The Oxygen controller came with the S90ES.  I have it attached via MIDI, and I have the S90ES in Multi mode, so now I’m able to use the controller to play a layered instrument with one hand and the S90ES with the other.  Cool beans.

Question though - the Sustain pedal only controls the S90ES.  I want it to control both instruments.  Is there a way to make the pedal send its messages on all 16 MIDI channels, rather than just the one that is currently selected on the S90ES? 

Or does it not even transmit MIDI messages, and simply sustain the sound generated by the S90ES?

Question though - the Sustain pedal only controls the S90ES.

If you plug the sustain pedal into the S90 ES it will control the S90 ES and any tone generator device it is connected to on the currently selected MIDI channel. If the keys are triggering that tone generator, then so will the MW, PB, FC, CS, sustain pedal, and every physical controller. And the S90 ES sends those control message out via MIDI to all connected devices via MIDI Out. It requires a tone generator at the receiving end to interpret those messages… All connected devices will receive the messages, only those with an appropriate tone engine set to the specific channel will respond.

I want it to control both instruments.

If you have another tone generator, synth module, etc., Simply plug the MIDI out of the S90 ES to the MIDI In of whatever it is you want to control - if it has no sounds, then naturally you can’t control it.

If you want to control the S90 ES with an external controller… That controller should have Keys to trigger the notes, it should have a PB Wheel if you want to bend the pitch. It should have a MW if you want to control modulation. It should have a FC set to volume if you want to control the volume, it should have a sustain pedal if you want to control sustain. Simple enough. Do you have all those things for your controller?

If not you cannot generate those MIDI message with the Oxygen.

Is there a way to make the pedal send its messages on all 16 MIDI channels, rather than just the one that is currently selected on the S90ES?

No. Of course not. Does a TV Network broadcast on all channels.... No, they have to pick one on which they broadcast in your region. (They require a license to do so)

Or does it not even transmit MIDI messages, and simply sustain the sound generated by the S90ES?

Does the Oxygen Controller have a tone engine? If yes, then it will sustain when you connect MIDI into it from the S90 ES. If it is just an empty controller then purchase the recommended sustain pedal for it. Then when you MIDI Out from it you can send sustain messages.... if you are playing its keys and triggering the S90 ES tone engine and you want to sustain a note, you will need to plug a sustain pedal into that device (the Oxygen) sustain is a controller. Make sense?

Two keyboard?
Want sustain as they each play independent sounds? You’ll need 2 independent sustain pedals.

All your MIDI messages travel on a specific channel. Wherever you live in the USA, CBS-TV transmits on a certain channel regionally. Everyone in your neighborhood who wants to watch CBS EVENING News tunes to that channel. Your set in the front room is dialed to CBS… The TV In the back room is set to receive NBC NIGHTLY News on a separate discreet channel.  And the TV in the basement is tuned to ABC EYEWITNESS news… Each receives a discreet transmission and is totally separate. That’s the concept of channels.

They used the word “channel” in MIDI cause they know musicians all watched TV growing up and would all intuitively understand how that works! Discreet, separate, individual. Match the channel - see the show!
:-)

What CBS broadcasts does not affect the TV in the basement because the TV down there is set to the channel broadcasting ABC… Not unless you place it on the same channel that CBS is broadcasting. and no, you cannot just get the commercials from CBS while ignoring everything else.... It’s a package deal.

The Oxygen doesn’t even make sound, does it… So pressing the keys, moving the MW, moving the PB wheel, stepping on the sustain pedal all send specific MIDI messages that are transmitted (broadcast) in a package together on a specific MIDI channel to the receiving device -all these messages are on one specific MIDI channel. If you want to send the sustain MIDI message from the Oxygen, get a sustain pedal for it.

Basic 101. Sustain is just MIDI Control Change message 064 (cc064) and is a Channel message.
MW is MIDI channel message and is Control Change 001 (cc001)

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the great reply.  I’m obviously not thinking about it the right way.  As you can probably tell I’m a novice when it comes to MIDI. I’ve dabbled with it on and off for about 20 years but never really gotten into it in full force.  I just wish there was a way to control both the Yamaha and the oxygen with the same sustain pedal.

another, more basic question: I have another keyboard that does have its own sounds. What would be the advantage of using MIDI into the Yamaha over simply putting it on its own mixer channel? Other than, for example, using the Yamaha’s voices?