Found this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RdPN9XFRJk
Not Genos, but how to make it on Korg

That's the one I mentioned Diki.
Great find.
He mentions to hold the pitch bend down first, then hit the notes then release.
Interesting thing is that only the lower not is bend.
Apparently this is already build into the voice.
I tried it, it works.
He then explains how important it is to to play the correct notes (Chord) to make it sound authentic.
He uses the pentatonic scale.
He also explains that a pedal steel guitar has several pedals to bend different notes.
He compares different guitars to demonstrate the effect of the pedal steel bend. Doesn't sound the same with other guitars as well as bending up.
Only certain notes can be bend up or down.
You can easily follow that by looking at his finger position on the keys.
He plays correct bends and incorrect bends.
He also says to only bend 2 or 3 notes not 4.
His buddy says that not everybody can play in a pentatonic scale and that Harmony/echo can be used for that.
He turns on Country duet which works really nice.
The notes displayed in the display give an idea about the lead note as well as the note to be bend.
Same with country trio.
He first plays the harmony note, then all the notes himself to show what harmony does.
He then states that the resonator guitar does the same pitch bend.
That's about it.
These guys do a great job showing different features as well as playing techniques in their videos.
Eric

This guy does a great job demonstrating different keyboards.
He often makes his own styles and registrations which he shares for free.
Good stuff
Eric

I am seeking your expert opinion on the best MIDI Foot Controller for the Yamaha GENOS Arranger Keyboard.

I will be using a Roland RD-700GX 88 Key controller sitting on a Quik-Lok M91 Keyboard Stand.

https://www.quiklok.com/product/m-91-monolith-keyboard-stand/


The Yamaha GENOS will sit on the adjustable Quik-Lok M2 2nd Tier.

https://www.quiklok.com/product/m-2-monolith-add-on-tier/


This is a stylish and sturdy stand leaving a 32” wide clearance for a Pedal Board or Foot Controller.

I would like to trigger the Style Variations, Fill-ins and Breaks from the Foot Controller so that my hands are free to play on the Roland RD-700GX.

I see there are several MIDI Foot Controllers that may work:

• BEHRINGER MIDI FOOT CONTROLLER FCB1010
• Roland FC-300 MIDI Foot Controller
• Yamaha MFC10 MIDI Foot Controller
• Nektar PACER MIDI Footswitch Controller
• Studiologic MP-113 MIDI Pedal Controller
• Crumar MojoPedals 13-note MIDI Pedalboard
• Blackstar Live Logic 6 Button MIDI Foot Controller
• MeloAudio USB MIDI Foot Controller

1.
BEHRINGER MIDI FOOT CONTROLLER FCB1010

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FCB1010--behringer-midi-foot-controller-fcb1010

$160

This device seems to have a loyal following. This website has everything you would ever want to know about the FCB1010


http://host.mtnsys.com:81/faq-fcb/IdiotsGuide.htm

http://host.mtnsys.com:81/faq-fcb/showfaqs.asp


There is a full tutorial on how to program this device. I was amazed with the quality of this production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNND5nMWhc

I can see how the programming can get tedious.

Luckily, an Editor has been designed by Mark van den Berg.

You can download the FCB1010 Manager from:

https://mountainutilities.eu/fcb1010

The lady who created the 47-min tutorial on programming the FCB1010 posted another excellent tutorial showing how to program the device using the FCB1010 Manager.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMJQ-AHRSMs

She uses the Korg Pa4X as an example showing how this foot controller can trigger the Styles, Variations, Fill-ins, etc.

To use the FCB1010 Manager you need to install the latest EPROM version 2.50.1E

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Behringer-FCB1010-V-2-5-1E-EPROM-latest-firmware-/153483058469


There are many 3rd party EPROMs that extend the functionality of the Behringer FCB1010 unit.

Here is one from Eureka:

https://www.eurekasound.com/eurekaprom

There is a Behringer FCB1010 FaceBook User Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1024147077666105/

This device is well supported by the User Community and 3rd party vendors.

