Expression pedal

[alakino2]

I am trying to install Yamaha FC7 expression pedal on my SX900.  Following the instructions, I choose direct access, activate pedal, choose voice, volume.  Nothing, what am I-doing or not doing together the pedal to work?

[Fred Smith]

What is it you're trying to get the pedal to do: sustain? articulate? volume? glide? something else?

Cheers,
Fred

[Bill]

Make sure you have plugged the FC7 into the correct pedal socket.  Since the FC7 is a volume pedal it will not work if plugged into the Switch Pedal socket.

Regards

Bill

[Arnie]

Have inserted my FC7 into Pedal 2 at the back of SX900, using for volume so had to alter Pole because it works the wrong way round. Selected what I wanted the volume to effect R1,2,3, left, style, multi pads etc, works a treat.

Regards   Arnie

[Fred Smith]

Have inserted my FC7 into Pedal 2 at the back of SX900, using for volume so had to alter Pole because it works the wrong way round. Selected what I wanted the volume to effect R1,2,3, left, style, multi pads etc, works a treat.

I assume by "Pole" you meant polarity.

Normally, you don't have to assign polarity. The keyboard figures it out during the power up sequence. The only time you have to reset it is if you touch the pedal during power up.

Cheers,
Fred

[overover]

I am trying to install Yamaha FC7 expression pedal on my SX900.  Following the instructions, I choose direct access, activate pedal, choose voice, volume.  Nothing, what am I-doing or not doing together the pedal to work?

Hi alakino2,

if you have not already done so, please download the SX900 Reference Manual and open it on your computer so that you can refer to it if necessary (starting with page 111, section "Controller Function Settings").
>>> https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/musical_instruments/keyboards/arranger_workstations/psr-sx900/downloads.html#product-tabs

I recommend using the Pedal socket #2 for the FC7. But in principle, you could also use socket #1 for the FC7, since you can set any functions for both sockets in the pedal settings. (By default, pedal jack # 1 is set to "Sustain" and jack # 2 to "Articulation 1".)

Note: You should always switch OFF the SX900 before connecting (or disconnecting) Pedals, because during the power up sequence the keyboard detects the Polarity of the connected Pedals (as already mentioned by Fred).

When the keyboard is fully booted, press "Direct Access" button and move the Pedal up/down a little.

The "Assignable" display should be opened automatically then, and the "Foot Pedal #2" box should already be selected (if the FC7 is connected there).

Set this Pedal to the function "Volume" now.

At the bottom of the current display you can set which PARTS the Volume Pedal should act on. I recommend only ticking the Right 1 - 3 Parts here and removing all other checkmarks. In this way you can control the Volume of the Right Parts using the Volume Pedal.

Please note that you can only lower the volume with the Pedal. When creating Registrations, you have to make sure that the FC7 is fully depressed if you want to adjust the maximum possible Volume of the Right Parts.

Press "Exit" button to save your Pedal Settings to the so called "System Setup". (In contrast to earlier Yamaha arranger models, the SX900 "remembers" the current Pedal settings even after restarting.)

But be careful: The Pedal settings can also be changed by Registrations (if memorized to the individual Registration).

I therefore recommend memorizing your current Pedal settings also to a Registration. If you always work with the same Pedal settings, you simply load this so-called "Setup Registration" first after switching on the keyboard. You don't need to memorize the Pedals in all your other Regs. If something changes later in your basic settings, you only need to change ONE Reg.

Of course, you can also save the Pedal settings in ALL your Regs. But then you cannot change the settings "globally" later, if needed.


Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Chris

[juketsu]

Hello!

I´m sorry, if I ask the same thing again, I´m not sure I got it right. I also have a new FC7 pedal, I got it today. At first it worked logically, but now it works the wrong way, if I want more effect or volume I have to lift pedal. If I press the bottom, the effect or or intensity disappears completely. My keyboard is SX900 and I have connected a pedal Foot pedal 2 jack...

Do I have to change polarity? How can I do that...

It´s not easy to be a keyboard player, why I didn´t start to playing harmonica. It would be easier to put in my pocket and go to gig

Juke

[Fred Smith]

Hello!

I´m sorry, if I ask the same thing again, I´m not sure I got it right. I also have a new FC7 pedal, I got it today. At first it worked logically, but now it works the wrong way, if I want more effect or volume I have to lift pedal. If I press the bottom, the effect or or intensity disappears completely. My keyboard is SX900 and I have connected a pedal Foot pedal 2 jack...

Do I have to change polarity? How can I do that...

It´s not easy to be a keyboard player, why I didn´t start to playing harmonica. It would be easier to put in my pocket and go to gig

Yes, you have to reverse the polarity. It's in Menu, Assignable, Foot Pedals.

