Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards RD 800 volume pedal issues. HELP!!!!

Hi All, can anyone advise me how to set up a volume pedal on a RD800, I have read the owners manual from cover to cover but still cannot work it out, the pedal I have is a generic one and it does alter the volume but only very slightly, I believe the polarity is correct and have looked at the system menu which indicates min range is 0 max is 127 so I thought it should function in the full volume range but no joy. Can anyone help please. Many thanks in advance.

Some volume pedals have an adjuster knob on them, which you can use to narrow down the range of volume values.

For instance, when I use my Roland EV5 expression pedal as a volume pedal, and I only want there to be a slight increase in volume, I rotate the knob so that the maximum volume value is lower than 127...i.e. I set it to max out where I want it to.

I also have a BOSS FV50 volume pedal, and it too has the value adjuster knob on the side.

Another thought...have you correctly set your pedal input to receive volume signals...i.e CC7?

What brand and model of pedal do you have?

Hi Alan, thanks for the advice, will have a look again at the setup, I know the pedal itself does not have any adjustment other than a polarity switch, it is unbranded, I will report back. Thanks for taking the time to try and help,much appreciated.

Hi Cliff, I've had a look at a user manual for the RD800. Check out pages 29 and 30. You will see that there are 3 inputs on the back of the RD800 that you can plug pedals into - FC1, FC2 and EXT. You need to select the function which you want to be assigned to the pedal that you've plugged into either of these inputs. On page 30, you will see the list of functions that can be assigned. At first glance, there appears to be no Function for "Volume" control listed....however, it is actually the second one on the list...CC0 - CC127 . CC = "contol change" and if you select CC7 and assign that to the pedal, it should allow Volume control....and the range should be 0-127.

Hopefully this helps...or you may have already known it anyway.

Many many thanks for the heads up, off to try now.

Hi Again, I have tried but no luck, found the box for the pedal and it says F-V100-LC Volume Pedal by Soundstation. I think it may be incompatible with the RD, works fine on the Yamaha CVP 509... Most strange. Oh well.. Will have to get the Roland offical one. Thanks for your help with this, it is sincerely appreciated. Cheers...Cliff.

Hi Cliff, why not send an email to the SoundStation website and ask them about compatibility with a Roland RD800? One thing that had me wondering when checking out their description of the F-V100-LC is that it is for STEREO keyboards. Sure, the RD800 has left and right audio outputs and this produces a stereo signal (or if you want to run in mono you just connect to the LEFT audio output), but I hadn't actually thought of the FC1, FC2 or EXT pedal inputs were STEREO sockets. But, maybe they are, because I just went and checked my Roland EV5 pedal and indeed it has what looks like a 6.5mm stereo plug on it.

You mentioned earlier that your pedal does not have any adjustment other than the polarity switch, yet the SoundStation website says "The side pot can be used to set the minimum volume". That is exactly how an EV5 pedal works.

I've been re-reading the user manual, and haven't given up hope of solving the problem.

A few things to consider:

1. Maybe do a "factory reset" as per page 27....then start again.
2. Have you already assigned "volume" control to one of the 4 control knobs? If so, this might override your pedal input.
3. Take a look at page 28. Detailed settings for each layer of a live set. Notice next to VOL 0-127, you need to set the volume range for all layers. Then notice that for FC1, FC2 and EXT you actually have to specify whether they are ON or OFF.
4. See page 40 Setting Parameters "System"...see PEDAL MODE...you can select either LIVE SET (when you switch live sets, the pedal settings will also change) or REMAIN (when you switch live sets, the pedal settings will not change). I'd be tempted to choose REMAIN. Notice that all assignable controller functions can be LIVE SET or REMAIN.
5. Page 42 details the POLARITY settings for Damper, FC1, FC2 and EXT. The settings can be either "Standard" or "Reverse". Try experimenting with this to see if the RD800 will accept the signal from your pedal.
6. Look at the Troubleshooting section on page 56. It offers suggestions for the following:
- Pedal does not work - pages 28 and 39. You can also add a check mark for Layer and External Layer.
- Pedal does not work, or is "stuck"/pedal does not operate correctly - refer to page 18.
Hehe...sorry I mentioned this last of all...I had been simply working my way through the manual and came to Troubleshooting last. Nevertheless, you've got to have everything assigned properly and set to ON.

I'd be really surprised if you can't get your pedal to work after trying all of the above.

:)Alan

Hi Alan, sooooooo many thanks for the option's to try, my pedal is probably 3 years old and no adjustment pot is present. I will investigate further, it has only a mono plug on it BTW. Cheers and thanks for your continued help.

Im back again, I havent taken the plunge on another volume/expression pedal yet but have the opportunity to buy a Alesis F2 in mint condition at a very good price, should I do it ? My other option was to buy a Boss FV 500L, any comments on which to buy ? All comments and views appreciated.

