Usb foot pedals? - PG Music Forums

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I tried to do a search but couldn't wade through all the posts to find the right info. I'm looking for a set of usb foot pedals that I can substitute for key presses while I play. Any suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time

Donsta

Try this . . .

http://piengineering.com/xkeys/xkfoot.php

Don

I've used one from this company for a while and it works fine:
http://www.delcomproducts.com/products_usbfsw.asp

Thanks guys. Do either of you use Windows 7? I bought a cheap set of pedals that apparently don't work well with 7 and I'd prefer not to repeat that mistake.

Thanks again

Donsta

I use mine with XP. I suggest a call/email to the mfgr re Win7.

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Thanks guys. Do either of you use Windows 7? I bought a cheap set of pedals that apparently don't work well with 7 and I'd prefer not to repeat that mistake.

Thanks again

Donsta

What pedals did you buy? Are there drivers for them? If so are the drivers win7 or win7 compatible?

And is your Win7 32 or is it 64 bit?

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I'm looking for a set of usb foot pedals that I can substitute for key presses while I play. Any suggestions?

I am actually researching this as well because as I get old and can't remember lyrics, particularly when they are my own tunes and thus I have not been hearing them for 25 years, I need a teleprompter. I have the software but the space bar toggles the scroll/no scroll and the +/- adjusts the speed. Obviously I can't be reaching out to a laptop during a song. My plan is to have a monitor on stage in front of me with some kind of keyboard on the floor, both running to a laptop off stage where my off stage guy can load the right text file in for the upcoming song.

I may TRY to jury rig something where I build a "layer" that fits over a standard keyboard with "plungers" connected to three oversized keys and then to the 3 keys on the keyboard and then run LONG cables to the offstage computer.

We'll see.

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I'm looking for a set of usb foot pedals that I can substitute for key presses while I play. Any suguggestions?

This question gets asked at least a couple of times a year. Click here for a place that sells a bunch of different pedals that do what you want. I personally have been using the Triple Action Footswitch on stage for several years. It is a bit pricey, but it is well built and has worked through 3 different operating systems (Window XP, Vista 64 bit, and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit). Mine has taken a beating and keeps on ticking. I've primarly used it with Sonar to do live playlists but it will work with any program that is looking for keypresses to execute commands.

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I'm looking for a set of usb foot pedals that I can substitute for key presses while I play. Any suggestions?

I am actually researching this as well because as I get old and can't remember lyrics, particularly when they are my own tunes and thus I have not been hearing them for 25 years, I need a teleprompter. I have the software but the space bar toggles the scroll/no scroll and the +/- adjusts the speed. Obviously I can't be reaching out to a laptop during a song. My plan is to have a monitor on stage in front of me with some kind of keyboard on the floor, both running to a laptop off stage where my off stage guy can load the right text file in for the upcoming song.

I may TRY to jury rig something where I build a "layer" that fits over a standard keyboard with "plungers" connected to three oversized keys and then to the 3 keys on the keyboard and then run LONG cables to the offstage computer.

We'll see.

One of the BiaB Old-Timers, Luiz Dias from Brasil, did exactly that using a second keyboard. In his case, he used a desktop and simply wired both keyboards in parallel at the standard din keyboard input. He also paralleled pushbutton footswitches to the keys he needed to operate by foot, hiding the second keyboard inside a metal chassis that sat on the floor.

I see no reason why that couldn't be done with a second USB keboard and a laptop, provided that both the USB keyboard AND the laptop keyboard could be made active at the same time.

If yoo do decide to use mechanical "plungers" to the keys, design in some sort of mechanical limit or STOP to them such that the keybed can't be *crushed* by a footstomp that causes overtravel of the plungers. Something like a coilspring at the end of the plunger between plunger and key may do the trick.

--Mac

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I bought a cheap set of pedals that apparently don't work well with 7 and I'd prefer not to repeat that mistake.

I would point out that even a relatively expensive set of pedals like the one's I recommended can't be programmed by a 64 bit operating system. The work well with a 64 bit system, but the actual programming has to be done under a 32 bit OS. Not sure why, but the manufacturer gives a heads up about that fact.

