First, a photo of the beast (all photos in this review will be extracted from the internet, I have no camera to illustrate with pictures of my copy):

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What is it, what&#39;s the point?

Well it&#39;s a MIDI controller, such as a keyboard piano / synth, but played with the feet, like the pedals of an organ (liturgical, but also Ceratina Hammond Organ type).
A piano legs, everything.

Anyone who knows anything about the progressive rock of the 70s may have already heard the sound of a Moog Taurus, that fat analog synthesizer which is played with the feet, popularized by Genesis, Yes, and used extensively by Rush or Marillion in years 80 and until today (whatever they are also passed to the south).

A moog taurus:

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This walk allowed the synth bass (or guitar) to make lines / tablecloths wholesale synth bass, while playing something else with his hands or singing along in the case of Geddy Lee of Rush o_O). Obvious interest at a time when the south and synth programming did not exist, and therefore the keyboard as the group was limited to what he could play with both hands, often already very busy. Or to add on time synthesizer in a band that has no keyboard, full time (as in Rush).

It is this last use that attracts me, in my case.
How does it work?

Apart from its use with your feet rather than hands, the general behavior of Roland PK5 is very similar to the average midi keyboards: it has no internal sound, but allows using standard MIDI control any génrateur what its capable of receiving MIDI messages (basically any synth since 1985), or even virtual synths (VSTi and others) on a computer. Indeed, this latter case I use most often.
The range is an octave + 1 notes (from C to C below), according to a type layout piano keyboard obviously clear to anyone who has already handled a keyboard instrument. We will come back into use.
KP-5 connector

The connectivity is basic but adequate. Below, a view of the rear panel:

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In this image too small and too dark (sorry, I did not find better), there are (very badly) the classic trio of MIDI (IN, OUT and THROUGH) about the above R Roland, and taken for a power Roland / Boss (not included) a little further right. There is also a trap to power the pedal with batteries, but I have not tried mine (bought used) came with its transformer. Personally, I would not trust feeding stuff on batteries.

We note in passing that the plugs are black on black and the screen unreadable. On mine, I glued a strip of white electrical tape over the catch, and written in felt pen on paper the names of inputs / outputs. Detail that has nothing but air prevents the crisis of each nerve branch in the dark.

No USB, editing on a PC or another: this machine was designed in the 80 (or 90 at best) and has never changed since.

Construction and general appearance of PK-5

Yes, after all, it is used with the feet, and I&#39;m less delicate with my feet with my hands, do not you?
The KP-5 is entirely of sheet metal at the carcass, in the tradition of large multi-brand effects. The notes are strips of rigid plastic immitation wood, soft underfoot, but should give a solid impression anyway. The switches function switches are identical to the usual multi-effects pedal brand Roland / Boss.


UTILIZATION

Here it is more difficult, whatever.

PK-5 has 4 "modes" each accessible by a dedicated switch, top left.
Basically, each mode is intended for particular type of game: one to make continuous sheets in the lower, the second instead of playing note for note, the third and fourth order a sampler or a box pace.
For each of these modes, one or two specific parameters are accessible by a combination of function keys (often quite simple, and rapellée by screen printing machine in the top right).
For example, for mode "for serious web" which is the one I use most, you can choose whether the note stops when you stop pressing it, or if it continues until we plays one another (which is practical, to avoid being constantly balancing on one foot).

Of course, each mode can also be chosen (using a key combination of notes and key features) on MIDI channel you want to make, and especially how we play octave (an octave 0 , which is the leftmost of a conventional piano keyboard with 88 keys (U.S. notation, France is the -1), an octave 8, which is right).

Finally, touours using a simple combination of function keys and buttons of notes, you can send messages to MIDI Control Change and Program Change, to control other functions of the device is control (change of his bank, for example).

And of course, all settings are stored in the extinction of the device.
In summary, all this manipulation will be obvious soon enough for those who already know how a MIDI controller. For someone who has never touched a keyboard and connected to another device noon, a careful reading of the manual (available in French for download on the website of Roland) and reading some tutorials on basic the south at one site or another (and they pullullent) are expected to get out without worry.


OVERALL OPINION


With a little grip, one quickly reaches the desired result, namely playing the keyboard with his feet while they were doing something else with his hands.
While playing the machine, on the other hand, is a different story (or pant legs). It takes a synchronization hand / foot, pace, and more or less balanced on the foot support while the pedals are pretty strong so we&#39;ve not afraid to push it with your body weight. I jump on it with both feet, but somehow the result would be little music.
The layers of synth and other accompaniments of every note come quickly enough. Play a piano melody takes a bit more skill, and it probably easier sitting as an organist. Particularly if you want to play with both feet.

As this is a MIDI pedal, uses are much broader than just synth bass to Taurus. Any machine accepting MIDI can be controlled from the synth sampler through the beatbox.
The specificity of this PK5 compared to a control pedal Midi usual, is sending notes (with envelope and velocity), primarily, and secondarily MIDI Control Change / Program Change. Conversely, a MIDI controller pedal sends usual priority of CC / PC in a simple way (to control the functions of a machine), and possibly notes but at the cost of often tedious programming.
In summary

It is a device that meets a very specific need, but answers it fully, simply and efficiently.
As this need is not widespread, the device itself is rare. I have long believed that it was no longer manufactured and I do not see that on eBay, at varying prices in the range of 200 to 500 $ (and I have all wolves).
In fact, it is still made and this catalog of Roland, but it will peel the catalog numbers of the dealer to convince him of the existence of that thing which he has never heard of.
Some sites of the VPC register in their catalog (eg Thomann Ad available at less than 400 euros). They have one in stock for real? He will ask them.
If you have a lot of cahnces, you can sometimes find used in ads for various sites. That&#39;s how I found mine early this year, has just nine weeks, sold by an organist who it was inappropriate (one octave too low for the game at the foot of a liturgical organist). The monster shot bowl.

I put a picture (ugly, thank you my cell phone) of my own surrounded by the rest of the crap that I used also with his feet.
I plan to take tap class <img class="smiley" src="https://fr.audiofanzine.com/images/audiofanzine/interface/smileys/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" />

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