Hi Cliff, I don't feel qualified to provide a definitive opinion on whether a BOSS FV 500L or Alesis F2 will be compatible with your Roland RD800. The BOSS FV 500L is for low impedance and is stereo whereas the FV 500H is mono and for high impedance.

It seems to me that there are at least 2 types of volume pedals...1. the type that simply receives your left and right audio out signals via 2 separate 6.5mm mono jack leads and then you send the outgoing signals from the L and R outputs of the pedal to your amplification source. I own one of these and it works well, but with age, the pots can get a bit scratchy. 2. where you use an expression pedal to control volume. I use my BOSS EV5 expression pedal for this purpose (when connected to my Roland JV1000 which I use as a controller keyboard), but it is not compatible with my Kawai MP7. This type of pedal usually has one jack lead which plugs into the appropriate pedal input socket on the back of the keyboard. You have to set your keyboard so that the function assigned to the pedal input into which you've plugged the expression pedal, is set to control CC 7...i.e. volume.

This works effectively, and if you have other sound modules connected to your master keyboard, the volume message can even be routed to the modules if you want to control the volume of the modules. I once had a setup whereby I only wanted to play strings from my master controller keyboard and to be able to bring the volume of the strings in and out, and at the same time play the piano sounds from an external sound module connected via MIDI. I made sure that the master keyboard could receive CC 7 messages form the expression pedal to control the strings, without the volume of the module being affected.

It is up to you as to which way you want to go, but you can also check with Roland as which pedals are compatible with your RD800.

Good luck.

Cliff, I believe you should be safe with the BOSS pedal, given that the company is a subsidiary of Roland.

For information regarding the different wiring configurations and manufacturer compatibility, you may wish to refer to this thread:

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?Number=322584

Kind regards,
James
x

Hi Alan & James, Guys, thank you sooo much for your input, its much appreciated, I feel a little embarrassed now as I realise I asked a question and then didn't check for an answer before I purchased the Alesis F2, it is new old stock at £37.50 delivered 😊, but if this does not work I will buy the Boss at £78 delivered and then eBay the F2. All I need to do then is get my head around assigning it and for me that's where the problem starts.. Or not.. We will see 😊. I cant understand why its so difficult to get these things working though. On looking at the fantastic instructions above it seems I need to be a IT programmer just to get a simple thing to work. 😉 I'm very out of my depth with this keyboard, my CVP 509 just works when I plug a pedal in... I cant remember having to assign things although it was a while back when I did this so I could be wrong. 😳 I will update in a few days guys.. Cheers. And thanks as always. Cliff.

As I understand it:

The BOSS FV-500L pedal is a volume pedal that doesn't plug into the "pedal" input of the RD800:

. . . It works directly on the _audio output_ (the "Line Out") of the RD800.

So you connect _between_ the RD800 and whatever loudspeaker / PA system you're using. And you don't have to "assign" it -- the RD800 doesn't know it's there.

The high-impedance (model number ends in "H") BOSS pedals are designed to go between a guitar and a guitar amp. The low-impedance pedals (model number ends in "L") are designed for "line-level" signals -- that's what you need. The FV-500L takes a stereo input, and has a stereo output.

Getting an "expression pedal" hooked into the RD800 sound generator through a "pedal" jack -- that's a whole different thing.

. Charles

Hi Charles, thanks for your input it is appreciated, my RD800 output is via 2 x ts jack L/R or normally 2 x xlr to a mixing desk how would I connect it in. ???but if it won't work in the pedal socket how would I connect the F2 Any ideas ???? Cheers.

The FV-500L owners manual is here:

http://www.bossus.com/support/by_product/fv-500h_500l/owners_manuals/7841

I learned something -- it will work _either_ as an "expression pedal" (feeding a pedal jack in the RD800) or as a "volume pedal" (between the RD800 and the PA system).

Wiring diagrams are included.

It's very simple as a "volume pedal" -- two 1/4" TS input jacks, two 1/4" TS output jacks.

As an "expression pedal", it's supposed to be compatible with the Roland EV-5.

This would be quite handy for my synth, which has no "expression pedal" input. One more piece of gear to carry around . . .

UPDATE, the Alesis F2 arrived and again I have been ripped off, the pedal is obviously used and has had a sticky liquid spilt over it, possibly beer, all the rubber is perishing and so sticky it cannot be cleaned up. I'm not going to test it in case the liquid has got inside, serves me right for trying to bargain hunt and believing in people, I will buy a Boss 500L new this time. I really don't know how some people sleep at night ☹

Final Update: Purchased a Boss FV-500L from a local dealer late this afternoon and finally got it working after reading the confusing instructions. thanks to all that helped with advice and guidance it was/is sincerely appreciated. Thanks guys. 😊

BTW, it is connected via the exp to the ext socket on the RD800 no configuration needed, it just worked when connected via one TRS jack lead. Despite the local dealer telling me it was a TS jack lead that was needed. 😒