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Blueboard and Sustain Pedal?

The Blueboard manual says that you can plug in either footwitches or continuous controllers to its external controller input jacks. I have been able to use it with a continuous controller (an expression pedal), but it doesn't detect any of of the footswitches or sustain pedals that I have tried (including one with switchable polarity).

Is the manual just wrong?

Has anyone used a sustain pedal as an external input?

Mine has the latest firmware (it is a unit without the mini-usb connector).

Comments

  • wimwim
    edited September 2020

    @espiegel123 said:
    The Blueboard manual says that you can plug in either footwitches or continuous controllers to its external controller input jacks. I have been able to use it with a continuous controller (an expression pedal), but it doesn't detect any of of the footswitches or sustain pedals that I have tried (including one with switchable polarity).

    Is the manual just wrong?

    Has anyone used a sustain pedal as an external input?

    Mine has the latest firmware (it is a unit without the mini-usb connector).

    I have used both a continuous controller (expression pedal) and two different types of sustain pedals, and they all work, even when I've switched polarity. They don't work like a sustain pedal, outputting CC 64. They output CC 12 and 13 respectively. I have the same no-usb port + latest firmware as you.

  • @wim said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    The Blueboard manual says that you can plug in either footwitches or continuous controllers to its external controller input jacks. I have been able to use it with a continuous controller (an expression pedal), but it doesn't detect any of of the footswitches or sustain pedals that I have tried (including one with switchable polarity).

    Is the manual just wrong?

    Has anyone used a sustain pedal as an external input?

    Mine has the latest firmware (it is a unit without the mini-usb connector).

    I have used both a continuous controller (expression pedal) and two different types of sustain pedals, and they all work, even when I've switched polarity. They don't work like a sustain pedal, outputting CC 64. They output CC 12 and 13 respectively. I have the same no-usb port + latest firmware as you.

    I put a midi monitor on the output, no midi happens when I press the pedal. I tried both in the Blueboard app and in AUM. The expression pedal works fine. I wonder if I have a defective BlueBoard? I notice that my expression pedals are TRS and the footswitches are plain mono phone plugs.

    I’ve sent a couple of messages to iK support but haven’t had a response.

  • wimwim
    edited September 2020

    Have you set the BlueBoard into one of the BlueTooth over midi modes (1 or 2) by powering on while holding the B or C button respectively?

  • I have an open case for a week now on my blueboard, different issue but likely a warranty issue. You can’t call them, their website isn’t always working properly. I hope you have better luck than me.

  • I have tested with the BlueBoard in both BT mode 1 and 2 and the following pedals in various configurations. All work fine.

    • Yamaha FC5 foot switch (plain mono plug)
    • M-Audio SP-2 sustain pedal (plain mono plug): switch in position 2 works normally, in position 1 reverses 0 and 127
    • M-Audio EX-P expression pedal (TRS plug): switch in "M-Audio" position outputs entire range. In "other" position will only go down as far as 13.

    Plugged in various configurations: 1 pedal, 2 pedals, sustain, sustain + pedal, different jacks, etc.

  • @wim said:
    Have you set the BlueBoard into one of the BlueTooth over midi modes (1 or 2) by powering on while holding the B or C button respectively?

    Yes.

    I wonder if there is any chance some sort of reset might make difference.

    I even tried the calibration mode in the app and it seems not to detect anything when tbd sustain pedal is connected. Works fine for the expression pedal.

    The sustain pedal I'm using today is one of the M-Audio pedals. Yesterday I tried the Yamaha one from my dead DX7

  • @espiegel123 said:

    @wim said:
    Have you set the BlueBoard into one of the BlueTooth over midi modes (1 or 2) by powering on while holding the B or C button respectively?

    Yes.

    I wonder if there is any chance some sort of reset might make difference.

    I even tried the calibration mode in the app and it seems not to detect anything when tbd sustain pedal is connected. Works fine for the expression pedal.

