Casio keyboard pedal suggestions?

[Kelly Parker]

Hello everyone,
I am a retired English teacher from Maryland, and I just recently began taking piano lessons again. I couldn't (spatially or financially) get a real piano, but my son suggested a Casio keyboard and it is simply wonderful! However I keep on having problems with the pedal. Could anyone give me any suggestions?

Thank you!

 

[CowboyNQ]

Hi Kelly,

If you can specify what type of keyboard, what type of pedal, and what your specific problem is, I'm sure someone here will do their best to assist you.

 

[Ted Nicoson]

Kelly:

See: https://www.keyboardforums.com/posts/176283/

Sorry, Cowboy ! I didn't notice until just now that Kelly had made a double post, so I have been responding to the other one !

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum Kelly

 

[AlexonFergus]

Hi Kelly,

In my experience it best to have the same make keyboard and pedal as far a s possible. So I'll recommend getting a casio pedal. I'll also suggest getting the "piano type" design as they tend to be much more durable and more user friendly to those (like myself) who actually started off playing on a piano.

I just signed up today so I can't post my recommended link until after two days...I'll try sending you the link in a private message.

Good luck!

Alexon Fergus

 

[AlexonFergus]

Hey Kelly You can search on Amazon for the Casio SP20 Piano Style Sustain Pedal

That should do the job...

Al the best!

Alexon

 

[Janet Hudgins]

Have a similar question. I have a Casio CDP 130 and don't like the cheap pedal. Also don't want to pay $125. + CAD for the one I'd like to have, S20, but there are lots online that I assume are knockoffs.
Are they safe?

 

[happyrat1]

Hi Janet >>

Take a look at these two threads for a possible solution.

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/portable-triple-pedals-for-casios.27210/

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/who-wants-portable-triple-pedals-for-casio.27263/

Gary

 

[Janet Hudgins]

Thanks. I had read through and searched fo S20 earlier but nothing.

 

[Alchemy]

I'm new here and not very knowledgeable so please correct if something is wrong or missing. I use a 3.5" square yamaha pedal for my yamaha piano, plastic I think. Although I was probably more used to acoustic piano pedals I've noticed no problem with this except I have to find it sometimes when I first sit down. I suppose if I played seriously I might glue it to a heavier plate so it doesn't scoot around. It seems this type of pedal might be better for those who stand also since it wouldn't be as easy to trip over if you moved it outward.
I assume most pedals used for sustain are simply, push on, release off contacts and mine has a common guitar type plug which I assume most do. You would not want a click on, click off, type because it stays on when you release until you click it again. I would guess the vast majority of sustain pedals would work on any keyboard that has a sustain plug. Even my old roland HS60 is the same, if I remember correctly.

 

[happyrat1]

The main difference between sustain pedals is polarity.

Both Roland and Yamaha go the opposite route than the rest of the industry and use reverse polarity switches.

What this means is that normally the switch is a Momentary Contact SPST in the Normally Open Position.

Yammies and Rollies do the opposite. Normally Closed.

Best option is the M-Audio SP-2 pedal. Switchable (universal) polarity and built like a brick outhouse. Also dirt cheap, usually selling for about $20 USD.

And just of note, Half Dampering Pedals use SPDT switches and CC controllers use potentiometers, usually about 10 Kohms in value but occasionally the industry mavericks use other values ranging anywhere between 10K and 100 Kohms.

That's really all there is to most keyboard pedals unless you want to get into effects pedals with active circuitry.

Gary

 

[Alchemy]

I wondered about that but I thought why would someone go against the flow to hurt their own sales, UNLESS, they were big enough that they become the standard to bump everyone else off. However, on my Yamaha if you hold the pedal when you power on it will work opposite. Maybe thats for "backward pedals?" Maybe most keyboards will do that?

 

[happyrat1]

Some keyboards (Usually the pricier ones) will auto sense polarity on bootup.

It's a nice feature to have but don't count on it for every brand and model.

Gary

 

[Alchemy]

If someone had a keyboard that did not let them switch to on-on, off-off, on-off, off-on, and had an opposite pedal they could play high tech Victor Borge by touching two wires together as they played.
I guess it would be easy just to permanently switch the two wires in the pedal. So far however, Murphy doesn't seem to like my guesses.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Al, I really agree with Gary on this one. If one is in the market for a simple sustain pedal, it's important to have one with a polarity switch. One day you may change keyboard brands, but why go to the trouble of getting a new pedal?

I currently own and use all of the following:

• Kurzweil KP3
• On Stage KSP1000 (Best cable of the four, virtually kink-proof)
  
• M-Audio SP2 (Heaviest of the four, which is a good thing. Means it's less likely to wander around on the floor)
  
• An AMS pedal which I can't seem to find the model number of

The first three have all been great, and have stood up to regular use and lots of set-ups and pull downs (I don't use a pedal board as I shift the pedals around a bit during a show). The AMS' cable is starting to play tricks on me, and I take care to wrap it without twisting it, so I suspect it's of inferior quality to the others. It's strictly a spare these days.

 

[Alchemy]

Al, I really agree with Gary on this one. If one is in the market for a simple sustain pedal, it's important to have one with a polarity switch. One day you may change keyboard brands, but why go to the trouble of getting a new pedal?

I currently own and use all of the following:

• Kurzweil KP3
• On Stage KSP1000 (Best cable of the four, virtually kink-proof)
  
• M-Audio SP2 (Heaviest of the four, which is a good thing. Means it's less likely to wander around on the floor)
  
• An AMS pedal which I can't seem to find the model number of

The first three have all been great, and have stood up to regular use and lots of set-ups and pull downs (I don't use a pedal board as I shift the pedals around a bit during a show). The AMS' cable is starting to play tricks on me, and I take care to wrap it without twisting it, so I suspect it's of inferior quality to the others. It's strictly a spare these days.

I always appreciate hearing your experience and methods. I would probably bug you to no end as to how you or a working keyboardist works on stage but I try not to. I have way too many questions so I just try to be patient and wait for postings like this

As for pedals, yes, I guess I just got unknowingly lucky with my pedals and it caused me to assume there were little or no complications in that realm.

 

[CowboyNQ]

I always appreciate hearing your experience and methods. I would probably bug you to no end as to how you or a working keyboardist works on stage but I try not to.

Mate you can ask as many questions as you like.

Of course there are as many different opinions and methods of going about things as there are keyboard players so my views are hardly definitive. But I'm always happy to share what works for me in the hope it might help others from time to time. That's what the forum is all about.

 

[Alchemy]

Mate you can ask as many questions as you like.

Of course there are as many different opinions and methods of going about things as there are keyboard players so my views are hardly definitive. But I'm always happy to share what works for me in the hope it might help others from time to time. That's what the forum is all about.

Well, alrighty then . You do realize I could make this pretty humorous, like regarding women and what look to give at certain times etc. lol.
No seriously, I'll start another thread so I don't ruin this lady's thread more than I already have. I have 3 dumb questions already but I'll have to think of a good thread name.

 

[Alchemy]

Here's the thread

https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/how-to-play-in-a-band.27388/