# Tips for buying MIDI EXPRESSION PEDAL



## Christian64 (Jun 10, 2022)

Hi,
I just bought an Arturia Keylab 88 Essentiel.
This keyboard has no input for an expression pedal.
So I’m looking for a MIDI expression pedal model that I can plug directly into my USB to control my CC messages in my vst.
Do you have any role models to advise me?
Thank you,
Christian


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## Pier (Jun 11, 2022)

I looked into it and there's this expression pedal with USB that costs like $200 but I think it's way too expensive for what it is.

I think the https://www.amazon.com/midiplus-SPY-midi-petal-controller/dp/B07751921M (Midiplus SPY) is a better solution for like $50 if you can find it. It has two inputs so you could use two pedals at the same time with a different CC.

The Audiofront Expression is also a good option if you live in a country with low shipping fees. The shipping to where I live costs like $90 which is just ridiculous.


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## Daren Audio (Jun 11, 2022)

+1 on Audiofront. The app used in conjuction is super robust.
However, Shipping is prohibitively expensive unless you're located in US/Canada (shipping is free) via postal service. 

Alternatively, Beatbar is another option but they are based in Europe. 
https://beatbars.com/en/expression-to-midi.html


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## HCMarkus (Jun 11, 2022)

Another vote for AudioFront's products. I have and love the (currently available) four-pedal, metal-cased device, which also provides MIDI DIN I/O. I also have the less expensive four-pedal plastic box which, unfortunately, is not currently available. As Daren advises, the App is awesome.

I use with Yamaha FC7s, which are nice, weighty, robust and reasonably priced Expression Pedals.


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## Christian64 (Jun 12, 2022)

Thank you very much for all your advice!!
I also saw this product:








Crumar UP4 USB-MIDI Expression Pedal


MIDI Expression Pedal with USB Connectivity




www.sweetwater.com





But there are few videos or reviews on the net...


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## TomislavEP (Jun 12, 2022)

TEC, known primarily for its fantastic breath controller units, also offers a USB MIDI Pedal Controller interface:






USB MIDI Pedal Controller


Configurable USB MIDI Expression Pedal Controller with USB interface for use with computer based soft-synthesizers, VST sample libraries and DAW software and keyboards with USB-host.




www.tecontrol.se





Since all my current keyboard controllers and synths have an expression port, I was never in the market for a "non-standard" expression pedal, so I'm not sure how this unit compares price-wise to those.


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## tressie5 (Jun 12, 2022)

You'd think than an expression pedal built into a controller, especially an 88-key weighted or semi-weighted one, would be a given in this day and age. I mean, how much more expensive would a keyboard be with one? $30? $40?


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## Christian64 (Jun 12, 2022)

tressie5 said:


> You'd think than an expression pedal built into a controller, especially an 88-key weighted or semi-weighted one, would be a given in this day and age. I mean, how much more expensive would a keyboard be with one? $30? $40?


Hi,
I agree with you.
I’m sure the next 88 Arturia essentials will have that expression input...
That said, for 330 €, it’s really a very good keyboard


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## tressie5 (Jun 12, 2022)

Yeah. I'd thought about getting a USB expression pedal to complement my Impact LX88+, but who am I kidding? I'm not Barenboim, plus most of the music I make is ambient anyway.


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## Pier (Jun 12, 2022)

tressie5 said:


> Yeah. I'd thought about getting a USB expression pedal to complement my Impact LX88+, but who am I kidding? I'm not Barenboim, plus most of the music I make is ambient anyway.


I recently had to buy a new controller and ended getting a Nektar GXP which has an expression pedal input.

Man, it's a game changer for sound design. I can have one hand on the mouse, one hand on the midi keys, and one foot for CC1.


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## Christian64 (Jun 16, 2022)

I found this product and I bought it:





MIDI Pedal Converter - DOREMiDi


DOREMiDi




www.doremidi.cn





45€, taxes included.
All I have to do is pick my expression pedal: moog, Yamaha fc7, or Nektar...


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## rrichard63 (Jun 16, 2022)

Christian64 said:


> I found this product and I bought it:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Let us know how it works for you. This could be a bargain.


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## Christian64 (Jun 16, 2022)

Promised !!!


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## Bee_Abney (Jun 16, 2022)

There may be an option to by a second, smaller keyboard with an expression pedal input. This is one reason I’m so annoyed at myself for leaving my Arturia Minilab on the train, which had such a port. It was such a wonderful resource for extra controls.


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## Pier (Jun 16, 2022)

Bee_Abney said:


> I’m so annoyed at myself for leaving my Arturia Minilab on the train


Is this like British slang or did you actually left it on a train?


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## gzapper (Jun 16, 2022)

I'd consider buying a logidy UMI3, its a usb pedal with three quiet and good swithes as well as expression input. Great units for having around, you can set the pedals to do whatever you want, super useful for live and ableton live and handy to have around in a home studio anyways.


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## Bee_Abney (Jun 16, 2022)

Pier said:


> Is this like British slang or did you actually left it on a train?


It's British slang.


Or is it?


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## Mornats (Jun 16, 2022)

Bee_Abney said:


> It's British slang.
> 
> 
> Or is it?


I'm British and can confirm it's British slang for having left it on a train.


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## Pier (Jun 16, 2022)

Mornats said:


> I'm British and can confirm it's British slang for having left it on a train.


You're both not making any sense! I still don't understand what Bee actually meant!


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## gzapper (Jun 16, 2022)

Mornats said:


> I'm British and can confirm it's British slang for having left it on a train.