    The sustain pedal I'm using today is one of the M-Audio pedals. Yesterday I tried the Yamaha one from my dead DX7

    I just discovered that the sustain pedals work if I don’t insert the plug all the way...only about 7/8ths if the way when you rise start feeling resistance.

    @wim: if you watch the cc values with your m-audio sustain pedal do you sometimes get some Cc values when using the sustain pedal between 0 and 127?

  • @espiegel123 said:
    @wim: if you watch the cc values with your m-audio sustain pedal do you sometimes get some Cc values when using the sustain pedal between 0 and 127?

    No, always 0 or 127.

  • @wim said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    @wim: if you watch the cc values with your m-audio sustain pedal do you sometimes get some Cc values when using the sustain pedal between 0 and 127?

    No, always 0 or 127.

    I just heard from iK’s tech support. There was a firmware update needed and an iOS app to deliver it. After running the update my unit works correctly.

    I originally looked for a firmware update on the ik site, but I had the impression there that there was no update needed.

    Anyway, problem solved.

  • @wim said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    @wim: if you watch the cc values with your m-audio sustain pedal do you sometimes get some Cc values when using the sustain pedal between 0 and 127?

    No, always 0 or 127.

    I'm thinking of getting Blueboard, but probably only if it can process a sustain pedal with values from 0 to 127, not just 0 and 127. I assume that's because your m-audio pedal is just a switch?

    Is there any relevant difference between an "Expression Pedal" and a piano style "Sustain Pedal" that supports "continuous" values? I have a Roland DP-10 that has TRS plug and gives continuous CC values in my keyboard. If used with Blueboard would it also send 0 thru 127?
    ( https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/370569-REG/Roland_DP_10_DP_10_Damper_Pedal.html )

  • wimwim
    edited November 2021

    @hes said:

    @wim said:

    @espiegel123 said:
    @wim: if you watch the cc values with your m-audio sustain pedal do you sometimes get some Cc values when using the sustain pedal between 0 and 127?

    No, always 0 or 127.

    I'm thinking of getting Blueboard, but probably only if it can process a sustain pedal with values from 0 to 127, not just 0 and 127. I assume that's because your m-audio pedal is just a switch?

    Is there any relevant difference between an "Expression Pedal" and a piano style "Sustain Pedal" that supports "continuous" values? I have a Roland DP-10 that has TRS plug and gives continuous CC values in my keyboard. If used with Blueboard would it also send 0 thru 127?
    ( https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/370569-REG/Roland_DP_10_DP_10_Damper_Pedal.html )

    There should be no difference. A sustain pedal that supports continuous values should work with the Blueboard just as it does with your keyboard.

    "Sustain pedals" are more often just switches, not continuous controllers. That's the big difference.

    Blueboard can work with either but can't turn a sustain switch into an expression or "damper" pedal or vice-versa.

  • heshes
    edited November 2021

    @wim: Thanks! Yeah, in digital piano world there seems to be a lot of confusion re: which sustain pedals are continuous and which are merely switches. A Blueboard may be in my future.

    Blueboard can work with either but can't turn a sustain switch into an expression or "damper" pedal or vice-versa.

    Not the "vice-versa" part? If Blueboard app can't do it, seems easy enough to use Mozaic or Streambyter to convert continuous pedal's output to be either 0 or 127.

  • @hes said:
    @wim: Thanks! Yeah, in digital piano world there seems to be a lot of confusion re: which sustain pedals are continuous and which are merely switches. A Blueboard may be in my future.

    Blueboard can work with either but can't turn a sustain switch into an expression or "damper" pedal or vice-versa.

    Not the "vice-versa" part? If Blueboard app can't do it, seems easy enough to use Mozaic or Streambyter to convert continuous pedal's output to be either 0 or 127.

    Sure, Mozaic or Streambyter could do it. I was only referring to the Blueboard itself.

  • I purchased this expression pedal a couple years ago and it work great:

  • @SNystrom said:
    I purchased this expression pedal a couple years ago and it work great:

    Me too. Got it ridiculously cheap on Ebay. Works great. I use it alongside a sustain pedal switch on the BB.

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