Switch and Controller MIDI Foot Pedals

This unit converts up to 6 variable potentiometer and  up to 6 switch foot-pedals to an associated MIDI control signal. This unit will work with one, two or up to all 12 inputs, at the same time.

 

  

	MIDI Foot Pedals ITEM#: MIDIFOOTPED PRICE:  €35.00

 

The Switch and Controller MIDI Foot Pedal utilizes:

• A Miduino kit
• 6 inputs for variable potentiometer foot pedals,
• 6 inputs for switch type foot-pedals,
• A power-on LED,
• A 4-way DIP switch which selects the MIDI channel at power-on, see Table 3
• a MIDI 5-pin DIN input socket
•  a MIDI 5-pin DIN output socket, 
• Switch and potentiometer Circuit Schematic Diagram

 

 

The Switch and Controller MIDI Foot Pedal also requires:

• a 1/4 inch (6.35mm) Jack socket for each required Pedal
• a 1/4 inch (6.35mm) Mono switch Foot Pedal
• a 1/4 inch (6.35mm) Mono variable Foot Pedal
• a 9v battery or equivalent power source

 

  

Operation:

At power-on the DIP switch positions are read and the unit will operate in a MIDI channel as shown in Table 3. 

 

Circuit Schematic:

A circuit schematic of the Miduino shows the Input/Output connections. The Miduino is designed to connect to external breadboards or matrix boards on a 0.1" grid. There is also a switch and potentiometer Circuit Schematic Diagram.

    

Assembly:

The kit includes all parts necessary, the assembly is straightforward and well documented. This design does not include a USB chip, it is designed to use a FTDI USB 232-TTL cable to program the microcontroller.  However since the cable plugs directly into the Miduino, you can use one cable for multiple Miduinos.

   

MIDI Wiring:

The MIDI  OUT connector uses a  5-Pin 180 degree DIN sockets. Note that the MIDI IN/OUT wiring is polarised and the correct pins should be used.

 

Download:

Open the  source code file and copy and paste it into the Arduino programme and save it as a .PDE file.

 

  

 

 

MIDI Pedal Switch Functions:

 

Sustain Pedal: 

The sustain pedal is also known as the Damper Pedal. When operated it sends out a controller value of CC64. When the pedal is pressed ON the unit outputs a value of 127, when released OFF the unit outputs a value of 0. Tone-generators without the 'half-damper' implemented will interpret a value between 0 and 63 as OFF and a value of 64 to 127 as ON.

  

 

Sostenuto Pedal: 

The sostenuto pedal is a type of selective sustain pedal found on acoustic grand-pianos. Pressing down the pedal, sending controller value CC66 with a value of 127, while holding notes on the keyboard will cause these notes to be sustained after you release them. Any notes played after pressing the pedal will not sustain. When the pedal is released it sends out controller value CC66 with a value of 0.

  

Soft Pedal:

The soft pedal works in two simultaneous ways. When the pedal is pressed, sending out controller value CC67 with a value of 127, the sound should be slightly softened in terms of volume and there should be a noticeable difference in the tone-colour of the sound. When the pedal is released it sends out controller value CC67 with a value of 0.

  

Legato Pedal:

When the legato pedal is pressed, sending out controller value CC68 with a value of 127, playing a different note changes the pitch of the current note without re-triggering the attack phase of the envelope of the sound. When the pedal is released it sends out controller value CC68 with a value of 0.

  

Hold 2 Pedal:

The hold 2 pedal is another type of sustaining pedal used fro sounds with two sustain phases in their envelopes. When the pedal is pressed it sends out controller value CC69 with a value of 127, when the pedal is released it sends out controller value CC69 with a value of 0.

  

Portamento Pedal :

Portamento or glide is a synthesiser effect. It is mainly used for synthesiser leads and sound effects. The effect is a regular sliding from one note to another, in a similar way to pitch bend, but in this case it is the time taken  rather than the distance that has to be specified.

Portamento uses two separate controllers. Controller CC5 is used to set the portamento Time, how long it takes to change the pitch by a semitone, which has a range of 0-127.  The portamento time value is associated with the variable potentiometer value fed to controller input 8.

 

When the portamento pedal is pressed it sends out controller value CC65 with a value of 127. When the pedal is released it sends out controller value CC65 with a value of 0.

The portamento effect does not require the playing to be legato, the pitch will always slide from the last note played, however long you pause between the two.

If chords are played with the portamento effect then the sliding becomes haphazard as any note from the first chord could slide to any note of the second.

 

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MIDI Pedal Controller Functions:

   

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