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Can an expression pedal he assigned to a modulation effect or to the knobs for that matter? Can it be use of anything else besides volume?

Is there a way to connect an expression pedal to the PX5S without doing so via in-line to the amplifier?

So, I've been looking for a keyboard which I could use mostly as a controller for VSTs, also having a good piano-like action. The amount of products catering to this notion seems to be quite little, and I've eventually narrowed it down between the Roland A-88 and the Privia PX-5S (I've also previously considered the Komplete Kontrol S88, which have some really cool features and design, but apparently the touch strips [modulation, pitch] aren't too comfortable and the Fatar action isn't that great), and the Privia PX-5S is usually quoted as having the better hammer action (I'm less interested about the internal sounds, to be honest). I wasn't able to actually test any of these (and my piano skills are currently so-so anyway), and as I'll be ordering it from abroad I really want to get the purchase right. The primitive pedal inputs of the PX-5S seem to be constricting, and I guess I'll need to buy a pedal-to-MIDI adapter (as there are very little MIDI-exporting pedals out there) like the Audiofront MIDI Expression. Now, I want to make a pedal set that includes a soft/sostenuto/half damper and an expression pedal. The soft and sostenuto send on/off messages, so I assume the PX-5S's two inputs should be able to recognize them, but could I program it so? The half damper/expression pedal would go into the PC (if I'll get the Audiofront product; it outputs over USB and I believe the PX-5S can't receive MIDI over USB [or does it?]). Instead of buying tons of separate pedals, I prefer finding a 3-pedal unit from which I could attach the two on/off ones directly to the PX-5S and the half damper to the adapter, and a separate expression pedal in addition. Is there such a unit compatible with the PX-5S? I couldn't find any. And how weird does it feel using a continuous half damper pedal as an expression pedal? Audiofront offers a $49 single-input adapter and then a $119 quad-input one; it's quite expensive, so if I'll get the single one I won't use the half damper AND the expression pedal simultaneously anyway. Thanks in advance.

A number of discussions have advocated the use of CC#11 to control volume, rather than the more obvious volume parameter, CC#07; e.g., http://www.casiomusicforums.com/index.php?/topic/4595-how-to-set-sliders-1-4-to-control-volume-of-zones-1-4/?hl=express#entry7988 I've just stumbled on an even better reason, at least for an XW-G1, but I suspect it works the same for a P1. You've probably noticed that, within Performance mode, all zones whose DSP Line is enabled are tied together. They obviously share the same DSP, but they are also forced to share the same volume, pan position and reverb send. I've always thought that this meant you lose the ability to mix or blend these zones independently, but that's only the case if you try to do it via volume (CC#07). If you use expression instead (CC#11), you can mix the relative volumes of all zones whose DSP Line is enabled. The only shortcoming is that, unlike volume, expression is not saved within a Performance so you have to set it each time. Assigning a knob to send CC#11 to the desired zone is a good way to do the mixing. It's also a good way to "turn off" a DSP enabled zone on the fly while leaving another DSP enabled zone still sounding: just turn it's expression down to zero. I haven't tested this, but I suspect that the same thing happens for channel/parts accessed from within the Step Sequencer. You can probably use one of the control parts to adjust the expression of channel/parts whose DSP Line is enabled to get the desired mix between all parts sharing the DSP.

Hi all, this is my first post on this forum and I'm considering buying a PX-5S. I would like to use partial sustain even if the PX-5S comes with only an on-off sustain IN. Is it possible to plug a sustain pedal like Yamaha FC3 or Roland DP10 into an expression IN of a keyboard? If the two kinds of pedals are electronically compatible with expression (not springed) pedals, I would expect to get expression (CC#11) continuous Midi signals when I press the pedal, so I could remap it with a software on sustain messages (CC#64) and control a vst like Pianoteq. Has anyone tried it? Thank you, sorry for my English, Massimo