It features everything one may ever want in a versatile MIDI Foot Controller.


2.
Roland FC-300 MIDI Foot Controller

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FC300--roland-fc-300-midi-foot-controller

$515

At first I was shocked to see that this was priced over 3 times more than the FCB1010.

Then I realized why the price is justified. This is built like a tank. It weighs in at a hefty 11 lbs. This has the legendary Roland build quality. It will last for decades. It has got 5 star reviews from the proud owners. This is the high-end of MIDI Foot Controllers.

The only drawback is the lack of an Editor. This means you would need to dig into the manual and study the MIDI Implementation Chart.


3.
Yamaha MFC10 MIDI Foot Controller

This device has been discontinued by Yamaha. It is easy to see why. The MFC10 got squeezed out by Behringer in the low end while it could not compete with the Roland unit in the high-end.

I see users pointing out that the switches are harder to press compared to the FCB1010 unit.

A few sellers still have a few new units for sale:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MFC10-MIDI-Foot-Controller/dp/B0002H0F2E

$370

This will definitely work with the Yamaha GENOS.


4.
Nektar PACER MIDI Footswitch Controller

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Pacer--nektar-pacer-midi-foot-controller

$230

This device has USB connectivity. This means it can be easily programmed from your PC/Mac. It is geared more towards controlling your DAW.


5.
Studiologic MP-113 MIDI Pedal Controller

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MP113--studiologic-mp-113-midi-pedal-controller

$500

This unit doubles as a pedal board.



6.
Crumar MojoPedals 13-note MIDI Pedalboard

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MojoPedals2--crumar-mojopedals-13-note-midi-pedalboard

$500

This is another good choice if you are looking for a pedal board.


7.
Blackstar Live Logic 6 Button MIDI Foot Controller

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LiveLogic--blackstar-live-logic-6-button-midi-footcontroller

$180

This is a sleek compact unit that can be used to trigger the variations and fills.


8.
MeloAudio USB MIDI Foot Controller

https://www.amazon.com/MeloAudio-Commander-Multi-Effects-Portable-Controller/dp/B07DQPTZ1F

$150

This unit is budget priced to match the Behringer FCB1010.
However, the FCB1010 wins with its larger feature set and free Editor.



Judging from the features of the above 8 units, it looks like the Behringer FCB1010 is the best choice if you are a hobbyist.

The Roland FC-300 is the best choice if price is of no concern. It will appeal to professionals who have to travel a lot and need a reliable unit that will last.

Is it worthwhile to add the FCB1010 or the FC-300 to control your GENOS when paired with an 88-key controller?

Or, is it better to just add a Yamaha FC7 Volume/Expression pedal

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FC7--yamaha-fc7-volume-expression-pedal

along with the Yamaha FC4A Sustain Pedal

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FC4A--yamaha-fc4a-sustain-pedal-foot-switch

and a simple Yamaha FC5 Foot Switch?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FC5--yamaha-fc5-foot-switch


It is possible to save all your song settings into the 10 Registrations. Moreover, it is possible to sequence the Registration Changes on the GENOS.

So, all you need is a Foot Switch to step through your Registration Sequence.

There is no need at all to press the Variation and Fill-in buttons.

This YouTube video demonstrates this function:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrhO6veyjMU

With all these possibilities, what have you found to be the most practical?

The GENOS is on backorder with most large music retailers. The wait time is over 30 days with B&H and Full Compass.

This could be a good sign. Yamaha may be getting ready to launch their successor to the GENOS later this year. So they are making limited quantities just to satisfy the units ordered. Once the new model is announced, it would be hard to sell the remaining inventory. They would have to go well below MSRP.

