MIDI pedalboards and (clonewheel) jazz -- do they work?

[J_tour]

Hey -- I can't find one around to experiment with, but I know some of you have used these little front-mounted pedalboards with clonewheels (as opposed to MIDI versions of the real thing). Fatar/Studio-Logic makes some, I think H-Suzuki makes a version, etc.

 

Is it possible to get a good "tapping" sound out of these (in the classic jazz way) or are they pretty unwieldy to control in terms of how long each note sounds on the board?

 

I'm assuming having the full bass sound would be do-able -- just a matter of getting used to the set-up of whatever pedals -- but correct me if I'm wrong there.

 

I'm pretty happy with the "manual bass" setting on the XK-1, but having the option to kick fully on the pedals for short times would give some more options in terms of setting drawbars, changing stuff, as well as getting more control over the bass sound in general -- as long as these *could* work for the more basic tapping technique.

[JMcS]

The Manual Bass on the XK-1 is playing the pedal tones with the lower manual. They would be the same sounds if played with pedals. There are several different pedal tones available.

 

The Hammond pedals as well as the StudioLogic pedals etc. are just controllers they don't make their own sound.

[J_tour]

Sure -- the Manual Bass is pretty adjustable, as well. I use the fastest decay and it sounds *as if* someone were tapping using the standard pedal-LH style. Certainly a lot closer than without it (and I think it's pretty close).

 

But what I'm wondering is if the MIDI pedal boards that *aren't* the full Hammond-console-style boards can get that similar sound, by virtue of their little spinet-style construction. I don't mean *their* sound, but the sound (from the instrument) *triggered* because they are built so unlike a real console pedal board.

 

In other words, can you work those little guys enough to get *just* that little tapping sound on the pedals, without giving the full "This is Your Doom" pedal sound (when you don't want it)?

[bhodaway10]

I use the Hammond XPK200 pedals and before that, the Roland PK5a pedals. It is very easy to control and I do pedal thumps, bass lines, etc.

 

The positive is that it's easier to carry and cheaper than a full pedal board (unless you midi your own).

 

The only negative is that you have to change your pedal technique - instead of heal-heal or heal toe, it's only toe-toe or side of the foot.

 

 

I'm pretty happy with the "manual bass" setting on the XK-1, but having the option to kick fully on the pedals for short times would give some more options in terms of setting drawbars, changing stuff, as well as getting more control over the bass sound in general -- as long as these *could* work for the more basic tapping technique.

 

I prefer the sound of the LH bass w/ pedal taps/accents than just pedal bass. IMHO, it sounds more like a string bass.

 

Learning the pedals will open up your playing a lot. Go for it!

 

 

[mate stubb]

It's a matter of how you play - tap w/ quick release instead of hold it down.

 

I can't imagine that the 1 octave pedal controllers would actually cause the sound to be any different than the 2 octave controllers.

[mate stubb]

BTW, thinking of an auxillary project to my organ controller, which is to modify a set of Hammond pedals into something like the Consolette.

 

It seems to have the ideal form factor, but is apparently not available any more.

 

The project would involve hinging the pedals from the front instead of back, cutting them shorter and maybe hollowing some to reduce weight, and attaching midi sensors.

 

I hope to get to it sometime this year.

 

http://www.btproductions.com/Gear/Hammonds/Pedalboard/pedals.JPG

[J_tour]

I use the Hammond XPK200 pedals and before that, the Roland PK5a pedals. It is very easy to control and I do pedal thumps, bass lines, etc.

 

Good to know.

 

The positive is that it's easier to carry and cheaper than a full pedal board (unless you midi your own).

 

Exactly why I'm looking into these little jobs -- I can't carry even two manuals, let alone a full-sized pedal board.

 

I prefer the sound of the LH bass w/ pedal taps/accents than just pedal bass. IMHO, it sounds more like a string bass.

 

Oh me too. I was just asking if you can control these little boards well enough to just tap. I assumed you could always lean on them a lot more as well when needed, but most of what I play really just calls for the standard mid-uptempo swinging thing (not *all* tapping but a lot of it).

 

It's a matter of how you play - tap w/ quick release instead of hold it down. I can't imagine that the 1 octave pedal controllers would actually cause the sound to be any different than the 2 octave controllers.

 

Right. Just wondering if you *can* tap on these, since they are built quite a bit differently than the original pedals, not just in number of octaves.

 

Seems like they work just fine.

 

 

[bhodaway10]

BTW, thinking of an auxillary project to my organ controller, which is to modify a set of Hammond pedals into something like the Consolette.

 

It seems to have the ideal form factor, but is apparently not available any more.

 

The project would involve hinging the pedals from the front instead of back, cutting them shorter and maybe hollowing some to reduce weight, and attaching midi sensors.

 

I hope to get to it sometime this year.

 

http://www.btproductions.com/Gear/Hammonds/Pedalboard/pedals.JPG

 

The consollete pedals are obsolete. I tried to get them a year ago from BT but he said the guy never got around to making them. Your best bet is to make your own set or to purchase the Hammond pedal boards.

 

 

[J_tour]

The consollete pedals are obsolete. I tried to get them a year ago from BT but he said the guy never got around to making them. Your best bet is to make your own set or to purchase the Hammond pedal boards.

 

I had fantasized once about making up a set of back-hinged wooden pedals of like just an octave or so -- do people actually make their own pedals from scratch (not just MIDIfying an existing pedalboard)?

[mate stubb]

 

I had fantasized once about making up a set of back-hinged wooden pedals of like just an octave or so -- do people actually make their own pedals from scratch (not just MIDIfying an existing pedalboard)?

 

Of course. I've seen guys build them from scratch, especially the DIY midi pipe organ guys. Them dudes are nutz.

 

But it's a lot easier to modify Hammond or other pedals. I have a spare set of B-3 pedals laying around, so I will just chop those into a Consolette-like form factor and hang a midi controller off them.

[bhodaway10]

J_Tour - sent you a PM