Six-string-man

I read this response, and my immediate reaction was "This guy doesn't know what he's talking about!" Then I looked at the poster. Hmmm. Mitch, I'm amazed. This is the first time I've ever heard anyone slagging off the 3300, I thought they were supposed to be one of the holy grails? Obviously, I bow to your superior knowledge, but I'm still a bit gobsmacked. It's like Michael Schumaker came out and said "You know, they're pretty crap, those Ferrari's..... " SSM

I use the built in overdrive on the SK1 at just over half way, then the Vent to really boost it. Sounds fantastic, much better than either of the o/d's on their own. SSM

Well, you can't say fairer than that, can you? Customer service at it's best. Kudos to Aspen! SSM

What's wrong with the VR-09? A well priced reasonable light weight board with a few quirks is what I've always thought. SSM (((pssst.. It's satire.))) Oh-Kaaaayy. SSM

What's wrong with the VR-09? A well priced reasonable light weight board with a few quirks is what I've always thought. SSM

Just be grateful you can get 19%! Some CC companies over here are charging 32%. I always pay mine off at the end of each month. SSM

If you are buying a spare PSU, it is around £70 from Hammond. The Casio PX-5S one fits perfectly, same specs, and is around £20. SSM

I use the same bag, very well priced, and great protection. SSM

I think CEB meant RD 700, FA -06 & Electro = 3 boards. if they fit in the car, keep what you have rather than swapping. SSM

All I can say about BadMister, is that on the two occasions I contacted him with a problem, he was very gracious, helpful and patient, and solved my problems - one of which (in hindsight) was a stupid question. I have nothing but praise for the guy. SSM

Wes, it feels good to me, but I'm no expert I'm afraid. SSM = Six-string-man = (gasp!) guitarist. I do keep my right foot on the pedal all the time, but my adjustments are mainly for volume rather than attack, although I am improving in that direction. I don't know what pedals you have experience of, so the following may or may not help. Along with the FC-7 I also have a Mojo long throw pedal and a Hammond EXP 50. The FC-7 I took to immediately, the Mojo and Hammond took a bit more getting used to, as the Mojo has a thick platform under the actual moving part that your foot goes on, (treadle?) and the Hammond makes you have your heel sit further back, as the design is different, the treadle is mounted so that the rear of it is very close to the ground. They are all good in their own way, just different from each other. The FC-7 felt more natural to me when I started, but I like all three now. I have never played a "proper" organ, but I have done a load of research into expression pedals, and a couple of people have told me that none of the after-market floor pedals out there are anything like the expression pedal action on a real B3 pedal board. I hope all this rambling gave you some answers! I still think that if you want an expression pedal for a Roland, the FC-7 and Ashby adaptor are the way to go. After all, if you're in the USA, you're talking chump change, you will only pay around $65 or $70 total. BTW, I totally agree about the price of the EV7, it put me off too. SSM

You have to get the Ashby adapter for the FC7 to work with the VR09, but I've not heard specifically how well it works. I have never played a VR09, but I have a Roland C-200, and can report that the FC-7 in conjunction with the Ashby adapter works wonderfully well on it. i can recommend them both 100%. SSM

The first thing is, I'm glad that someone of your experience has confirmed something that I said, when even I find it a little bit weird! The second (and more important thing) is why don't you use the Hammond adapter with the Hammond, and the Casio adapter with the Casio? SSM

I have heard that a lot of Hammond and Casio adapters are interchangeable. Certainly, my PX-5S will play from my SK1 power lead, and I saw a post somewhere that recommended a Casio replacement lead for an SK1, as it was around £50 cheaper than the Hammond one. The poster gave the Casio serial number and everything. SSM

I have two USB sticks marked "A" and "B" and use them alternately, so I always have a copy of the previous upgrade. My other half says that I'm anal...... SSM

As of today , according to their website, ONLY available from them or Sweetwater, so no dice. Oh well! Back to the drawing board. Was thinking of this to pair up with my Mojo. i might start a new thread....... SSM

I wonder if this will be available in Europe? Nothing on the interwebz so far. SSM

Over here, there is a huge price difference between these pedals. £53 ($77) for the FC-7 against £120 ($180) for the EXP50. I have just checked the Sweetwater prices. I do not understand the pricing structure in the US as against the UK. From Sweetwater, the FC-7 is $47, which means we are paying $30 more, but the EXP50 is $212, so we are paying $32 less!! Anyway, for the difference, the Hammond pedal would need to be demonstrably better. If it was, I would shell out, but I remain to be convinced. If I lived over there, I would take even more convincing, with a $165 difference! SSM

Well, there you go! Nearly EVERY other opinion I have heard, from here and elsewhere is that the EXP50 makes a small difference, but it's not worth the extra dosh over the FC-7. Also that the cable is weak and prone to breaking. Perceived wisdom is that the EX 100 is worth buying if you have a high end Hammond (it doesn't work on the SK1), but not the EXP50. It looks as if perceived wisdom could be wrong here. Just goes to show that everyone is different. Hope you'll be very happy with your pedal Dan. SSM

Ah, difficult question to answer! I have come across loads of people who don't know that you can take out the adjusting screw on the FC-7, and this detaches the piece where you put your foot from the base. You can then re-attach the top bit at a different angle. This helps if you play while standing up. I don't know if this also changes the throw, hence the convoluted answer. Anyway, I play sitting down, so my FC-7 is in "normal" mode. While it is like this, checking the throw against the Crumar, it seems that the FC-7 has about 1/4" less travel than the Crumar, but it's really insignificant to me. YMMV. Hope this helps. SSM

I know absolutely nothing about the VR-09. However, I can tell you a bit about the Crumar pedal, if that's any help, I got one with my Mojo. The first time I used it, it felt really weird. Imagine placing a house brick underneath an FC-7, and playing with that. After an hour or so, it felt natural. I have seen pics of the B3 pedalboard, with the expression pedal mounted fairly high off the floor, I imagine it might be something akin to that. In use, the pedal is really smooth and even, the action is all you would want. The price isn't bad either, especially if you compare it to a Hammond! I love the FC-7, but I'm really glad I got the Crumar. It's not better, or worse, just different. SSM

I would be interested to know how you get on with that. BTW, congratulations on 1,000 posts. Little enough compared with some on here, but still...... SSM

Not sure if this will help, but if you unscrew the adjusting screw all the way out, the pedal will "unlatch" from the base, and you can re-attach it at a slightly different angle. This is actually meant for use when playing while standing up, but it may give you an alternative position. SSM

I'm pretty amazed here, I'm normally a Yammie fan, but in the blind test, my favourites were the Kronos and the two Rolands. I'm assuming that the test used the default settings, and things may have been different with alternative pianos, but still, it makes you think. SSM

I took it in fun, but in all honesty, it WAS time that I got it back to him! It's all good. SSM