I want a gadget with 4 pedals. 1 with a root chord, one with a 4, and one with a 5 chord. The forth would be more configurable. Possibly a minor 2. Simply select a key, and a voice, maybe a bpm, or a sort of tremolo in a selectable meter.
I seriously shy away from one man band stuff, but it's driving me crazy having nobody within a hours drive to play music with. I ve tried loopers. I've tried multitrack recording. I've tried backing tracks. They all have limitations. What do you think?
Sounds like you need a Fotdella: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fotdella
quote:
Originally posted by DougDSounds like you need a Fotdella: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fotdella
No pictures!?!
I was dreaming of starting with a set of piano pedals. Obviously digital or electric. I'd only need 4 digital inputs into a controller. The rest could be software.
I'm not passed gluing popsicle sticks on a toy chord organ. But I don't need percussion. In the end, I need a Leprechaun I can summon when I feel like playing.
Me too!
Even though I have local sessions, I resort to YouTube and backing tracks, on Tuesday nights at 10:30pm...
here is somebody who also seems to have nobody around to play with...I like playing along with her, too bad she is up in Canada! You might enjoy her "split mult-instrument" video:
Merrily Kiss the Quaker (jig)
Pictures: Do you have Google where you live? I can't post a link to the search. It was acoustic and very clever.
There is a junker electronic organ on our carport, and if I wanted to make an electronic or digital version of this I'd start with part of the pedal assembly and go from there. You could make each pedal tunable for different keys.
PS - So this already exists: guitarcenter.com/Studiologic/M...oEALw_wcB
There are also vintage ones.
Edited by - DougD on 02/24/2024 22:18:42
Read all about it: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_pedals
Kinda wondering about pedal operated chord gadgets for fiddle accompaniment. Seems like having to keep part of your brain focused on chord changes and when you need to stomp on a pedal could take away from playing - improving or whatever you're trying to get done on the fiddle. Dunno about other folks but I have enough problems keeping my attention on what I'm doing on my fiddle without having to worry stuff like making a guitar chord change. I've been using Strum Machine for the last 5 years and find it comes about as close to having a live git player in the room as it can get.
Edited by - RichJ on 02/25/2024 07:04:40
Steve - Here's a recording I made about 40 years ago. I can't get it to upload here, so we'll have to try Dropbox: dropbox.com/scl/fi/xa7qx6obg7f...cnct&dl=0
The choir director, Roscoe Hall, was playing a keyboard with a built in drum machine. I thought he was playing the bass line with his left hand on a split keyboard, but maybe he was using pedals. It all came to me on one output from the keyboard. The lead singer is his mother. He hoped to redo this session with a real drummer, but it never happened.
PS - I didn't realize that you wanted to play chords, not just notes. According to the Wikipedia article, the MIDI pedals can trigger that, along with a lot of other things.
The Fotdella used pedals to operate piano type hammers striking bass strings. Kind of a combination of a piano and an organ pedalboard.
Edited by - DougD on 02/25/2024 07:26:47
I have a basic Casio keyboard and it can play about 4 types of chords by just pressing a combination of keys; one key for major chord, two keys for a dom7 chord, etc. I'm presuming that these pedals boards can do same but with foot control. I read some info about them but didn't say where the sounds comes from. I realize an amp is needed, but is another instrument needed or are the sounds built into the pedal board.
Chords yes, but as far as the computer/smartphone is concerned it's a sample. 4 pedals, maybe 16 samples, to start with. Simply record each sample. Softbutton select.
I've got an app called chordbot. It's okay but there's just a softbutton trigger. It loops whatever one makes. 20 different guitar sounds, 20 different basslines, 20 drum beats. Etc.
Here's a picture of the footdella.
Henry, it looked like some could output audo, while others connected to a synth module, or both.
Reminds me of the bass side of a piano accordion, except has to be operated with feet
I have 'band in a box' and is all I need for programed progressions. With the foot pedal I could change the chord at any time while improvising rather than follow a set progression.
Yes, that's the advantage - you'd really be playing.
quote:Originally posted by buckhenryI have 'band in a box' and is all I need for programed progressions. With the foot pedal I could change the chord at any time while improvising rather than follow a set progression.
This! It's getting closer. Can you really do this?
This is a footella in action:
youtu.be/-2lo5Iz3gRY?si=5180Eo2z0MdTO537
Edited by - farmerjones on 02/26/2024 05:31:34
youtu.be/a2wz876pUnc?si=1SVgDGiubDT09Lad
Obviously, I'm not a proud man. But I have 100 different comps to fool with. Not counting, one can change tempo with a tap.
I've had this PSR keyboard in a box since 2013. I bought it accidentally because it didn't have piano touch (weighted) keys. That's why it looks brand new.
How about just stabbing a chord tone or playing a drone every now and again underneath the melody, that fits with the Chord progression?
How about just stabbing a chord tone or playing a drone every now and again underneath the melody, that fits with the Chord progression?
Well, I'm always emphasizing the chords tones on the beat and including relevant scales for each chord. I'm looking for a pedal that can do the same as my cheapee Casio; it plays sustained chords by selecting a combination of notes/ keys pressed at the same time, but you need to stop playing to change the chord. Of course these note combinations are too difficult for the foot, but there is a pedal board where each pedal can be programed for anything, thus able to change chords, I would've bought it but their out of stock.