Cheers,
Fred

[EileenL]

Press pedal with toes for full volume. Press down on heel to take volume down.

[juketsu]

Hi Fred and Eileen!

Thanks a lot, I found it polarity reverse, now it works fine!

Regards,

Juke

[Plumloco]

I am trying to assign pedal 2 to turning harmony on and off. It works until I change instruments. How do I save it permanently?

[BOAC]

I so sympathise with your problem alakino2, the only bit of help I can give you, based on my, still, horrendous and painfull, learning curve is;

Press the DIRECT ACCESS button then operate / press anything you are trying to control / alter.

The menu with all the options for that function will then be displayed

What I cannot get my head around is once you have set them to your liking how you SAVE THEM ALL so that NOTHING alters them again or you reset the keyboard.

Nick

[Kapitany]

Hi there!

Please note that you can only lower the volume with the Pedal. When creating Registrations, you have to make sure that the FC7 is fully depressed if you want to adjust the maximum possible Volume of the Right Parts.

Could you clarify please what you mean when you write you can only lower the volume with a Pedal? So for example when I set the volume of a part to 50 in the mixer, and I fully push the pedal down (or the maximum value, depending on the Pedal polarity), the volume of that part will be 50, right? And when I totally back off the pedal, the volume will be 0. So if I set the volume of R1,2,3 respectively in the mixer to 100, 70, 50, when applying the effect of the pedal to all these parts, they will retain the volume ration among them, right?

Thanks for the answer!

Imre

[BogdanH]

...
So if I set the volume of R1,2,3 respectively in the mixer to 100, 70, 50, when applying the effect of the pedal to all these parts, they will retain the volume ration among them, right?

Yes, that's correct.
Just a side note: when you change volumes with pedal, the change isn't visible in mixer (volume sliders don't move).

Bogdan

[overover]

Hi there!

Could you clarify please what you mean when you write you can only lower the volume with a Pedal? So for example when I set the volume of a part to 50 in the mixer, and I fully push the pedal down (or the maximum value, depending on the Pedal polarity), the volume of that part will be 50, right? And when I totally back off the pedal, the volume will be 0. So if I set the volume of R1,2,3 respectively in the mixer to 100, 70, 50, when applying the effect of the pedal to all these parts, they will retain the volume ration among them, right?

Thanks for the answer!

Imre

Hi Imre,

When the (so-called) "Volume" pedal (FC7) is fully depressed, the assigned parts have the same volume as if the pedal is NOT connected.

The FC7 pedal is actually not a "Volume" pedal, but a so-called "Expression" pedal. If the "Volume" function is assigned, NO "Volume" (CC #7) messages are sent internally, but "Expression" (CC #11) messages. This means (as already mentioned by Bogdan) that the Volume values set in the Mixer do not change, but the volume of the assigned parts (e.g. Right1, Right2 and Right3) are reduced using the Expression controller messages mentioned. The volume ratios set in the Mixer are retained.


Best regards,
Chris

[Denn]

They forgot to tell you
S A V E to the registration buttons or it will revert to Articulation when you switch off.
S A V E
Save everything after making ANY change. Takes a second or two but it is well worth it.
Denn.

[BogdanH]

@Denn
Pedal assignation is global setting which is retained at power off/on and so there's no need to save it into registration.
The only situation when we might do that, is if we use expression pedal for different effects than volume control (i.e. to automatically switch from volume to pitch bend control).

Bogdan

[KurtAgain]

@Denn
Pedal assignation is global setting which is retained at power off/on and so there's no need to save it into registration.
The only situation when we might do that, is if we use expression pedal for different effects than volume control (i.e. to automatically switch from volume to pitch bend control).

Bogdan

As Chris (overover) wrote, earlier Yamaha arranger models don't remember the current Pedal settings after restarting.

[BogdanH]

...earlier Yamaha arranger models...

This is PSR-SX section and so I had these models in mind.

Bogdan

[KurtAgain]

This is PSR-SX section...

Bogdan, you're right of course, I hadn't noticed that.

[overover]

Even with current models where the pedal settings are saved in the System Setup (when leaving the setting display by pressing EXIT or touching the X icon), it is recommended to save your preferred pedal settings in at least one Registration (e.g. in a so-called Setup Registration along with other preferred settings). This allows you to quickly reset the pedal settings if they are unexpectedly changed during another registration.

Alternatively, you could of course memorize the pedal settings in ALL registrations. This is recommended if you work with many different pedal settings.

If you (almost) always use the same pedal settings anyway, I recommend NOT memorizing them in the normal playing registrations, but rather use one or more setup registrations. In this way you can easily change the pedal settings "globally" later.


Best regards,
Chris