M-Audio SP-2 - Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action, The Ideal Accessory for MIDI Keyboards, Digital Pianos, Electronic Keyboards & More

Product Information

While most of these other effects skirt around the issue of whether or not they’re supposed to sound like the classic 1176, the origin effects Cali76 boasts its ability to be the finest recreation of it for the guitar. It is probably the only real sustain pedal in the world since everything else provides sustain as just one of the effects. With four knobs, you’ll be able to adjust every part of the note like length, fade-in, fade-out, and more. When poorly implemented, compression can have a dramatic effect on the overall sound of your song or instrument. It can leave behind lots of unnatural artifacts and make your signal feel almost lifeless. This helps keep your initial note definition and sparkle while helping add sustain and evenness. There is also a 3-way switch that allows you to have “low,” “medium,” and “high” amounts of compression added to the signal, which gives you multiple flexible types of compression settings for different guitars and styles.

Compressors work by taking the quietest and loudest parts of your playing and homogenizing them, so your output signal comes through at a consistent volume level. Depending on the pedal’s settings, you can significantly prolong the time your signal spends at its full level, which translates to loads of additional sustain. This is similar to a sustain pedal. The key difference is that it only holds notes that are already being played at the moment when the pedal is pressed down. Any notes that begin after the pedal is down are not affected, allowing for selective sustain without blurring the sound. The Boss CS-3 is definitely for the guitarist who wants a high-quality compression/sustain effect, at an affordable price considering the wealth of experience that this brand provides, getting you that excellent tone. As we’ve explained, these pedals are reliable, and so if you’re after a pedal that won’t give up the ghost whilst you’re on-stage, the Boss CS-3 is your best hope! Now it has been five months since I got the exchange pedal and guess what? It’s starting to behave exactly as the replaced pedal: randomly going into half pedal mode even if I keep my foot all the way to the floor! Sometimes I even can reproduce the erroneous behaviour by just moving my foot to either side while keeping the pedal fully pressed. This sustain pedal has been built with the piano player in mind. The piano style chromed pedal has the resistance and feel that is very similar to that created by an acoustic instrument. This makes it ideal for players that switch between acoustic and electric pianos on a regular basis. The bottom of the pedal has a rubber layer which prevents the pedal from sliding during performances. Features/Specifications

Using a compressor pedal might take you some time. It is not something that you just turn on and start playing, and you will need a bit of practice if you are inexperienced. Based on the model of the pedal you get, you will have to adjust the sound.

As you can see, there is nothing that is even similar to the Plus pedal. It works as a “smart looper” but in real-time, allowing you to repeat only a segment of the notes you play. Ok, so considering the unit’s price, there really isn’t much we can say to improve. Only, any improvements would most likely, directly affect the price; So taking this into account, knowing that the price it it’s unique selling point, we can’t make any improvement suggestions. Who is this pedal for?

Best Guitar Sustain Pedals

The Plus Pedal is a truly unique solution for the modern singer songwriter,taking the basic concept of a piano sustain pedalbut providing more control and customisation. This pedal is a revelation, andreally moves the goal posts of what you can do. Among the best aspects of the Boss CS-3 is that, unlike cheaper compressors, there’s virtually no loss of high frequencies, and the sound is practically colorless. The tone you start with is the tone you end up with, albeit with an extra dose of snarl, fatness, and body.

Again, considering this is another budget-price compression/sustain pedal, we’re hesitant to make improvement suggestions. Mainly because any suggested improvements would directly affect the units cost, and that would negatively impact on it’s USP. Who is this pedal for? There aren’t many companies designing sustain pedals only, and they usually come as a combination of sustain with distortion, fuzz, compressor, and others. The Gear4music piano sustain pedal features a very handy polarity switch button, which controls whether the piano sustains when the pedal is pushed down or whether it is released. As different keyboard brands use different Sustain refers to the time that sound spends at its consistent level, while the release is the time from when a note begins to decrease in volume until it’s no longer audible. The biggest draw of this pedal is its blend knob, which is similar to the one found on the Keeley Compressor Plus. This control allows you to blend your wet and dry signals. This feature provides players with the best of both worlds. You’ll enjoy the tighter dynamics, body, and roundness of the wet signal and still have the option to dial in some of your raw tone to bring balance to your sound.It is really easy to do and it is one of those things that will put life into your device if you just take the time. There are only two main sustain pedal mistakes: one, using it too much, and two, not using it enough. If you use the sustain pedal too much, the music becomes foggy. The harmonies and chord changes become ambiguous. Lots of times, pianists don’t even realize they’re using it so much. One of the toughest things to understand about compression is that it is inherently a very transparent and subtle effect. A good rule of thumb is that you almost shouldn’t be able to hear the difference between an uncompressed and compressed guitar signal, except that the compressed signal generally just sounds better or clearer.

There are also a couple of switches on the side that gives you an opportunity to further adjust the sound.

The 8 Best Sustain Pedal Options for Keyboards & Digital Pianos in 2022

A sustain or compressor pedal is a godsend for lead guitarists as well as those who are a fan of blues, country, or funk. Still, any guitarist can benefit from the added punch and roundness they’ll have when they add a sustain pedal to their arsenal. For both professional and hobby activities the last thing any player need is a shifty sustain pedal. A sustain pedal that is not heavy enough will move around with the slightest provocation. Many of the models being introduced in the market have non-slip feet to keep the unit in place. The rubber feet have to be made of durable rubber that possesses great traction. Cheap brands tend to have good traction at first but over time starts slipping against the surface. With a little innovation, one can replace the worn out feet to provide better stability even for passionate professional players. Where to use it Ok, so as previously mentioned, the Sustain effect is merely an extension of the current signal that is being played. In General MIDI, the sustain pedal information is controlled by Control Change number 64 (CC 64). [2] Sostenuto pedal [ edit ] Boss CS-3 (Issued from 1986 – Present, with minor adjustments since then) [Runs on Voltage Controlled Amplifier Technology]