Hi,

I’m ES owner and now I’m considering to buy a Motif Rack XS. In that case I would use Rack XS with ES as keyboard controller, but how could I use half-damper option on XS piano sounds, since I could not plug FC3 into the ES sustain input? Thanks.

Alex

No. The FC3 must be plugged into a keyboard that can use the FC3 - the Motif ES cannot. The magic is not just in the pedal but the keyboard it is plugged into to use it.

To be absolutely clear: The FC3 is incompatible with the Motif ES, period.

Bad_Mister - 02 November 2010 10:29 PM

No. The FC3 must be plugged into a keyboard that can use the FC3 - the Motif ES cannot. The magic is not just in the pedal but the keyboard it is plugged into to use it.

To be absolutely clear: The FC3 is incompatible with the Motif ES, period.

Alex

My question is how could I (maybe with some MIDI sysex or similar) program sostenuto on Rack XS to emphasize playing piano voices? Since I have aditional MIDI controller with expression pedal input (M-Audio Axiom), could I set some MIDI commands to that pedal to be sent to Rack XS and invoke sostenuto?

You cannot program sostenuto with system exclusive - there is no need, it is a separate MIDI message.
And there is a major difference between “half dampering” and “sustenuto”. They are not even the same pedal on an acoustic piano. So we are confused about what you are asking or attempting to do.

Half dampering can be done with the sustain pedal (pedal on the far right on an acoustic piano). By engaging it part of the way you have a situation where the felt dampers are not completely lifted from the strings - slightly changing the length of time the strings will ring.

Sustenuto is the middle pedal and is used after striking a chord you can engage this pedal to completely lift and hold those note’s dampers from the strings, thus sustaining just those notes. You can continue to play other notes without having these additional notes sustain. Sustenuto is like selective sustain.

It (sustenuto) is so unique has its own MIDI Control Change number:
cc064 = Sustain
cc066 = Sustenuto

All you need to do is set your controller keyboard to send cc066 from an assignable foot switch jack. If you are using the Motif ES.
Press [UTILITY]
Press [F4] CTRL ASN
Press [SF3] FT SW
Set FS = c066

Plug an FC4 or FC5 into the Assignable Foot Switch jack and you are good to go. The Motif-Rack XS will respond to cc066 as Sustenuto.

Phil,

I realy like to read your answers. Once I said that your answers should be published as a handbook!
I made a mistake, since I think about half dampering and write about sostenuto. Excuse me, but I’m glad that I made this mistake since you have wrote complete explanations about everything. Ok, now to conclude, could I do similar with half dampering? I mean to send MIDI message or assign MIDI message to some controller (pedal, ribbon, MW, whatever)?
Thanks again!

Alex

That is a good question… I would imagine that if you sent cc064 to a Motif-Rack XS from a continuous controller that, yes, it would respond 0 through 127 and do the half-dampering behavior. It might not be as intuitive as a pedal on the floor but I don’t see any reason why the Rack XS would not respond.

Let us know. I would guess that it would work.

Bad_Mister - 05 November 2010 03:17 PM

That is a good question… I would imagine that if you sent cc064 to a Motif-Rack XS from a continuous controller that, yes, it would respond 0 through 127 and do the half-dampering behavior. It might not be as intuitive as a pedal on the floor but I don’t see any reason why the Rack XS would not respond.

Let us know. I would guess that it would work.

Phil, thanks again for your answer. But, to try this I should at first buy Rack XS :). What is important for me now I know that I could use Rack XS with ES but with additional MIDI controller (that I already have) to use half dampering and what is more important XA by triggering AF1 and AF2 from MIDI controller.

Alex

I will be bringing my Rack XS home tomorrow and can try this with my ES and let you know how it works.

Using the Motif ES in Master Mode, you can assign control numbers to the four knobs and the four sliders, so you can control up to 8 functions here. Setting one of the sliders to cc064 did indeed enable the half pedal feature. I use my ES to control my Rack XS, so I’ve been using Master Mode like this to control the XA (AF1 cc086 and AF2 cc087), as well as a few other features.

You can also use a foot switch plugged into the Motif ES assignable jack to operate AF1 cc086 or AF2 cc087, but obviously not both. Using an FC3, I was not able to find any combination that enables half pedaling from the ES. I also tried the FC3 from my P90, but it simply acts as an FC4 or 5 would behave.

Hope this helps.

Bob

SpongeBob - 07 November 2010 12:52 AM

Using the Motif ES in Master Mode, you can assign control numbers to the four knobs and the four sliders, so you can control up to 8 functions here. Setting one of the sliders to cc064 did indeed enable the half pedal feature. I use my ES to control my Rack XS, so I’ve been using Master Mode like this to control the XA (AF1 cc086 and AF2 cc087), as well as a few other features.

You can also use a foot switch plugged into the Motif ES assignable jack to operate AF1 cc086 or AF2 cc087, but obviously not both. Using an FC3, I was not able to find any combination that enables half pedaling from the ES. I also tried the FC3 from my P90, but it simply acts as an FC4 or 5 would behave.

Hope this helps.

Bob

Bob, thanks a lot for this! It’s nice to know that I still could use my ES and add all XA capabilities with Rack XS. Your explanantion about ES+Rack XS using is very interesting for those who don’t have any additional keyboard. As I said, I have Axiom 25, very nice controller that has keyboard with aftertouch, 3 zones, sustain and expression pedals, 8 knobs and 8 preasure pads. Since these pads could be also configured as switches, my plan is to set them to activate AF1 and AF2 and expression pedal for cc064.

Alex