That's British slang for pulling your leg, isn't it?


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## vitocorleone123 (Jun 20, 2022)

The best expression pedal on the market (probably) is the one from Lehle - regular expression out plus usb. Costly, and I love it. It also feels built so solid it’ll last forever.


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## ChrisHarrison (Jun 20, 2022)

I’ve tried lots of expression pedal solutions. Nothing was accurate on bottoms 25% of the throw. 

I got the lehle dual expression and it’s hyper accurate. It’s what you want. I use a midi program called midi pipe to hack it from CC11 to CC1. Lehle customer service recommended it. They said a software would be in the future as cc is set to 11 permanently as of now. The midi pipe has no latency. Fun as hell to play full 2 handed strings with dynamics control.


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## JamieLang (Jun 21, 2022)

Anyone use the Lehle to play Hammond? IU asked about big heavy organ style CC pedals in another thread and got crickets...which I guess I get..."which behaves most like a Hammond pedal" is fairly specific. Maybe more generically: does the Lehle feel like it has a long granular throw? And does it stay solidly where you LEAVE it when you take you foot off?


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## Per Boysen (Jun 21, 2022)

I too have the Arturia 88 and I love it. But mine doesn't work well with xpr pedals. I have four Roland EVPs, that I use with a lot of other performance gear. The output/input of the Arturia works with CV and then translates it into MIDI, but I have found that the MIDI curve is not smooth at all. Terrible jumps happen in swells etc. So I can not use the EVPs at all. Instead, I use either the Arturia drawers or a USB Tech wind controller. Much better IMO. 

When my Arturia was new I also found that when programming the push buttons to send MIDI notes only the four first worked. The MIDI sent by the rest of the buttons was lacking "value 2" i.e. the note numbers. I was in contact with Arturia on this and we confirmed the bug. Unfortunately, two firmware updates have passed since then and this flaw has not been fixed yet. So maybe it is a hardware error in only my unit?


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## HCMarkus (Jun 21, 2022)

JamieLang said:


> Anyone use the Lehle to play Hammond? IU asked about big heavy organ style CC pedals in another thread and got crickets...which I guess I get..."which behaves most like a Hammond pedal" is fairly specific. Maybe more generically: does the Lehle feel like it has a long granular throw? And does it stay solidly where you LEAVE it when you take you foot off?


I use Yamaha FC7s with my live and studio rigs for B3 emulations. Nice and heavy with good rubber feet, so they stay put, and the throw can be adjusted to suit sitting or standing playing positions. Plus they have an adjustable spring point at the top pf the throw. I am able to remove my foot without the treadle losing position. If tighter treadle feel is desired, the thru-bolt can be tightened.

I have use these pedals for many, many years and they have proven their durability. And they are just about an order of magnitude less expensive than the Lehle pedals.

I use with the AudioFront Pedal to USB interface, with which the FC7s give a nice smooth 0-127 CC throw. The AudioFront App allows smoothing and response curve adjustments if desired. I like a very small amount of smoothing and linear response.


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## vitocorleone123 (Jun 21, 2022)

JamieLang said:


> Anyone use the Lehle to play Hammond? IU asked about big heavy organ style CC pedals in another thread and got crickets...which I guess I get..."which behaves most like a Hammond pedal" is fairly specific. Maybe more generically: does the Lehle feel like it has a long granular throw? And does it stay solidly where you LEAVE it when you take you foot off?


I don't know anything about playing a Hammond, so can't address that.

The Lehle isn't as big as a Boss pedal, but isn't a tiny pedal, either. It's maybe 8" long? It's all metal with a hard rubber grip on top, and it's all digital/magnetic. The tension feel in the pedal can be adjusted. There's 2 genuine expression out jacks (5k and 100K) plus a USB out. Of course there's greater resolution on the expression out - I found that one that works best, with the most granularity of control, for my OB-6 was the 100K.

The pedal 100% stays where I put it. I had to actually loosen it a bit from how it shipped because it was requiring enough pressure that I'd miss my target. So it can be very much tight. A tiny adjustment and now it feels perfect. And still very much stays put.









LEHLE DUAL EXPRESSION


• Expression Pedal with 2 outputs • Controls all common devices with expression inputs • Magnetic sensor technology, without mechanical wear •…




www.lehle.com


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## ChrisHarrison (Jun 21, 2022)

JamieLang said:


> Anyone use the Lehle to play Hammond? IU asked about big heavy organ style CC pedals in another thread and got crickets...which I guess I get..."which behaves most like a Hammond pedal" is fairly specific. Maybe more generically: does the Lehle feel like it has a long granular throw? And does it stay solidly where you LEAVE it when you take you foot off?


Yes, I use it with the arturia organ, splitting manuals between my 88 key and the top is an arturia. Weird key feel if you play organ for real, but works fine. The synth action keys up top do the trick. 

The lehle is extremely accurate and stays put. Believe me, it’s the shit. Does exactly what you want. I would love to have 10 of them like Vangelis.


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## HCMarkus (Jun 21, 2022)

I had been connecting my Studio FC7 to a Roland A800 (after re-wiring for proper polarity.). I noticed I was not getting full use of the pedal's throw. When I connected with the AudioFront MidiExpression, I got a super smooth 0-127 over the full range of the pedal throw.

I certainly hear ya' ChrisHarrison... organ smears on a weighted 88 aren't nearly as much fun as on a synth or waterfall keyboard. That's one of the big reasons I, like you, have that second-tier synth action controller.


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