How to Clean & Choose a Keyboard Pedal: A Polarity Adventure

[@ryanbmd7988]

Thank you!!!

[@offthematrix5310]

You are welcome.

[@Sca21121]

👍Good video! I enjoyed the Spinal tap clip. This is your nephew btw. Hope all is well w/you.

[@paulromsky9527]

Gave your video a like. This is Nigel Webb here (Lead Bassist for the band Xyaxis), Nigel Tufnel's cousin. Yes, if you get so much sustain that you can go grab a bite to eat and then come back and it is still sustaining, then that is what you want... but be sure to set your amp to 11 for that little push over the cliff.

[@paulromsky9527]

I agree that those Yamaha sustain pedals have the feel of a real grand piano. The shape, force, and travel of the "spoon" is very comfortable. The pedal may not be working with the ARP for several reasons. Without having a schematic for it, I would guess the ARP uses a 3 contact (stereo) plug (Tip, Ring, and Sleeve). Where the Yamaha (and other simple Sustain Pedals) use a 2 contact (mono) plug - whether it be an Nomally Open (N.O.) or Normally Closed (N.C.) type. I think the ARP uses a common contact (mostly likely the Sleeve) and the Tip and Ring contacts for the pedal position. For example, let's say they designed it as follows: Sleeve: Common Ring: Pedal Up Normally Closed to Common Tip: Pedal Up Normally Open to Common But when the Pedal is Down: Ring: Open to Common Tip: Closed to Common This technique not only gives you and On/Off signal (like a Sustain [Loud, or Forte] would give you, but it ALSO provides Pedal Velocity Sensitivity (that other effects could possibly use). The ARP may be measuring the time between the breaking (opening) and the making (closing) of the two contacts to determine how quickly you press and/or relase the Pedal. True, velocity is not normally used with electronic sustain pedals, but having the capability of including Velocity Sensitivity in the Pedal makes it more versatile. Or, the ARP may be expecting a Pedal that has a potentiometer inside rather than a switch or switches. This way, the synthesizer can tell how far the Pedal is pressed and not just fully up or down. This can provide velocity information as well, but it can miminic a real piano sustain pedal - where there are techniques to partially press the sustain pedal to get a less muted effect on the strings but not cause them to sustain (ring) for very long. Not many musicians use this technique but it is possible. The trick is every piano has its own "sweet spot" on the pedal for this. Also, not ever string will partially mute equally to each other. I have tried it and it takes some time to master.

[@serhiymarchenko8361]

For a pedal without polarity switch, you can reverse polarity by using dual mono to stereo cables with complimentary orientation (male and female) and switch those 2 mono cables, so they are connected in X way. At least, this trick worked for me with Yamaha piano-style sustain pedal without polarity switch.

[@dadonutslvl90]

Thankfully a good master controller only needs 1 setting and can send the midi sustain cc regardless

[@offthematrix5310]

That's interesting. I've haven't found that on a keyboard.

[@dadonutslvl90]

@@offthematrix5310 midi cc64 for anything with midi, 66 is sostenuto both support range from as well if equipped with proper pedal response for patches