First, I want to thank Scott for bringing up this topic, and I hope someone else gets something from the replies posted, as well me learning some tips and tricks.

So far, I've been setting it up the way Leigh has suggested, although I don't use a lower manual, at least at present.

I come from many years of Hammond and Yamaha Electone experience, so I am no stranger to using a volume pedal, plus I used these types of pedals in the various bands I played in when I used multiple synthesisers, samplers, and other keyboard instruments.

Leigh's method, which I actually tried first, and still use, seems to be the most ideal, although Scott Langholff's method is a great way to use it as well. I'd like to keep the accompaniment at the same level for now, as the style variations give me a good degree of color changing (I use my own edited styles) and I like the overall sound when I use the pedal in this way. Bill's ideas are great as well, and very thorough.

One thing for sure, the volume pedal adds expression not possible with just velocity and aftertouch...I guess that's why it's often referred to as an "expression" pedal.

Being able to have the volume of a note swell after the initial key press is so valuable with most instruments, such as wind, strings, brass etc. The organ, of course, really needs the volume pedal, in my opinion. Also, with the volume pedal, it is possible to eliminate the "attack" portion of a note, which is handy for pedal steel and a few other situations.

I got away from using a volume pedal when velocity sensitivity (and aftertouch) became common...but, now I realize I was missing something important, especially after spending the past few days using it.

I'm not sure in the way others actually activate it, but for me, the volume pedal has to be done by the Right Foot...I can't, for the life of me, get any satisfactory performance using my Left Foot. Now, I'm retraining myself to use the sustain pedal with my left foot; it's no big deal, as I used to do this with other keyboard setups, but it'll take some practice.

Has anyone else had the same experience?

Thank you all for the wonderful replies so far, and I will try out some of the suggestions and see if they work well for me.

Ian the Grateful