Looking for smooth decent quality Expression Pedal

[igoramos]

Make sure the pot value is correct for your use too - it varies a lot! There's a pretty old and incomplete list here:

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/for ... 9/1678997-

I've had good luck with Boss and Mission pedals over the years. I also use a Behringer FCV at home and it's doing fine at the moment.

Thanks! didn't know about this at all. much appreciated.

Where is this "pot" value set? Is it part of the software instrument, DAW or in the pedal itself? Would like to try making sure that isn't the problem with my FC7 first...

[JCJR]

Where is this "pot" value set? Is it part of the software instrument, DAW or in the pedal itself? Would like to try making sure that isn't the problem with my FC7 first...

It is not likely (easily) user-adjustable though maybe there are some rare expression pedals that can be easily changed to have different resistance or keyboards user-adjustable to expect different pedal resistance. I don't know of such but there are many things I don't know.

The pot is the heart of that kind of pedal. Some pedals use light-sensitive cells or other alternatives but it appears that the majority of pedals use potentiometers. The same kind of part you would find behind most of the knobs on synths, mixers or guitar amps. Usually a little round metal can with a rotary shaft and three electrical terminals.

Usually nowadays a circular piece of conductive plastic connects the pot's two outer terminals, forming a fixed-value resistor as measured between the two outside terminals. The rotary shaft rotates a wiper connected to the center terminal, so the resistance measured at the center terminal depends on the shaft position. For instance if the plastic strip is 10000 ohms between the two ends and it is a linear taper pot, then if the wiper is in the middle, then you would measure 5000 ohms between the wiper and terminal 1, and also measure 5000 ohms between the wiper and terminal 3. If the wiper is turned all the way toward terminal 1, then you measure 0 ohms between wiper and terminal 1, and you measure 10000 ohms between wiper and terminal 3. Etc.

Tonight I measured my Roland EV-5 which is about 10 kOhm (10000 ohm) with the wiper connected to plug tip.

I measured my 30 year old Ensoniq CVP-1 pedal which is also about 10 kOhom. Both the EV-5 and CVP-1 actually read a little above 11 kOhm, but tolerances on cheap pots are very loose and if opened up I'd lay money there would be printed "10 kOhm" on the pot, not "11.5 kOhm" or whatever. With 20 percent loose part tolerances, this is sometimes called something like "nominally 10 k". Somewhere in the ballpark between home base and far center field.

The Ensoniq pedal wiper was originally wired to plug tip like the roland pedal, but I changed it in order to work with the Yamaha KX88.

I measured an FC7 which read about 50 kOhm with wiper connected to plug sleeve. That exposed a false memory because I recalled FC7 as 25 kOhm, but after measuring 50 kOhm I checked the FC7 manual which also lists 50 kOhm.

That difference may matter with some keyboards but I personally won't worry about it until I observe a misbehavior. As explained in the previous message, in my ignorant opinion a "well designed" keyboard expression pedal input ought to be tolerant of a wide range of pedal resistance.

For instance my 10 kOhm pedals work fine on the Roland FA-06. After swapping the wiring on the 10 kOhm Ensoniq pedal it works fine on the Yamaha KX-88. However, the 50 kOhm FC7 ALSO works fine on the Yamaha KX-88.

The 50 kOhm FC7 works great with a Studiologic SL88. I don't recall testing the 10 kOhm EV-5 with the Studiologic SL88, and maybe it would require a wiring swap, but would eat my hat if the SL88 decided to misbehave just because it is connected to a 10 kOhm pedal. In my mind the 50 kOhm case would be most iffy, so if it does great at 50 kOhm then the 10 kOhm would be a no-brainer.

I got the pair of FC7 for a gig rig pedalboard, one FC7 driving SL88 and the other driving Roland FA_06. I spark tested a temporarily wire-swapped FC7 with the FA-06 last winter and it seemed to work fine, unless I missed something. The office is currently torn apart for rewiring, but will re-test in a day or two, got me curious. So far as I recall the wire-swapped 50 kOhm FC7 seemed to work just fine with the FA-06, which was presumably designed to "expect" a 10 kOhm Roland pedal.

[igoramos]

Where is this "pot" value set? Is it part of the software instrument, DAW or in the pedal itself? Would like to try making sure that isn't the problem with my FC7 first...

It is not likely (easily) user-adjustable though maybe there are some rare expression pedals that can be easily changed to have different resistance or keyboards user-adjustable to expect different pedal resistance. I don't know of such but there are many things I don't know.

The pot is the heart of that kind of pedal. Some pedals use light-sensitive cells or other alternatives but it appears that the majority of pedals use potentiometers. The same kind of part you would find behind most of the knobs on synths, mixers or guitar amps. Usually a little round metal can with a rotary shaft and three electrical terminals.

