4…

Update: It works now. The problem I was having is that my phone was already connected to bluetooth so everytime I put the OB-4 into Bluetooth mode it would auto connect to my phone.

Steps that worked for me:

  1. Turned off Bluetooth on my phone so it wouldn’t auto connect to my phone.
  2. Turned on the OB-4 and put it on Bluetooth mode by pressing the input button until it was on Bluetooth indicator LED.
  3. Then I held the pairing button on the OR-1 Remote until it started to flash blue.
  4. The LEDs stopped blink and it was paired.
  5. I turned my phone’s Bluetooth back on and then in my bluetooth settings on my phone tapped the OB-4 to connect. After the phone connected both my phone and remote are working on the OB-4 now.
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Hey, I’m having a problem where every time I turn off the OB-4, I have to resync the orthoremote?
Anyone also experience this?

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hey,
this is how you’re meant to pair them:

  1. enable pairing mode on OR-1 (long hold bottom button)
  2. switch source to bluetooth on OB-4

whether your phone is connected to the OB-4 or not should not matter.

this should absolutely be added to the guide.

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this is definitely not as intended.

please see pm.

Indeed, it should be

Only after I followed these steps I could use it as intended, and it rocks!

Before I did, it was a rather boring remote volume control with the usual transport controls, since it was paired to the device and not to the speaker

And now it’s paired it does what?

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Excellent, thank you!! I’ve had a heck of a time pairing, and this works.

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What does the ortho remote do outside of volume and track control? That’s all mine does….

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Mine does track control only when paired to the iOS device. When paired to the OB-4 directly, the knob can do the fast forward/rewind function by turning it, almost like doing wireless scratch
It’s a hell of a party!

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Well, after upgrading to firmware 1.5.8 the speed functions cannot be remote controlled from the OR-1 anymore

I followed your steps once more, and it is stuck in volume and track control again…

that sounds weird, it works as intended for me. on the other hand, it also depends on the firmware version of the remote, so it’s hard to know your exact configuration. what happens if you long hold the OR-1 button when it’s paired to the OB-4?

The firmware on the OR-1 was updated on 2017, for it to have the MIDI functions. The behavior seems completely random. Sometimes it does this simple playback functions upon booting the OB-4, sometimes I am unable to pair it, or I might be able to do so
If I long press the button I sometimes get a blinking purple or blue color. If it changes volume it shows a solid green
Anyway, the speed function is gone now

I have checked and the ortho remote is not paired to the device from which I am playing back the music, and it isn’t paired to the OR-1

basically it is controlling just the volume when directly connected to the ob4, not the tape dial…

is there some way to update the OR-1 firmware?

OB4 is on 1.5.8

wait… you can control the tape dial with the ortho remote? I’m pretty sure my ortho remote was directly connected to my OB-4 and I could only do volume and track control.

it sounds that it has been like that but not anymore? :dagger:

it should be an option! all I want is to remotely loop and tape scratch with the remote, to scroll back faster and such