Keyboard

Keyboard (including Midi Controller Pedal)

Keyboard

I've owned a number of keyboards over the years, starting with a Casio CZ230S, then a Korg 707 and a Yamaha PSS-790. Whilst at school and for a few years afterwards, I used a computer as a midi sequencer, and triggered sounds from these keyboards (and my Alesis HR-16 drum machine) to create arrangements of songs that I'd written.

As always, the more complicated the setup, the more chances there are for things to go wrong. Couple that with the inherent instability of computers in general, and this setup became more and more frustrating.

So I decided to simplify my setup. I sold (or threw away!) all of my various midi gear, and bought a Korg N364 Music Workstation. It's a keyboard, synth, sequencer, drum machine and effects unit all in one. I'd been a fan of Korg sounds since having the 707 - and been impressed with the Korg M1 (which was probably the 'original' workstation unit). The sounds are superb, and onboard effects help to improve the 'realism' of the sounds. The sequencer is not the easiest thing int he world to program (look at the size of the screen!), but it works, and the onboard disk drive will read DOS format disks, and standard midi files. This means I can move sequencer files between the N364 and a PC if I want to.

Up until early 2007, my keyboard playing had been purely for my own enjoyment. I taught myself to play (with help from my parents) when I was young, and I play mainly by ear (but can read music, but not fluently). When Andy asked me if I'd play keyboards for his new Soul Band (Soul Baby), I decided it would be good for me to spend some time improving my keyboard skills. I'd already discovered in the last couple of years that playing Bass Guitar for a band forces you to practice and play regularly, and my Bass playing has improved dramatically from that.

So I agreed to play for Soul Baby. It's a really interesting (and challenging) mix of music, and I'm trying to cover (wherever possible) Brass parts (trumpet and saxophone etc.) as well as traditional keyboard parts (organ, piano etc.). This means that on some songs I'm playing 3 or 4 different parts. This is achieved by 'layering' sounds on top of each other (if the various instruments are playing the same notes), and 'splitting' the keyboard into various sections (e.g. playing organ with the left hand and brass riffs with the right hand). When I run out of keys on the keyboard, then I have to resort to changing sounds during a song, which can be awkward using the buttons on the keyboard. This led me to start investigating using a midi controller pedal to help.....

Midi Controller Pedal

I'd already played with one of Behringer's FCB1010 Midi Controller Pedal's a couple of years ago (Jason from Bad Toad had one and a Behringer V-Amp Guitar Effects unit, which I borrowed one weekend to experiment with). I realised then that the FCB1010 was a very versatile and flexible unit. It's mainly designed for changing patches (or presets) on a midi device (or selection of midi devices), and has two expression or volume pedals that can be programmed to use any of the standard midi controllers (so they can be used to control volume, or effects levels, or 'wah-wah' functions - depending on the midi device you controlling). It can also be programmed to transmit midi 'notes' from the pedals, so you can actually play basslines (or trigger samplers) from the pedals!

This was the first thing I thought of when I started looking for a controller pedal for my keyboard setup. However, when I downloaded the manual and started reading it carefully, I found some potential problems. I didn't just want to use the pedal for patch changes. I needed a sustain pedal, and also wanted to be able to control effects (such as the rotating speaker speed) from the pedals. It seemed that Behringer had designed the pedal purely with patch changes in mind, and their programming wouldn't allow me to control the N364 in the way I wanted to.

I spent many hours on the web investigating other options, but the only devices I found that may be able to provide all the control I needed were going to cost 4-5 as much as the Behringer (which was not an option!).

I started reading various email groups about the FCB1010, and I suddenly came across OssanDust's UnO firmware update. Behringer had released a couple of firmware updates (with a few minor enhancements) for the FCB1010, and these are supplied on a new ROM that is installed into the pedal. OssanDust (from Belgium) has taken the firmware, and written a greatly enhanced version, which is supplied on ROM that improves the functionality of the FCB1010 way beyond Behringer's original specification. For the bargain price of 16 euro, you get this updated ROM which essentially allows the £100 (ish) Behringer Midi Controller Pedal to compete with the 'professional' controller pedals costing over £400.

With my newly upgraded FCB1010, I can now change patches, control effects, use the expression pedals to 'swell' brass notes, and even play some keyboard sounds with my feet (for those times when two hands are not enough!)

Keyboard Stand

I started off using a 'traditional' X style keyboard stand, but soon found this to be less than ideal.

The N364 is a fairly long keyboard, and and I am fairly tall. To increase the height on these stands, you need to bring the support arms closer together, and I found that to get the keyboard to the correct height for me to play whilst standing, it was a bit unstable.

Then, when I started using the FCB foot pedal, I found I needed to have the support arms quite a long way apart to enable the pedal to fit on the floor comfortably.

I started looking at alternative designs of keybaord stands (such as 'A Frame' style), but these tend to be very expensive. The solution was much simpler: a double keyboard stand:

I set up the stand quite low (with the feet a long way apart) - which means the pedal fits comfortably on the floor between the legs. I then use the 'second keyboard' arms to put my keyboard on - which brings it up to the correct height for my playing. Most of the double keyboard stands have the second tier sloping, which wouldn't be ideal, but I found this model that is fully adjustable.