Usually nowadays a circular piece of conductive plastic connects the pot's two outer terminals, forming a fixed-value resistor as measured between the two outside terminals. The rotary shaft rotates a wiper connected to the center terminal, so the resistance measured at the center terminal depends on the shaft position. For instance if the plastic strip is 10000 ohms between the two ends and it is a linear taper pot, then if the wiper is in the middle, then you would measure 5000 ohms between the wiper and terminal 1, and also measure 5000 ohms between the wiper and terminal 3. If the wiper is turned all the way toward terminal 1, then you measure 0 ohms between wiper and terminal 1, and you measure 10000 ohms between wiper and terminal 3. Etc.

Tonight I measured my Roland EV-5 which is about 10 kOhm (10000 ohm) with the wiper connected to plug tip.

I measured my 30 year old Ensoniq CVP-1 pedal which is also about 10 kOhom. Both the EV-5 and CVP-1 actually read a little above 11 kOhm, but tolerances on cheap pots are very loose and if opened up I'd lay money there would be printed "10 kOhm" on the pot, not "11.5 kOhm" or whatever. With 20 percent loose part tolerances, this is sometimes called something like "nominally 10 k". Somewhere in the ballpark between home base and far center field.

The Ensoniq pedal wiper was originally wired to plug tip like the roland pedal, but I changed it in order to work with the Yamaha KX88.

I measured an FC7 which read about 50 kOhm with wiper connected to plug sleeve. That exposed a false memory because I recalled FC7 as 25 kOhm, but after measuring 50 kOhm I checked the FC7 manual which also lists 50 kOhm.

That difference may matter with some keyboards but I personally won't worry about it until I observe a misbehavior. As explained in the previous message, in my ignorant opinion a "well designed" keyboard expression pedal input ought to be tolerant of a wide range of pedal resistance.

For instance my 10 kOhm pedals work fine on the Roland FA-06. After swapping the wiring on the 10 kOhm Ensoniq pedal it works fine on the Yamaha KX-88. However, the 50 kOhm FC7 ALSO works fine on the Yamaha KX-88.

The 50 kOhm FC7 works great with a Studiologic SL88. I don't recall testing the 10 kOhm EV-5 with the Studiologic SL88, and maybe it would require a wiring swap, but would eat my hat if the SL88 decided to misbehave just because it is connected to a 10 kOhm pedal. In my mind the 50 kOhm case would be most iffy, so if it does great at 50 kOhm then the 10 kOhm would be a no-brainer.

I got the pair of FC7 for a gig rig pedalboard, one FC7 driving SL88 and the other driving Roland FA_06. I spark tested a temporarily wire-swapped FC7 with the FA-06 last winter and it seemed to work fine, unless I missed something. The office is currently torn apart for rewiring, but will re-test in a day or two, got me curious. So far as I recall the wire-swapped 50 kOhm FC7 seemed to work just fine with the FA-06, which was presumably designed to "expect" a 10 kOhm Roland pedal.

Thanks for the reply. I don't really understand it at all though, but others will I'm sure. I'm just trying to understand if there is some setting in my DAW (Bitwig), or software (Guitar Rig) or my keyboard (Komplete Kontrol SS61) that I can change that will make my FC7 use the entire range of motion of the pedal smoothly .

[surferman]

I bought and ART x-15 ultrafoot midi pedal some years ago and it works great in Amplitube with the wah pedals and volume pedals.

thanks! Looks like this came out in the 80s and has been discontinued with no newer similar controller. I do wonder about the Behringer FCB1010 or either of the Keith McMillen step controllers (though they are super expensive...)

I bought mine used about 6 years ago. They are well built if you can find a used one.

[jdoo]

My two cents... I have a Roland EV-5, and the aforementioned Moog EP-3. I've used these with 2 controllers and 3 synths. The EP-3 is rock solid, and has never so much as hiccuped. The high/low value range are adjustable on the pedal.. but tbh, I set this once, and left it. The Roland pedal never worked properly on any of my gear.. and is collecting dust in a box somewhere. I purchased a second Moog EP-3, and will probably buy a third. Anyway - my experience, if the Moog EP-3 just works...

[igoramos]

My two cents... I have a Roland EV-5, and the aforementioned Moog EP-3. I've used these with 2 controllers and 3 synths. The EP-3 is rock solid, and has never so much as hiccuped. The high/low value range are adjustable on the pedal.. but tbh, I set this once, and left it. The Roland pedal never worked properly on any of my gear.. and is collecting dust in a box somewhere. I purchased a second Moog EP-3, and will probably buy a third. Anyway - my experience, if the Moog EP-3 just works...

Thank you. This is what I hoped and imagined. Thanks for the confirmation!

[JCJR]

For that price, with the polarity switch and adjustment knob, that Moog pedal does sound nice. A couple of reviewers claimed the main "plausible" negative would be if a person wants a pedal with a large angle of rotation. Though many seem to prefer "small angle of rotation" better.

