Topic by PSongs

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Topic: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

Alright... lets first cover what I feel would be around 80% of all users using Pianoteq:

They have a DAW (doesn't matter which one)
They have a MIDI controller (doesn't matter which one)
They have a normal sustain pedal (on/off).
They want to maximize Pianoteqs potential.

They want a half sustain or graduated pedal (with polarity).
They want an expression pedal (with polarity).

Help me fill in the last two (sustain and expression with polarity). I've had Pianoteq for many years and every once in awhile I'll pop around music sites and amazon to find both, and come away with nothing (because my 10 on/off sustain pedals I've accumulated over 30 years typically does the job). But more importantly I lose interest for one or all of the following:

Great sustain pedal, no polarity.
Crap sustain pedal, polarity.
Cheap or Expensive (doesn't matter which) expression pedal, no idea how it would 'feel' or function with Pianoteq.

So if you can relate, and currently have either the half-pedal sustain and/or expression pedals (or any foot controller) you successfully use with Pianoteq, I'd *really* appreciate some feedback if you can spare a minute.

Reply by hesitz

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

Polarity doesn't seem to me like such a huge issue.  So long as the pedal works with your keyboard you're fine.  I have a Roland FP-10 with a Roland continuous pedal, works fine, feels great, can't change polarity, won't work with the Yamaha keyboard I tried.  But for that I'd just buy Yamaha's analogous pedal. Ditto for people with Kawai, Korg, Casio keyboards.  Just buy the continuous sustain pedal your manufacturer makes.

Reply by budo

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

i use a Yamaha FC3A with a KX88 and it works very well.  i did have to flip the range under midi options but it was absolutely no problem at all.  my old footswitch became my una corda pedal.

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Reply by sigasa

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

I use audiofront USB device.
https://www.audiofront.net/
I use Roland triple pedal with it.
https://www.roland.com/us/products/rpu-3/
No problems.

Warmest regards,

Chris

Last edited by sigasa (02-09-2020 20:22)

Reply by hesitz

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

budo wrote:

i use a Yamaha FC3A with a KX88 and it works very well.  i did have to flip the range under midi options but it was absolutely no problem at all.  my old footswitch became my una corda pedal.

Yes, if Pianoteq is the only synth you're using, then you don't need to worry about having a polarity switch on your pedal at all.  If the pedal is the "wrong" polarity for your keyboard, you can flip it in Pianoteq.

EDIT:  Actually, although I think you can switch the behavior in midi mappings for the pedals,  the solution I was thinking of was switching the velocity response curve for "Pedal' from 'Normal' to 'Reversed'.  This doesn't require going into midi mappings.  YOu do it by cycling through the velocity response curve options on main page until you get to 'Pedal', then change from 'Normal' to 'Reversed', which will accommodate a reversed-polarity sustain pedal.

Last edited by hesitz (03-09-2020 19:22)

Reply by PSongs

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

Thanks for the replies, I just ordered the Yamaha FC3A hopefully will work well with KX8 for half-sustain. Still looking for a solid expression pedal which I'm planning on using with the MPK249 as well.

Reply by PSongs

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Re: Lets talk Pedals -- Sustain, Expression, and beyond?

PSongs wrote:

Thanks for the replies, I just ordered the Yamaha FC3A hopefully will work well with KX8 for half-sustain. Still looking for a solid expression pedal which I'm planning on using with the MPK249 as well.

Back to square 1: Yamaha FC3a sustain pedal doesn't work at all with Yamaha KX8 controller. Furthermore the polarity needs reversed to use it with the MPK 249.

So for now its just a basic pedal on the expression port with the cc mapped to 64 and the min max settings reversed. Nothing can be easy...

Last edited by PSongs (10-09-2020 21:25)