Will my keyboard work for this?

[patlang12]

I have a Yamaha DGX-202 keyboard. I am thinking about getting Native Instruments B4 organ plugin. An important aspect of the sound is having a volume pedel. It doesn't appear that my keyboard has in input for one. I want to plug the keyboard into the computer with midi. Is there anyway I can use a volume pedel? If not what are some cheap midi keyboards that have a volume pedel input. Thanks a lot!

Also does anybody have any experience with the B4? I would like to hear some feedback if you do.

 

[Atterion]

B4 sounds good. You can still use the DGX with B4. I'd find another keyboard that has a foot pedal (Find a used Korg N/X series for example). Use both keyboards with B4 (B4 actually supports 3 inputs, 1 for each manual, and 1 foor the pedal board).

In the meantime check out this freebie http://www.soundfonts.it/?a=read&b=13 (OganizedTRIO). good quality (and support for all 3 channels), also check out Mr. Ray while you're there (Good virtual Electric Piano).

Alternatively to picking up an additional keyboard you could try and find a MIDI pedal board (as used by many guitarists i.e. Behringer FCB-1010), and run that into the DGX (Or Vica Versa), Where the data would merge for use in your soft-synths. Set up 1 pedal for volume, and the other setup for something like rotary speed (Which I usually assign to a Modulation Wheel, but the DGX doesn't have one).

 

[patlang12]

Thanks a lot for your response. I have a couple of questions. Do you use the B4? If you do what do you think of it? Also do you use organized trio? If you do what do you think of that? The sound I am looking for is kind of that classic blues sound. Also about the midi footcontroller. I was looking at the berhinger one. It has a ton of stuff on it. Do I really need all of those buttons. Do you use them for storing different sounds with the midi programs or what? Is there anything that is cheaper with less buttons on it? Thanks a lot!

 

[Atterion]

My nephew has B4, it's really nice. I use OrganizedTRIO, and it also has a pretty nice tone to it. Neither of them are spot on recreations of the original, but come very close. Both are better than hauling an original around.

I use my FCB mainly for it's 2 Controller pedals, but my live rig consists of a PC running soft synths with M-Audio controllers, which have poor porgram change functioning for live use (You have to hit a button then enter the program # via the keys then enter via the keys and then hit the same button to get back into performance mode). This is time consuming at best. So I have my FCB buttons transmit Program changes (2 buttons for bank change, and ten for programs). This works out great as I can be playing hardware synths, and soft-synths, and change all my software programs without ever taking my hands of the keys. Basically I set up 3 Softsynths per program (1 for each controller keyboard), and can change them all with the tap of the foot while playing aggressively with both hands. You can set up the buttons on the FCB to do many other functions, including MIDI CC data (as the pedals do), even use them to as regular footswitches for external preamps etc. via 1/4" jacks.

Definitely the FCB was worth its weight in gold for me (Got it used for $100), and is one of the few pieces of Behringer gear that I actually use. I also use Behringer Stereo Volume pedals (1 for each hardware synth, and 1 for my computer, and they are built like tanks), that way I free my MIDI and CV pedals (they can do CV too) for other data (i.e. effect control).

Note: if your not familiar CV pedal=1/4"-jack pedal used to control keyboard.