From jake92028@yahoo.com Tue Jun 27 13:58:18 2006
Subject:Re: VK8M Rotary On/Off?

Thanks for all your suggestions!

*******
You've probably thought of it already, but definitely bring your
module with to ensure that the new pedal does what you want; if I
understand correctly, your problem isn't that the momentary switch
doesn't stay "changed" when you step and release (which as a
momentary switch it wont), but that the rotary is always on
"fast" as opposed to "slow" (the more traditional settings).
If I understand correctly, I don't believe that changing to a latch
pedal fixes the problem, as (in theory anyway) it will only change
the way you switch; you'll still be starting on Fast every time you
do a program change.
*******
Simple answer - a latching (not momentary) footswitch. A sustain
pedal of either polarity is clearly not the answer - as soon as you
take your foot off, it reverts to its previous state. So you need
something like the reverb switch used by many guitar amps, which
changes from one state to the other when you step on it and then
stays there until you step on it again. Problem solved.
*******
The VK-8M responds to MIDI messages from 0-127 on CC80, where 0=slow
and 127=fast. If you use a regular sustain pedal, when the pedal is
up, it looks like a 127 to the VK-8M, so you get fast leslie. When
you step on the pedal, you send a 0, which slows the leslie -- but
only as long as you've got the pedal depressed. If you reverse the
wiring on the pedal, all you did is reverse the effect -- normally
slow, fast when you step on it.
*******

~~~~~This is where I am now per the switching: I still have the
Mapper set to map cc64 to cc80. I thought about an expression pedal,
but this is a two wire sustain jack. And because I was able to get
it working touching two L/R RCA jacks connected to a stereo adapter
connected to a mono adapter in the sustain jack.. too weird - I
tried an 'electrical' solution. I have some fat plugs for speaker
cables with screw on terminals, so I put a couple of short pieces of
wire on each and made a plug with two wires and the ends stripped. I
plugged this into the sustain jack, and when I touched the ends
together, then moved them apart - I got slow and fast rotary, and it
was sending a midi signal I could see on the module. Then I got a
single pole household lightswitch with push-in terminal connections,
and put the two wires into the switch. When I worked the switch from
one position to the other, I got rotary on then off and could see
the midi signal.

Now I need to find which kind of music floor switch has a single
pole switch that would do the same thing - the regular sustain pedal
had me baffled as I thought they were a simple on/off, but I see it
depends on the keyboard's logic. I understand with the Mapper it can
only keep sending cc80. This is fine as long as I get a switch that
works in the sustain jack. Since the Mapper is obsolete anyway, it's
good for it still to have a useful function. Strange electronics!

Walter j