Adding jack on a midi foot controller for expression pedal?

[Burstbucker]

This is kind of a dumb question but oh well, here it goes anyway.

I have a midi foot controller but it has no expression pedal, is it possible to somehow connect an expression pedal into this foot-controller and make it work?

I know I can get a controller that already has the expression pedal but I find they are way too big.  The controller that I have takes up very little room on the floor because it only has seven footswitches instead of the more common twelve footswitch variety.  It's just more compact.

I was wondering if it's possible to add a jack to the foot-controller to accept the 1/4 inch jack that's on most expression pedals?

[KarbonHed]

I doubt it.

The controller would have to scan the expression pedal you connect and convert that reading to a MIDI control code and then send it, there's more to it than connecting a pot between positive and negative. And unless the chip in the midi pedals has it's software written to do this then there's nowhere, no way and no point in connecting an expression pedal.

A possible "but..." to this is if the compact MIDI pedals you are using have a "big brother", a bigger and more expensive version further up the price range. The smaller pedals might very well use the same brain but just have less hardware attached. You might be able to find/figure out what the connections are on big bro'.

What make and model are you already using?

[Burstbucker]

KarbonHed-

Thanks for your response, I thought that it probably wasn't all that straight forward.  8^(

I'm using a little seven button DigiTech "Control 7" midi board.  I bought it used but it was built in 1996.

[KarbonHed]

Isn't there a "control 8" with a built in expression pedal?

Might be wort while opening the  "7" up and seeing if there are unused connectors on the PCB. As i said they might have made one circuit for the entire range and just hooked up less hardware for each model.

The problem there is even if you hook it up, you may be stuck with it sending a single controller number, whatever is the factory default, rather than being able to specify what it sends out. Though... depending on what the capabilities of the rest of your gear are, you may be able to map that controller to the function you want - this is the kind of poop that makes people think MIDI is complex, but it's not really, you just have a lot of options.

[bwanasonic]

Does the unit have a MIDI in? You could get/build a seperate expression pedal that sends MIDI. Not sure what's available commercially, but here is a page on making your own:

http://www.maxmidi.com/diy/foot/

Kerry M

[KarbonHed]

Or...

A make a cut down knobbox and a MIDI merger from here -

   http://www.ucapps.de/

And have as many expression pedals as you want. Saves hacking up the pedals, but lots more work.