I noticed on the sweetwater site it lists length at 12 inches. Is that the shipping package length or the pedal length? I generally like wider/longer pedals better than narrower/shorter pedals. IMO a 12 inch long pedal would be better than a 6 or 8 inch long pedal.

[waiting man]

Electro Harmonix Expression and Dual Expression pedals...

[lfm]

I don't know Yamaha - just that Roland/Boss EV-5 is reverse to Korg ones.

EV-5 has always been working well, and have this clever setting to also decide how much of values from 0-127 a full stroke of pedal ranges. Works with various pedals also taking expression pedals.

You can get a couple of femail 1/4" stereo(tip,ring sleeve) connectors and a couple of mail ones too.
You can then make it work to either keyboard - just having tip contact over to ring if main pedal has wiper on tip.

Pedals often have mail out - then make it cross tip and ring from femail to mail adapter you make.

Some keyboards though have selection of type of pedal - but sadly found my KingKorg did not.

[aMUSEd]

EV-5 has always been working well, and have this clever setting to also decide how much of values from 0-127 a full stroke of pedal ranges. Works with various pedals also taking expression pedals.

Yep I have 2 of these

[jdoo]

For that price, with the polarity switch and adjustment knob, that Moog pedal does sound nice. A couple of reviewers claimed the main "plausible" negative would be if a person wants a pedal with a large angle of rotation. Though many seem to prefer "small angle of rotation" better.

I noticed on the sweetwater site it lists length at 12 inches. Is that the shipping package length or the pedal length? I generally like wider/longer pedals better than narrower/shorter pedals. IMO a 12 inch long pedal would be better than a 6 or 8 inch long pedal.

I just put a tape measure to my EP-3. It is 9 1/2" from heel to toe.

Re: EV-5. I can't rule out operator error.. Maybe I needed to set polarity in my FA, XA, or OB... or something else. I suppose it's possible I just got a dud? The EP-3 definitely has more pedal travel (which I like), and has been dead-simple to setup and use.
[/two cents off]

[igoramos]

Ok, I've narrowed it down to these 2. Probably fine with either but leaning slightly toward the Moog. Seems like they are functionally equivalent. What do y'all think?

https://www.ehx.com/products/single-expression-pedal
https://www.moogmusic.com/products/acce ... sion-pedal

[JCJR]

I personally would not buy a new pedal without rewiring the fc7 to see if that fixes it. The odds are high that rewiring the fc7 would fix your complaints.

The other two pedals look fine, but if a simple change would fix the fc7 it would seem wasteful of money to me. Some people sell little polarity-changer inline patch cables if you can't solder and don't know anyone who can do the simple solder job.

[igoramos]

I personally would not buy a new pedal without rewiring the fc7 to see if that fixes it. The odds are high that rewiring the fc7 would fix your complaints.

The other two pedals look fine, but if a simple change would fix the fc7 it would seem wasteful of money to me. Some people sell little polarity-changer inline patch cables if you can't solder and don't know anyone who can do the simple solder job.

Thanks, do you think this'd work?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... 3IQAvD_BwE

[JCJR]

Here is one but I thought in the past I'd seen cheaper ones available. This one looks a bit expensive-- https://missionengineering.com/shop-2/p ... 16fd43adaa

Now, using very high quality parts and selling limited-run hand-made adapters, that is not a completely outrageous price. On the other hand if the same kind of cable were mass manufactured cheap in china, a one-piece fully molded cable would only cost a few bucks. Such a molded cheap cable would not be as rugged, but probably "rugged enough for the task".

The last message on this thread, the user says his FC7 works fine with komplete kontrol after swapping the polarity-- https://www.native-instruments.com/foru ... al.315989/

This web page shows a way to do it with Y cables, if you already have the appropriate Y cables. IMO it is NOT WORTH BUYING new Y cables just to do this kludge-- http://barrysmixedreviews.blogspot.com/ ... 7_313.html

IMO, your best bet if that one keyboard is all you care about connecting to-- Buy about a $5 medium-quality ring-tip-sleeve quarter inch plug (sometimes called a quarter inch stereo plug). Take the pedal and the plug to a guitar tech or music store repairman or stereo store repairman or somebody who knows the basics of using hand tools and a soldering iron, if you can't find any friend or teacher who knows how to do it. If the soldering iron wizard you find is an audio or guitar repairman then he can probably sell you the new plug, saving you the trouble of finding the right kind of part. That kind of guy will probably have a parts bin full of new plugs ready to go.

Tell him to snip off the original plug, and wire the new plug so that--

1. The new plug sleeve is connected to the same wire that was connected to the original plug sleeve.
2. The new plug tip is connected to the wire which was connected to the original plug ring.
3. The new plug ring is connected to the wire which was connected to the original plug tip.