Roland PK-5 Dynamic MIDI Pedal

Roland's PK5 Dynamic MIDI Pedal bass note pedalboard lets you play a variety of sounds from any external MIDI device, leaving your hands free to play your favorite musical instrument. The PK5 puts the excitement and versatility to live bass performance with full MIDI control within reach of any musician. Easy one-foot operation gives you complete command over four separate Performance modes, letting you play bass lines as well as harmonies, drums, and percussion sounds, or even sound effects. And the PK5's impressive MIDI Controller Mode enables you to control virtually any MIDI function in live performance. Add exciting new dimensions to your instrumental performances with the versatile PK5 Dynamic MIDI Pedal.

Organists have long enjoyed using an organ's built-in set of bass pedals to play bass parts along with their musical performance on the keyboard. Now the pK-5 lets musicians enjoy the convenience of using foot pedals to play bass lines on any MIDI musical instrument. Rugged steel construction and a selectable AC/battery power supply enable you to play the PK5 in any performing environment. Whether you play keyboards, guitar, or any other instrument, now you can easily expand your live performance capabilities.

The PK5's 13-key pedalboard spans the chromatic range of an entire octave. You can adjust the PK5's bass pedals for 13 different levels of velocity-sensitivity, providing dynamic expression flexibility far surpassing that of conventional bass pedals. And since the PK5 is fully MIDI-compatible, it lets you play the sounds of any MIDI sound source from synthesizers to professional samplers. Since you can connect the PK5 to any MIDI instrument, you can access any variety of bass sounds - everything from traditional spinet and church organ tones to acoustic and electric bass, bassoon, tuba, or fantastic synth bass tones. You can also instantly transpose the pitch of the bass pedal over a 9-octave tonal range to play any instrument sound you like.

The PK5 offers 4 different Performance modes - Bass, Poly, Drums, and Sound Effects Modes - which each give you an exceptional variety of performance possibilities. In Bass Mode you can play authentic bass lines using one or both feet. Poly Mode lets you play two or more notes simultaneously. You can play drums or control sound effects with your feet using the Drum and Sound Effects Modes. Two Function footswitches provide instant control over a wide variety of useful function. You can also set the PK5's Performance Modes to transmit on any MIDI channel and switch to other channels simply by selecting the appropriate footswitch.

The PK5's Bass Mode lets you play instrumental bass notes one at a time, similar to playing conventional organ bass pedals. You can use the MIDI PROGRAM function switch to change the sounds from external MIDI devices using your feet, while the OCTAVE/PARAMETER switch gives you hand-free control over Octave Shift, Double Octave, Retrigger, Hold and Velocity ON/Off function, making it easy to create dynamic MIDI performances.

In Poly Mode, you can use the PK5 to play harmony by pressing two or more bass pedals simultaneously. And when you connect the PK-5 to instruments featuring Roland's Intelligent Arranger function such as the E-30 Intelligent Synthesizer or RA50 Realtime Arranger, you can create sophisticated auto-accompaniments simply by playing one or more of the bass pedals to define a desired chord. You can also set the PK5's Octave Shift and Velocity On/Off status and transmit MIDI Program Change Messages in Poly Mode, the same as in Bass Mode.

The PK5 features a Drum Mode that allows you play the drum and percussion sounds of external sound sources with your feet in "real-time." Factory Set in Drum Mode includes preset note numbers specially designed for use with Roland instruments* which have built-in drum and percussion sounds. In User Set, you can custom-assign MIDI note numbers to design a drum and percussion set using any variety of MIDI devices.

*These instruments include the E-Series Intelligent Synthesizers, the D5/10/20/70 Linear Synthesizer, U110 PCM Sound Module, U220 RSPCM Sound Module, U20 RSPCM Keyboard, MT32 Multi-Timbral Sound Module, Kr55/100/500/3000 Digital Keyboards, and the RA50 Realtime arranger.

Like the Factory Set in Drum Mode, the Factory Set in Sound Effects Mode accommodates the numerous built-in sound effects of the E30 Intelligent Synthesizer and PRO-E Intelligent Arranger. The User Set in Sound Effects Mode lets you create imaginative sound scenarios utilizing any MIDI device you choose. Or you can use Sound Effects Mode as your second drum and percussion set in addition to the Drum Mode User set.

The PK5's MIDI Controller Mode functions as the "brain" for an entire MIDI setup, letting you select and instantly transmit any desired MIDI command - including Program Change and Control Change - hands free. When used with instruments featuring Roland's Intelligent Arranger, the MIDI Controller Mode's Factory Set lets you access versatile functions such as Start/Stop, Intro/Ending, Fill In, and Break Mute. You can also configure a User Set for use any MIDI keyboard, synthesizer or instrument. If you play a GR50 Guitar Synthesizer setup, for example, you can control volume, hold, modulation and sound patch with your PK5. You can easily select Factory Set and User Set from a Function switch, and a MIDI Channel switch lets you select MIDI channel numbers quickly and easily. Free your hands for expressive musical performances while you use the PK5 to manage your MIDI setup.

Roland's PK5 greatly enhances musical performances for any instrumentalists. Home musicians will appreciate the PK5's array of array of user-friendly operations while they experience a new level of convenience when they play their favorite MIDI instrument. Professional musician can enjoy the freedom of play bass lines while performing on another instrument or take advantage of the PK5's comprehensive control capabilities for all MIDI operations. Whether use with a single MIDI instrument or with an entire MIDI rack, the PK5 adds a whole new dimension of expressive potential to any musician's performance.

Technical Info

Pedalboard:
13-key velocity-sensitive
polyphonic/monophonic

Switches:
Mode x 5 (BASS, POLY, DRUMS, SOUND EFFECTS, MIDI CONTROLLER)
Function x 2 (OCT/PARAM and FACTORY SET, PROG. CHANGE and USER SET) MIDI CHANNEL
Power (ON/OFF)

Input/Output: AC IN, MIDI (IN/OUT/THRU)

Dimensions: 425(W) x 560(D) x 120(H) mm (16 in. x 22 1/16 in. x 4-3/4 in.)

Weight: 8kg (17 lb 10 oz)

Options: Boss AC Adaptor (ACA Series)

MIDI control, plus bass, drums, and effects sounds, all at your feet! Thirteen-note keyboard. Adjustable velocity sensitivity.