Dual Foot Switch for Pedal Input 2

[SonnyDaye]

Will the Behringer DUAL A/B SWITCH AB200 work with the PX-5s Pedal Input 2?

Looks like it would add a lot of versatility to that input! IF it works! Wondering if the input can be assigned to be an On/Off AND a Hold AT THE SAME TIME!

Here it is:

http://www.behringer...ucts/AB200.aspx

Or.....are there any other similar products that adds that versatility that anyone has used?

Thanks!

[Display Name]

I don't see why it shouldn't work. As far as on/off and hold at the same time.. IDK... It seems you need to set one or the other either on the 5S or the foot switch, so I don't see how that would work. Maybe I am missing something?

[Ebonivor]

I have one of these that I used to use to switch between my two guitars and rout them alternatively into the two channels of my amp. The battery didn't last long, so ended up going back to using a passive switch box that I had built years earlier.

I just dug it put and tried it with the PS-5s and as I expected, it didn't do any more than the included pedal, and most of its switching capabilities are of no use. The pedal input on the PX-5s only relies on a simple single pole switch, so the AB200's changeover capabilities are wasted. A better choice might be a Boss FS-5U, but it's also battery operated, and you definitiely will not get the one pedal to perform both functions as you request.

I use a Yamaha FS4 as pedal 1 and the Casio footswitch (which I've attached to a piece of rubber-backed steel plate add some weight and stop it sliding around) as pedal 2. It works great for me. Hope this helps.

[SonnyDaye]

I have one of these that I used to use to switch between my two guitars and rout them alternatively into the two channels of my amp. The battery didn't last long, so ended up going back to using a passive switch box that I had built years earlier.

I just dug it put and tried it with the PS-5s and as I expected, it didn't do any more than the included pedal, and most of its switching capabilities are of no use. The pedal input on the PX-5s only relies on a simple single pole switch, so the AB200's changeover capabilities are wasted. A better choice might be a Boss FS-5U, but it's also battery operated, and you definitiely will not get the one pedal to perform both functions as you request.

I use a Yamaha FS4 as pedal 1 and the Casio footswitch (which I've attached to a piece of rubber-backed steel plate add some weight and stop it sliding around) as pedal 2. It works great for me. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the detailed reply Ebonivor!

I've been re-reading the specs on the Dual Switch. I could see that it was intended for an entirely different purpose than my needs. So, I wasn't surprised to read your analysis. Thanks for taking the time to test the unit and for your suggestions! I appreciate it.

Hmmm.....now I'm wondering if THIS would work:

Use a REGULAR sustain pedal in Pedal Input 2. It should work for anything that is programmed for a Hold type switch in a Stage Setting. And I'm wondering if it would ALSO work, by simply TAPPING IT ONCE, for anything in a different Stage Setting, that requires a simple on/off switch. That would be great if that works. Hope I'm not jumping to conclusions and missing something obvious. Thanks again!

[Ebonivor]

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to do. The setup of either pedal is saved as part of the stage settings, so can perform different functions and be set to momentary or toggle, depending on your needs. You could, for example, have pedal 2 set to toggle mode and target Zone on/off for one stage setting, but have it set to momentary mode and target CC:07 Volume to fade in a zone. Of course, you have to have a good memory to know what you've set it to do in each stage setting ;-)

Also, remember that like all the controllers, it can target two paramaters, but if you set target 1 to hold and target 2 zone on/off, you will only hear the zone while the pedal is down - obviously not what you would want.

If you want to try an example of how the dual target works, try this (best done in the data editor as follows):

Load the Concert Grand stage setting - it has strings on zone 2

Select the Common tab scroll down to the Pedal 2 panel

Select the Target 1 tab and set the target to CC:64:Hold 1

Leave the Mode as Momentary

Now Select the Target 2 tab and set the target to CC07:Volume

Leave the Min Value at 0 and set the Max Value to 95 (this will be the volume the zone will reach, change it as desired)

Set the On Rate to 64 and the Off rate to 40 (this gives a slight swell and slow release so that the on/off of the zone is less abrupt)

Now select the Zone tab and scroll down to the Controller area

Turn off Pedal 2 in all zones except zone 2

Turn off Pedal 1 in zone 2

Now you have a pedal 2 operation that turns on zone 2 at the same time as sustaining its notes. It's not something that you would be likely to use because the strings will just build to be a mess, but it allows you to sustain the strings independently of sustaining the piano while fading the strings in and out. If anyone has some variations on this that are actually useful, I would be interested in trying them - probably the subject of another topic. There are certainly lots of possibilities.

Good luck!

[SonnyDaye]

I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to do. The setup of either pedal is saved as part of the stage settings, so can perform different functions and be set to momentary or toggle, depending on your needs. You could, for example, have pedal 2 set to toggle mode and target Zone on/off for one stage setting, but have it set to momentary mode and target CC:07 Volume to fade in a zone. Of course, you have to have a good memory to know what you've set it to do in each stage setting ;-)

Also, remember that like all the controllers, it can target two paramaters, but if you set target 1 to hold and target 2 zone on/off, you will only hear the zone while the pedal is down - obviously not what you would want.

Thanks again for the detailed explanation! What I'm looking to do is probably simpler than you're assuming. I'll try to describe it better:

Can I LEAVE a regular SUSTAIN PEDAL plugged into the PEDAL 2 input all the time (I would have my regular sustain pedal in the Pedal 1 input) - Then, on a certain Stage Setting, set PEDAL 2 to toggle on and off a Drum Loop Phrase. Then, later on, in a DIFFERENT Stage Setting, have the Pedal 2 input set to be a Momentary Switch to bring in and hold an effect (or just sustain) on a particular Zone. Maybe all I'm asking is, can a Momentary (Sustain) Switch be used as a Toggle (On/Off) Switch.

Once I know if this is possible, I may then want to do the two operations within the SAME Stage Setting, at which point I will re-read your above explanation and hopefully be able to understand the subtleties of this complex (to me, anyway) situation. Thanks again!!

[Ebonivor]

You certainly can do as would like - I do exactly that. I have a Yamaha FS4 sustain pedal plugged into pedal 1 and the original Casio pedal plugged into pedal 2. They both work exactly the same i.e. they are both really just normally-open switches, but any momentary on/off pedal will work.

I usually leave pedal 1 set up as a sustain (hold) pedal for piano and most EP stage settings, but use it for wah, rotary etc for others (as is done in the factory stage settings).

I set up pedal 2 to do a number of different things, depending on the stage setting - e.g. hold an arp, fade strings in and out, and start/stop a song or phrase - which is what you want to do.

 

Just navigate to the pedal settings, set the target to Start/Stop Phrase (it's about second last on the list I think) and leave the rest at their defaults. You can leave the pedal action set to Momentary, but make certain that pedal 2 is turned on in all zones. Then write the stage setting to memory so that you don't lose it when the keyboard is turned off. That should do it.

 

Just remember that setting will only apply to the particular stage setting that you save it in; if you want the same effect in other stage settings, you'll have to repeat the procedure for them.

[SonnyDaye]

Thanks Ebonivor! Got it all working. Tried your turning on and sustaining strings scenario. Can see how it gets out of hand, but opens up other possibilities with the 2 Target ability. Now all we have to do is THINK of some that make sense and are useable! Maybe someone will have some suggestions.

And the Start/Stop Phrase on Pedal 2 will be very useful to me! I appreciate your help.

Thanks again!