Want a third foot Diki? No problem ! Just contact Rolf Harris. He's always got a spare.

This might sound weird to most of you traditionalists but I rarely use any kind of pedals when I play arranger KB.....I will use a sustain when I'm doing a Piano type cocktail hour etc. Other wise I only use one pedal for VH on/off....I have developed a lightning fast navigational style that is far superior & more importantly FASTER SWITCHING of buttons then any pedal could ever do in real time using my fingers vs my feet. This "WORKS FOR ME" I dont intend anyone else to play the same nor would I try top talk anyone else into it. To me its all in the playing technique....using less is the way I do it & its very successful......so I cant argue with what works "FOR ME"

When playing live I find I use a sustain pedal very little, but now that I keep it plugged in all the time I find I am using it more often - probably a good idea to have it there all the time.

I haven't used an expression pedal since i started playing an arranger because I found that I was using the pedal too much, ala organ. That works well for me now - no expression/volume pedal. But since I got my XK-1 I have bought a FC-5 (??) pedal and use it for the organ only. That is the only way to play organ - with your foot on the pedal. I want to experiment with using the expression pedal on the arranger, but haven't yet. Hope this makes sense.

WARNING: PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

The above was performed by a trained professional...DO NOT ATTEMPT!

Thank you Ian......
for understanding what works FOR ME

"The Hand is Quicker then the Foot"

But the 'Foot-in-mouth' is quicker than both .

Just funnin'.

Actually Donny, I was only referring to expression pedal for organ and sustain pedal for piano. I can see button vs foot pedal being a matter of personal preference for other functions.

Tony, darn, you got me. I figured that would sneak right by my usual 'fan club' . I wasn't arranger-bashing, I was just testing to see if you were awake .

chas

chas ... I may be old, but I haven't started taking daytime naps yet ...
t.

Chas, with the MS-60 and the Electro, I use a stereo expression pedal, with both units plugged in. I use a 13 note Ketron pedalboard and the sustain is assigned to one of those pedals. In a duo or trio situation, I always use an expression pedal on the C-1.

You're right. An expression pedal is essential to a B-3 type sound.

That's part of the process for some of us.

Russ

Chas ....I hear you......years ago with my Hammonds, Farfisa, Vox Continental, etc, etc, I always used a Vol pedal (MORLEY)
http://www.morleypedals.com/volume.html

for straight organ in bands but with arrangers I pretty much have all levels set Accmp/Leads so no need to carry anymore gear.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 04-30-2008).]

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 04-30-2008).]

And just because it's an arranger doesn't mean there is NOT!

You leave ALL those parts ON during a busy style, playing busy changes, and it can be a mess!

Trevor... Rolf Harris? Wow, I haven't heard that name in a while! I did back up for him one time at a Holiday Camp gig. Nice guy... I though he was a bit kinky with that song about marsupial bondage, though

Donny, were you saying that you DON'T use a sustain pedal for anything OTHER than cocktail piano? How can you play any kind of Rhodes or Wurli or Ac. Piano without one?

And lastly, I encourage those that have the ability to use SOSTENUTO, rather than sustain from a pedal, to take a good look at it... It basically ONLY holds what you are playing WHEN YOU PRESS THE PEDAL, but not anything else. So for brass, strings organ and many non-piano sounds, it makes a FAR better choice, allowing you to 'hold' a few notes, and still play around them without 'smear' or unnatural build-up. High 'floaters', low 'pedal tones', middle 'half-chords' that you dance around, there are some amazing things you can do with sostenuto... (don't forget, you can use sustain at the same time as sostenuto, for a combination of BOTH types).

Give it a try, sometime...