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One of the BiaB Old-Timers, Luiz Dias from Brasil, did exactly that using a second keyboard. In his case, he used a desktop and simply wired both keyboards in parallel at the standard din keyboard input. He also paralleled pushbutton footswitches to the keys he needed to operate by foot, hiding the second keyboard inside a metal chassis that sat on the floor.

That is EXACTLY the model I have in my head, Mac. This is for a very specific show when (if?) I do a CD release event in fall, and the songs will be played in CD order, so I have taken all the lyrics and created one BIG text file with the lyrics to all 11 songs with a break between them. With that in place I just need to set up one monitor and the floor controller, start the teleprompter software and turn it on and off as needed.

The trifecta of an aging musician... HUGE fonts along with the glasses, a telepromter to remember lyrics, young people to carry equipment....

http://www.xtempozone.com/

The Pok USB Wireless Foot pedal should do what you want for about $350.00.

I've done the same as this & its perfec. Not the most sturdy but very easy to use

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxaClh7FACw&feature=player_embedded

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Thanks guys. Do either of you use Windows 7? I bought a cheap set of pedals that apparently don't work well with 7 and I'd prefer not to repeat that mistake.

Trying to wrap my thoughts around why ANY generic USB device would not work with anything USB ready if you have any OS newer than Windows 98SE when USB started. It's just a human interface device and run off a generic driver. I mean there are not "USB Keyboard for Win7 Only" keyboards out there. In a pinch I needed to plug in SOME USB keyboard into my computer while I set up the Bluetooth and the one I plugged in I had to wipe cobwebs from to use it, like literally over 10 years old, and Win7 detected and was ready in under 5 seconds. Win7 doesn't even know it's a keyboard. In the hardware list it says HID, and it can't tell mouse from keyboard, just a Human Interface Device.

So I am just confused why the pedals, which Win7 should see as a HID, would have an issue. Can you expand on what kind of issues you found?

For me I just needed a foot control to press the space bar as a way to start and stop a teleprompter program for scrolling lyrics, so my situation is different. All I did was took a 1 inch strip of wood, drilled 2 holes into the space bar, and two into the wood that line up with the ones in the space bar, and used screws to attach the wood to the space bar. Now that wood stands up one inch and I can tap it with my foot any time I need to pause the scrolling.

The sad part of the story is that I even needed to do this to remember lyrics I WROTE, but that is another post about aging....

I think that the only issues with the pedals are not driver related but programming related. The manufacturer of the pedal that I recommended warns on their website that that the pedal works perfectly fine with Windows 7 64 bit, but that it has to be programmed first on a 32 bit system.

I do have a 64 bit system. I've been trying to use the 3 pedals so that left pedal is left click, middle is space and right is right click. For some reason it keeps on going back to all 3 pedals being left click.

Sorry but I can't remember the make. They instructions don't list one and the pedals have no markings.

On the bright side it's really convenient when I want to left click.

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On the bright side it's really convenient when I want to left click.

That would make you the NASCAR driver of computing. They only turn left, you only click left....

The thing I liked the best about Cleveland were the horror movies and Goulardi blowing up model cars. I think that was a while back. I remember not wanting to live in Parma with a pink flamingo. Man those were some bad movies too. White socks and Polkas. Maybe only Eastside Eddy will remember that stuff, I got it because we are essentially just across the lake.

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The thing I liked the best about Cleveland were the horror movies and Goulardi blowing up model cars. I think that was a while back. I remember not wanting to live in Parma with a pink flamingo. Man those were some bad movies too. White socks and Polkas. Maybe only Eastside Eddy will remember that stuff, I got it because we are essentially just across the lake.

Yeah, that was fun when we were kids. Ghoulardi with those awful movies on Friday nights, where sometimes he would superimpose himself into the movie.... He was a very gracious, accommodating guy who did a lot in the community. Eventually he moved to California where he made a small fortune as a voice over artist for commercials and the "house voice" for ABC. He died in 1997 at 74.

As the crow flies you are just 60 miles away from Cleveland. As the car drives, a lot farther.... :-)

You might take a look at this one:
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/input/008/usbfootswitch_detail.html