BIAB is great for practicing set progressions, and the instruments sound great, but occasionally I would like just the sound of an organ drone and to be able to change the chord/key any time not to be restricted by a set/programed progression.
You got a tractor? https://youtu.be/KaHcLtaw7Q8
Then there's this https://youtu.be/yYHlwk9xrIE- I recall seeing another video like it, IIRC was bicycle pedals to a fly wheel... showed more detail and how can change chord.
What sounds might want is essentially a simple MIDI input controller device ran by feet, sending MIDI OUT. That then fed into a MIDI IN to some device/module set up. A stand alone keyboard/synth; or a MPC device; or a just computer.
They do make controllers, are as Doug mentioned, electric organ pedals. https://www.roland.com/ca/products/pk-6/ or https://www.studiologic-music.com/products/mp_pedalboard/ or a bit of DIY salvaged from old heavy electric organ https://youtu.be/dF1k8JDFSS0
Could make some similar pedal device yourself... just hacking apart some old device for MIDI OUT PCB, and triggers (or could just use cheap piezos for triggers). I did at one time get to work the hack of an old Rockband drumkit; used drum pads on floor as foot trigger device; but was limited to 4 pads.
The auto accompaniment in PSR example, just essentially just simple "Note ON/OFF" trigger (doesn't require velocity, nor expression); in one octave; pretty easy to set up. The trick (as buckhenry points out) with this set up is that to get beyond major chords (minor, seventh...) it's designed to have to press 2 or more key/trigger. As well would need extra non-note triggers to control any additional commands of fills, A/B switching.
If playing as instrument (like bass, organ, strings, pads); might want to make sure it's velocity sensitive triggers, and/or ability to use expression controls.
What might want to look into thought is more along lines of using a sampling, like those touch pad functions or devices, like MPC device, or using CC (such as a Novation Launchpad, or small AKAI MPK mini). Triggers are mostly also just bit like NOTE ON/OFF, triggering whatever you audio assigned to that pad. Sample be a single drum sound; or instrument note, or a chord; or a multiple beats/measures of recorded audio sample of rhythm and chord sounds; which can be stacked. I think you can use the above Roland or StudioLogic devices to do this.
Can play around a little with sampling in BandLab (and other free software), just using a typing keyboard letter for each pad trigger. I was thinking about possibility of just hacking a used cheap keyboard to make a foot controlled device; seems possibles, just hitting one of 16 letters; except those use film circuit board for triggers, so can't solder to it, would perhaps need to figure how to direct wire to PCB. Similar, could hack a cheap music piano keyboard or pad device; if can figure how to bypass film circuit and wire in foot pedals.
Edited by - alaskafiddler on 02/26/2024 16:28:51
Upon further thinking, forgot to mention that there are KMI Softstep; or Behringer FCB1010 (or other similar). Much like regular pad device, can assign functionality control to pads; from FX, to loop control to playing notes, to changing chords, to trigger samples/loops, drums. These are a bit less expensive than Studiologic or Roland organ pedal; might be what looking for.
Edited by - alaskafiddler on 02/26/2024 17:56:45
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjonesquote:
Originally posted by DougDSounds like you need a Fotdella: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fotdella
No pictures!?!
I was dreaming of starting with a set of piano pedals. Obviously digital or electric. I'd only need 4 digital inputs into a controller. The rest could be software.
I'm not passed gluing popsicle sticks on a toy chord organ. But I don't need percussion. In the end, I need a Leprechaun I can summon when I feel like playing.
I clicked a link to at the bottom of wiki article. Shows construction ish.
Looks like that one might have been electric. The photo stumpkicker posted is what I was used to seeing.
Watch a good organist play a two bass (1&5) with his/her foot, while playing two or three tiers of keys. That person is BUSY! But a set of bass pedals would be where I'd start.
Something tells me the footdella was made one per.
Now another thought, would be to set said gadget ahead of playing a certain key. Then the operator would only need to tap the toe in time.
I really like mine where I only have to tap at the chord change. I added a E stick, so I can get key of A.
I spent hundreds of hours programming was called arranger keyboards to be my back up band. These keyboards can be used as is with the sounds included and the arrangement or I can personalize the sound just like a recording or whatever I wish. arrangers like Casio Yamaha our free program with no human input possible. my favorite has always been the Roland G 600 which is an old one, but it has the capability of having a virtual looper with buttons on the top of the keyboard that you can press to start the loop of your chord progression and punch out of that loop. It continues forever if you want it and it can be changed on the fly to any key let alone changing from a simple root 5 bass only to adding the chord or adding fancy Licks into the orchestration. The other bonus of that model is that it’s vintage and usually only goes for $300.
Richard, I watched a "rig rundown" video for the keyboardist that backs up Elton John. He could do anything with any keyboard. The arranger made it foolproof. (Theoretically) Fascinating!
Without getting too far afield I thought I'd post my second take:
youtu.be/GtLFyz-yxuw?si=TcPcHwXYXlgE2cAk
I did the forum/world a favor by not showing my feet.
