X1 - Bending notes?

Must I use the wheel to bend notes on the X1? I'd really rather use the sustain pedal to bend them. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tom

Hi Tom

I do not have an X1, so my answer is based on other synths. In the first place, pitch bend is a continuous controller. I would guess that the sustain pedal is a two-way switch. So if you use the sustain pedal to control pitch, you will not get a continuous effect. A volume pedal would be a better bet, I think.

There are devices that can map any controller to any other. There is a company called Midi Solutions that makes devices that do this, and they are inexpensive. However, another problem you face is that pitch bend is a "centered" controller. In other words, you want it to default to a central position. A volume pedal would not do this. If you only want to bend in one direction, a volume pedal might do.

I have not given you a solution, but some things to consider.

Clif

Clif,

You are absolutely correct. The sustain pedal is nothing more than an on and off switch. I do know better than that. I'm looking for something so I don't have take my hand off the keys. Lowery organs used to have a "glide" pedal switch attached to the expression pedal. My Yamaha PS6100 has a switch that changes the sustain pedal to glide. I don't know how they did it.

Thanks

Tom

Tom,
You can use a 6 pedal or 13 pedal with the x1 to do pitch bend. If you go to any of the switches you can assign the pedal to be glide, and the amount of glide is programable to go either up or down. I do this all the time to create a pedal steel effect of a trombine slide effect. I'm not at my store right now, but I've never tried assigning a sustain pedal only to a different effect. I'm not sure if you can do it, but most of my customers want to use the 6 pedal board because it can be assigned to almost anything the keyboard can do.
George Kaye

Hi Tom,

I have the optional 6 pedal foot controller for the X-1. It is easily assignable to do almost anything including bending notes. I usually have it set for several fills, break,
transpose and glide. It works great!

Bob

Hello Tom,
Yes ! you can use the foot switch to bend a note. But you can also use the after touch feature. Press F3 for utilities.F2 for aftertouch. Look at F9 for
the slide.Use the cursor buttons to adjust slide .
Experiment with it and good luck.
I have also used the portamento feature with a steel guitar sound. That feature combined with aftertouch is great. Take Care Dan O
at Guitar Center Baltimore.

You can assign the pitch bend to one of the 6 footswitches, or assign it to aftertouch.
Years ago, Yamaha made a little synth on which you could assign a single note out of a chord to pitch bend, while the other notes didn't bend. If someone can figure out how to do that, then you could really sound like a steel player!
Don