In the interest of completeness there are a few other options I'll add to this thread (for your reference, and others' in the future.)
First, there's the Roland PK-6 and PK-9. They are both primarily pedalboards. But the PK-6 has an array of footswitches along the top which *I think* can be programmed to send MIDI commands. The PK-9 is a larger pedalboard with an expression pedal on top. A third option is the MIDI Solutions F8 multi-footswitch controller. This is just a "black box" that you can program to send whatever MIDI messages are necessary. It has eight 1/4" input jacks for the pedals. I believe that you can use the F8 in conjunction with a pedalboard (different function for each note), or build your own array up to eight individual momentary foot switches.
That brings me to one final observation. For a long time I was frustrated chasing my Yamaha FC5 control pedal around the hardwood floor under my keyboard. I upgraded to a Boss (Roland) FS-6 dual switch which is heavier, has a more 'positive' action, and importantly you step DOWN to activate it (instead of down and forward.) That, plus a plastic box behind it, stops it from skating away from me when I need it most. The tendency to stay put is a good reason to consider a pedalboard-type controller. They're pricey, buy they also give you the option of learning to "kick pedals" if you were ever curious to try a more organ-like approach. My $.02.

Hi Ted,

Aha!

I learned something new today from your post. This is why this forum is so valuable.

The Roland Pedal Boards are indeed great choices:

https://www.roland.com/us/products/pk-6/

https://www.roland.com/us/products/pk-9/

From the looks of it, they all share the legendary Roland build quality.

I agree, the Yamaha FC5 is flimsy. The Roland FS-6 Dual Foot Switch will be ideal to go up and down the Registration buttons.

https://www.roland.com/global/products/fs-6/

Whatever you get, make sure it can send sysex strings (and be prepared for some considerable head scratching if there are any variables in the string!).

For some mad reason, rather than simple PC# and CC00/32 codes for changing Divisions (as Korg and Roland and I think Ketron do), much of Yamaha’s control codes are sysex.

Better start studying!

Hi Diki,

That is an excellent observation.

I checked the Behringer FCB1010 User Manual. It can send a Program Change message or a Control Change message or a Note message or a combination thereof.


I do not see a way to store and send SysEx messages!


This makes the Yamaha MFC10 a better choice, since it is already programmed to control the Variations and Fills on a Yamaha Tyros 4 keyboard. This works out of the box.

I checked the Reference Manual of the GENOS.

https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/7/1131007/genos_en_rm_g0.pdf

On Page-148 it explains how to hook up an External MIDI Controller using the MFC10 as an example.

On Page 149 it lists all the Functions that respond to Continuous Value input like Volume, Pan, Expression, Reverb, Chorus, etc.

On Pages 150-151, it lists all the Functions that respond to On/Off input. These functions include:

Sync Start
Sync Stop
Intro 1-3
Main ABCD
Fill Down
Fill Up
Fill Self
Fill Break
Ending 1-3
Registration 1-10
Multi Pad 1-4
etc.


All of these functions can be activated by a Control Change message and a Note ON/OFF message.

So it appears an external MIDI Foot Controller will work with the GENOS to engage these functions so long it can transmit a Control Change message along with a midi Note on/off message.

I just found a YouTube video posted by a person showing how to make any External MIDI Foot Controller or Keyboard trigger the Variations, Fills, etc., on a GENOS

https://youtu.be/d3dqr9rhVW4?t=15

This example shows how a combination of a Control Change Message along with a Note on/off message can trigger the Style Start/Stop, Fill Down and Fill Self functions.

I found the author of the YouTube video in my previous post.

He is Frank from Germany.

He has written a User Guide on how to configure the Yamaha MC10 Foot Controller with the GENOS.

https://www.keyboard-akademie.de/wp-content/uploads/GENOS-und_MFC10_V2.pdf

Frank included a Table on Page-18 that shows the Control Changes and Notes to trigger the Style Elements on a GENOS.

The best part is that you are not limited to the Yamaha MFC10.

This MIDI Implementation on the GENOS allows any External MIDI device to work so long it can transmit a Control Change message and a Note message.

This is brilliant!

I found the thread on PSR Tutorial discussing this very issue in details:

https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php?topic=40058.0

Isn’t the Internet a wonderful thing? We can find answers and solutions within minutes.