I know that a lot of you incorporate a lot of piano and organ (solo and accompaniment) in your work. My question is; when using something other than a organ for organ parts, do you use an expression pedal? Along those lines, do you disable velocity? I know that 'rock' organ tends to be 'balls-to-the-wall' from start to finish so the expression pedal is just extra weight to carry , but for jazz, R&B, Pop, Gospel, etc., do you use an expression pedal with your WS or Arranger KB? Same with piano. Do you take along a sustain pedal? I've always felt that one of the reasons that synth organ doesn't sound convincing to me is the lack of use of an expression pedal. Am I right? Or do you feel that the subtleties provided by these accessories gets lost in the cacophony of arranger play?

chas

I'm never without both, although I do quite a bit of work without hooking up the expression pedal. Unless I do a lot of foreground organ (mostly live band work), I'll generally do without the expression pedal in arranger play...

I wish I didn't have to, but I am already very busy with my feet running the arranger's sustain pedals (I always have separate UPR and LWR sustains) and doing all the Variation and Fill work that bouncing back and forth doesn't work well for me.

Not to mention I do quite a few gigs standing (I have always preferred doing this, despite my knees getting older!), and that's FAR to much tap dancing! BTW, that 'cacophony' only comes out when folk are too lazy to turn some of the Parts off and PLAY for themselves! You get in an over-busy live band, you have the same problem!

But recording, or live band work (where I don't have to run the arranger), I ALWAYS use one...

Main Entry:
ca·coph·o·ny
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural ca·coph·o·nies
Date:
circa 1656

: harsh or discordant sound : dissonance 2; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases

Just because the sound is coming from an arranger doesn't mean there is a "cacophony" of sound ...
t.

Chas, I always use the expression pedal [EV5) with the G70..I use it for organ [the VK engine has velocity off], as well as "color" sounds like brass, strings etc..The pedal adds these tones to my main tones[mostly piano]..that are not effected by the EV5..

Chas,

I use both a sustain and a volume pedal on my S900...although I feel the sustain pedal is more important and always carry a spare.

"Riding" the expression pedal always adds so much to organ...velocity sensitivity actually feels(and sometimes sounds) unnatural to me, although I can get by without the pedal if necessary as the organ sound on the S900 fades away when using the sustain.

For solo piano...the sustain is a must...for solo organ (or in a combo) the expression/volume pedal is a must.

Ian

Interesting...when I played my PortaB only and kicked pedals, I had my foot on the expression/volume pedal at all times. Now I don't with an arranger - hmmmmm....maybe I should give it a try. Seems a bit much though since I don't play tons of organ patches anymore.

Trouble is, it's hard to kick pedals, ride a volume pedal, and use a sustain pedal or two at the same time!

I don't like hitting buttons while I play (to busy doing LH bass to spare the time!), so one foot gets my arranger control, the other sustain.

Where can I get that third foot? I could really use it

I remember my old Electone D-85 had two switches on either side of the swell pedal...you could assign bend, fill or sustain to either...plus a few other functions.

Is there anything like that available as a stand alone pedal?

That would be cool.

Ian

I remember using those, Ian. Had an Electone thirty years ago (or more!). It was OK for fill, or Leslie control (what I used it for, as well as a bender), but I wouldn't want to have to use that motion for sustain for any length of time.

It wouldn't take much to make something like this... a switch is a switch, as far as the arranger is concerned.

All the Wersi & Bohm Expression Pedals have the switches, and have done for years.
However the one thing you have forgotten about is the Knee Lever that used to be fitted to Yamaha & Kawai Organs/Electones which would give you the 3rd foot.
Enjoy Life, Play a Wersi

Bill